Madeleine Romanello's Real Miami Beach Blog

New Listing at The Continuum- Unit #2703

The Continuum is one of Miami Beach’s most coveted residential buildings and has recently made headlines with several record breaking sales. Being specialists in Miami high end condos, The DS Team is very familiar with the Continuum and has had the opportunity to list and close numerous properties in the building. Their newest listing is Unit #2703, a stunning 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom space with wraparound views of the water. With 1,791 sq ft of living space, marble floors, floor to ceiling windows, we expect it to be snatched up pretty quickly. The listing price for the unit is $2,599,000. For more information contact The DS Team at dsteamoffice@gmail.com. 

The Williams Island Lifestyle

Nestled just off the Intracoastal Waterway between the mainland and the Atlantic, Williams Island is a private community where ONE | Sotheby’s Bellini project will rise among existing residences — the last building to grace this urban paradise.

The gated, 80-acre enclave currently boasts eight towers with spectacular views, a Mediterranean village and a town home development. The community is elegant and serene, featuring many amenities, including 16 tennis courts, 3 restaurants and a 27,000 square foot spa.

While each building has its own pool, residents enjoy gathering at a community swim area adjacent to a restaurant. 

Williams Island is also a boater’s paradise. Yacht owners can dock vessels up to 160 feet long in 106 slips. Full dock master service and easy access to the Atlantic via Haulover Cut make this an ideal spot for the recreational boater or big game anglers. Slips are available for short-term or annual lease.

Families with kids enjoy peace of mind knowing children can play safely in the streets and also take advantage of shuttle bus services when visiting friends from building to building.

With award-winning landscaping, Williams Island feels a world apart, but it’s just a stone’s throw away from conveniences, markets, shopping at world-renown Aventura Mall, dozens of restaurants and world-class golf at Turnberry Isle.

The island is also conveniently located between Miami-Dade and Broward counties, no more than half an hour away from airports and cultural hot spots in downtown Miami as well as Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale.

South Florida Business Journal rated Williams Island as number two in the top twenty-five country club communities in South Florida – supporting the island’s claim to fame as Florida’s Riviera on par with France’s Côte d’Azur and Italy’s Liguria coastline.

Membership is required for all Williams Island residents but is affordable, currently at under $2,000 a year for families. To learn more about the club, visit Williams Island.

For more information about ONE | Sotheby’s project on Williams Island, visit the Bellini website.

Miami made 1st place and 4th place on two lists today!

We are, along with Las Vegas, top city to BUY in ! Trulia says BUY, do not rent in Miami . Any realtor and lender should be able to work up those numbers to prove it to potential buyers albeit it is defintely cheaper to rent luxury properties than buy them still. Read about Miami’s triumph here

Now on to that 4th place ‘win’ today: yes Miami made 4th place on the “Rudest City” list in the US. Can you guess the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners ????

Which short selling banks are giving how much money to whom?

SELLER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS from Short Selling Banks

This is a smart move as sellers that realize the need to short sell often cannot afford to move as it is expensive and many are worried about even finding a place with their reduced credit rating. Shame it took the banks 3 years to come up with this strategy ! This cash for keys prevents vandalizing of property, hauling off the appliances and generally preserves the property.
 HAFA – $3,000
 Bank of America – $2,500 – $5,000
 Wachovia – $3,000 – $5,000
 Litton – $3,000 – $5,000
 Citi – up to $35,000
 Chase – $20,000 to $35,000 (may be combined with $3,000 HAFA incentive)
 (TAP) Transition Assistance Program (Keep your Home California program) – up to $5,000 max. (most big banks not participating)

Meet Madeleine: Top Producing Agent for ONE Sotheby’s International Realty

Well-traveled, sophisticated and knowledgeable, ONE Sotheby’s International Realty agent, Madeleine Romanello is dedicated to the clientele she serves, “I don’t think the real estate buying or selling experience should be stressful,” she says, “I have many systems in place to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.”

It’s not surprising Madeleine is so organized and consumer focused. A graduate of England’s prestigious Cambridge University, Madeleine has lived in Germany, Greece, England and now the U.S. A former customer service department manager and export manager for international corporations, Madeleine has, not only a solid executive career and perspective behind her, but has been involved in the South Florida real estate market for twelve years running her own real estate brokerage company for eight years.

An Accredited Buyer’s agent, Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, Certified Residential Specialist, a certified REO specialist, vice president of her BNI chapter and a member of the Dade Real Estate Investors Association among other organizations, Madeleine offers clients well-researched and intuitive advice on selling and buying residential, commercial and investment properties successfully even in this sluggish real estate market. “Making sure my clients get the best property for their dollar, no matter how long it takes, is very important to me.”

Madeleine, who also speaks German and French, is quite active in her spare time. She scuba dives, gardens, reads and enjoys fine wines. She is also widely involved in the community and she chairs the board of directors of the Community Service Partnership of City of Miami Beach , is co-chair of the Pillar Trustee Education Fund of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and member of Work Force Housing Committee of Great Miami Chamber.

Since starting in real estate sales in 1998, she has sold well over $ 120 million in real estate including residential homes, condos and waterfront homes; office buildings, commercial and multi-family units. She was recently named 4^th in sales volume at her company.

She is an active real estate investor herself buying, renovating and selling single family houses and condominiums in Miami Dade county.