Historically, it was also a great opportunity to enrich oneself at the public expense. It seems that a few hundred years ago, when the Tower also served as store for much of Britain’s gold, many of the guards could not resist the temptation to steal occasional gold coins out of the treasury. Of course, if a guard was caught stealing, the guard was summarily dismissed. It seemed impossible though to watch the Beef eaters constantly and make sure they never took anything. To do that would require hiring a second layer of guards and that would be expensive. Historians of the Tower have noted that shortly after this problem emerged, the Crown raised the basic pay of a Yeoman Warder to £7 per year, notably higher then the going market wage of £5 per year. Historians have also noted that to get a job as a Yeoman Warder it was not enough to apply. One also had to pay a big, up-front fee, i.e., any successful applicant had to make a one-time payment right at the start if they were actually hired.

Why do you think that the British government decided to pay above market wages to Beef eaters? Why do you think people paid to obtain Beef eater jobs? What other method do you think the British monarchy might have used to achieve these objectives?

I will give you my comments in my next weekly blog. Have a wonderful and very productive week.

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The Closest to Weston is at 5490 Reese Rd davie, Fl and it opens on Saturday Only from 8:00AM to 3:00PM
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Here are some of the fun-filled family activities:  face painters, clowns, stilt walkers, magicians, storytellers, arts & crafts, bounce houses, rock climbing walls, music and dance performances, workshops and classes for parents, child fingerprinting, injury prevention, programs for children with special needs, Pre-K registration, KidCare outreach, vaccination information, after-school programs, child seat safety demonstrations and puppet shows.

Nickelodeon and PBS characters will make appearances, i.e. Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dora and Diego, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur and Alpha Pit will be on site greeting and talking to children, mobile units offering community services and much more.

If you owned and resided on your property as of January 1, 2009, please visit the Property Appraiser’s Downtown Miami or Cutler Bay office to file your late application.   Late Exemption applications are accepted for:

• Homestead
• Assessment Transfer Difference (A/K/A Portability)
• Limited Income Seniors
• Widows and Widowers
• Various Disability Exemptions

Click here for more information

]]> http://blog.ewm.com/2009/05/29/did-you-miss-the-deadline-to-file-your-2009-homestead-exemption/feed/ 0 http://blog.ewm.com/2009/05/29/commercial-property-owners-can-help-ensure-accuracy-of-2009-assessments/ http://blog.ewm.com/2009/05/29/commercial-property-owners-can-help-ensure-accuracy-of-2009-assessments/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 17:44:50 +0000 Debra Spadafora http://blog.ewm.com/?p=20969 Pedro Garcia, Miami-Dade County’s Property Appraiser, is asking for you help.  The Property Appraisers Office is currently developing the January 1, 2009 assessed values.  They understand that these are extraordinarily-challenging times for commercial property owners.

The economic downturn is having a negative impact on local businesses and real estate values. Against this background, it is even more important that they develop accurate property values.

Therefore they are asking for your input in the valuation process as it relates to the most current income and expense data available for your property. This data will be analyzed, interpreted and become part of their market studies. A letter was sent to all commercial property owners.

To insure  they determine the most accurate assessments possible, please forward the following documents:

1. A statement on the performance of your property, including how the first quarter of 2009 compares with the first quarter of 2008. Please include vacancies, concessions, rents, terms, physical condition, leasable area, unit counts, etc.
2. Rent Roll on or about January 1, 2009.
3. Your latest Federal Income Tax Return filed with the IRS.
4. Certified year ending operating statements, including gross rents and expenses.
5. Appraisals, listings, closing statements, contracts for sale and lease details.

Please note that financial information received by the Property Appraiser’s office is confidential, as required by Section 195.027, Florida Statutes, and Florida Department of Revenue Rule 12D-1.05.

Mail all documents to:

Office of the Property Appraiser

P. O. Box 01-9966

Miami, FL 33101-9966.

If your property is entirely owner occupied, please provide estimates of market value or appraisals obtained within the last year. If you have questions regarding this request, please call the Property Appraiser’s Office at 786-331-5321.

3 Coconut Grove Foreclosures Got Snapped Up This Week

There were 3 foreclosures to go under contract this week in Coconut Grove.  The first is 1835 Opechee Drive priced at $612,500, which I wrote about last week in a post titled “1835 Opechee, Is It Worth It?”.  The house has been in and out of contract several times over the past few months.   The second was 4243 Lennox Drive priced at $549,900.  The third was 4365 Ingraham Highway priced at $365,900.   All three of the above homes were in poor condition and needed significant repairs.

$100,000 Price Reduction On Barbarossa Avenue

In a willingness to stay competitively priced and in light of the pending sale on Irvington Avenue,  my client at 4054 Barbarossa Avenue has reduced his price by $100,000 and is now listed at $1,395,000.  In my opinion, Barbarossa is the best new construction house in the South Grove.   You can see pictures and details of the home here.  Now priced at $303.00 per square foot, this house is a great value.

5 Coconut Grove Townhouses Sold In May

The Center Grove has been particularly active this month thanks in part to myself and Berk Boge.  Together we sold 2 of the 5 townhouses that closed in May.  The other 3 townhouses that sold were foreclosures.

If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in Coconut Grove, I would be happy to assist you in your real estate needs.  Please give me a call at 305.342.1623 or send me a note here.

Ah  ha – got it!!

We’re totally inspired by the vibrant color of the season. Yes, yes — South Florida does indeed have seasons. 

Just take a look at this brilliant Royal Poinciana in glorious bloom.

Just take a look at this brilliant Royal Poinciana tree in glorious bloom.

Magnificent, don’t you think?

trying

trying

trying

Now look at the study in this beautiful waterfront home.

See the vivid pop-pop-pop of color? It’s absolutely perfect. If we were here, the room itself would encourage us to be creative and artistic, imaginative and alive with all sorts of fabulous ideas. And when we need a break from our work, we would sit out on the dock and watch the boats cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway. When we get hot, we’d jump in the pool. When we get hungry, we’d prepare lunch in the granite and wood kitchen. Or even better, in the summer kitchen outside.

Obviously, the house has already sparked our imagination.

We hereby award the study FOUR DOORKNOBS! (Of course, if we were voting for the tree as well, we’d happily give it FOUR SEEDLINGS!)

Click the special doorknob below to see the other

Click the special doorknob below to see the other inspiring features of this exciting house.

Click the special doorknob below and let this exciting house inspire you too!

This melt down may adversely effect the Fed’s effort to stabilize the housing market by artificially keep mortgage rates low but we need to let the dust settle before panic sets in.  The Fed has at it’s disposal several tools which it can employ to keep mortgage rates at current levels.

By the end of the day 30 year fixed rates for well qualified buyers were at about 5.25% with no points.  To keep things in perspective prior to the Fed’s buying program the historic low for 30 year fixed rates was 5.125% so we are still in very good shape. 

If you or one of your clients is buying or refinancing a home it will be very important to contact your mortgage banker who should  proactively be managing your rate lock.