EWM Realtors » Vicki Restivo

Caterer EVERYONE is asking about!

Vicki Restivo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:00:31 +0000

The question keeps coming up: ”Who was the phenomenal CATERER The Venetian Coral Gables Villas hired for the event at Cernuda Art Gallery in September?” After several requests for information … (each of those neighbors and friends subsequently having hired and reported back with gushing raves) … and one more request right now for “Who was that fabulous caterer that everyone is talking about?” I thought I’d put it in an open blog forum: We used Europa Caterers … Martin Wiles is the contact person at 786 351-1236 europacaterers@bellsouth.net . (If you’d like a personal introduction, I’d be delighted.) We are having them host the ”Red Carpet Event” for The Venetian at Mia Cucina on November 7th. I agree… they are phenomenal! Their business, as well as mine, is based on referral and word of mouth. I’m happy to recommend them… wholeheartedly !

Cold Stone Creamery offering Free Ice Cream tonight … (”gelato” portions)

Vicki Restivo — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:55:29 +0000

Cold Stone Creamery is offering free ice cream tonight ! To benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, they are offering free “make-a-wish creations” in AMPLE 3oz samplings (delectable “gelato” portions)… Thursday evening, September 25th from 5 to 8pm… at all of their locations. Donations go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation … making wishes come true.

http://www.ColdStoneCreamery.com

Murano Grande: Stunning 2 Bdrm Lease Available in SOBE

Vicki Restivo — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:42:56 +0000

Lease in one of the most luxurious SOBE highrise buildings… full-service condo … all amenities … The Murano Grande is among the most highly desired, convenient locations in South Beach… south of 5th. Floor to ceiling glass with open views. Limestone flooring. Beautiful 2 Bedroom (1400 sq ft) $4500/month on an annual lease. Contact Alexandra Restivo (305) 632-1064 … or Vicki Restivo (305) 793-1365 at EWM Realtors for further information.

Water Slide/Pool Home in Palmetto Bay for $290,000

Vicki Restivo — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:04:42 +0000

Great place to PLAY: “POOL SLIDE !” Screened-in patio with open views of the pool (from the kitchen, family room, dining room, master & 4th bedroom) Tile floors… quiet cul-de-sac… trees overflowing with avocados… freshly painted exterior… split plan… 2 car garage… welcoming and beckoning! You may have JUST FOUND what you’re looking for! 9365 SW 170 Lane - Palmetto Bay (4 bdrm /2 bath … 2,140 sq ft) Broker’s Open: Wednesday 9/17 (12-2pm) OPEN HOUSE : Sunday 9/21 (2-5pm) (…EASY TO SHOW…) To preview the Visual Tour, click: http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=1665641

Miami… Rarely changing hands… Alfred Browning Parker Home in Pinecrest for Sale

Vicki Restivo — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:04:14 +0000

Indigenous materials. Sensual curves. Luxury and comfort. Alfred Browning Parker homes are coveted possessions in Miami … rarely changing hands ! Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright… Parker created simple, usable, livable, stunningly beautiful homes … in locations that are unmatched… There are a smattering of his environmentally “green” conscious architectural designs in South Florida. Albeit a rarity… for $2,995,000 you actually can own an Alfred Browning Parker home in Pinecrest (… or… perhaps you might prefer Coral Gables?) Pecky Cypress, Oolitic Limestone, Onyx …. wide overhangs…. swim-against-the-current pool-jets… magnificently landscaped grounds… Legendary architect Alfred Parker unifies landscape, climate and surroundings… Simple, beautiful, comfortable… Sheer brilliance. Before air conditioning… (or after a hurricane, or power outage!) … anyone living in an Alfred Browning Parker home is the envy of my heart. Be brave… turn off the AC when you’re in one… if even just for a few minutes! The breeze whispers through… the light filters and flows. His designs are, in his own words, “dictated by Mother Nature”! www.alfredbparker.com For more information on owning an Alfred Parker property in South Florida, contact Vicki Restivo - EWM Realtors,Inc. restivo.v@ewm.com (Alfred Browning Parker home for sale in Pinecrest: located @ 12101 Rock Garden Lane. $2,995,000 See photos below.)

Hurricane Preparedness … (Do YOU need help?)

Vicki Restivo — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:19:29 +0000

Whether South Florida will be hammered by the storm … or merely brushed by the outer bands… is unclear. Taking Mother Nature seriously is something we get better at… one hurricane at a time . Home Depot and Publix are packed with South Floridians preparing for Hurricane Ike. While some of us will hunker down alone… others will reach out … weathering the storm with friends and family and neighbors: cooking, making ‘light’ of it (… difusing the fury of mother nature through social interaction … as we weather the storm together). A category 3 Hurricane (with sustained winds of 111-135 mph)… even for revelers… is time to stock up on essentials and secure our homes. Whatever you do or don’t yet have, fill as many plastic containers as you can with water (an inch short of the rim)… Freeze them into blocks of ice… before the storm hits. Ice becomes both a luxury and a necessity, in the aftermath… with ‘no power’. Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their lowest settings. Run through your checklist to make sure you have basic provisions (and comforts!) in your home… enough to last 3-7 days: Fully-charge your cellular. (By the way, a cordless house phone usually doesn’t work after a storm… but a tradtional phone often will!). Gather the basics: Battery operated flashlights & radio ( Extra batteries). Tool kit. Medicines/Prescription drugs to last two weeks. First aid supplies and bugspray. Plastic plates, cups, napkins, utensils. Paper towells. Toilet paper. Clorox (in case the water supply is tainted following the storm). Cash. House & car keys. Gas-up your car. Make sure you have cooking fuel/propane gas for the grill. A cooler. Pet food & supplies (collars, leashes, ID tags). Childcare products (diapers/formula/baby food). Secure important papers in a watertight container or ziplock bag: Drivers license, passport, credit cards, insurance cards/medical records, essential phone numbers, bank account numbers, social security cards, homeowners/windstorm coverage papers, and your ATM card (though keep in mind that after a storm that ATM card may not work). The Publix in Dadeland has generator back-up, and WILL open after the storm… though supplies may dwindle considerably! Organize your freezer with food that defrosts quickest, being on the very top… before the storm hits. (If you can “grab and dash”, you’ll spend less time with the freezer door open, keeping more cold air IN!)

Think about what you’d grab… were you told to evacuate… Photos, jewelry, treasures, memories? Worth giving some thought to. It’s not an easy decision, made in haste. You’ll need pillows & blankets. Clothing. Shoes. Medicines. Toiletries. (Games, books and toys for the kids). Stock enough supplies to last a MINIMUM of 3 days. Food … non-perishable packaged or canned goods (a manual can opener), snack items (nuts, dried fruit, cookies, crackers, cereal, peanut butter)… and… fresh fruit. At least 1 gallon of water per person/per day (at the very minimum). Juices/gatorade/soda. Secure your homes… board up early… and stay safe.

Submerge patio furniture in the pool. Secure loose objects. If you need help or supplies, reach out. Ask your neighbor! If you have special transportation needs the number to call is: (305) 263 -5406. And if you are without power the number is 1 (800) 4-OUTAGE - to contact FPL. Check with your neighbors who may need your help… before (and after) the storm.

Open Houses… Worth Doing? 100 responses to a blog topic …in 24 hours?

Vicki Restivo — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:35:10 +0000

Wondering whether open houses are worth doing, over 100 responses flooded in, in response a Keller Williams blog published in Active Rain, in the span of a day! http://www.up0.net/c.html?rtr=on&s=eage,4h79,469,k0e0,c2hn,aloq,c2jr The ’value of the open house’ question sparked every response imaginable… and then again some. My response was an emphatic ‘YES’, because open houses, for me… (even in our currently sluggish Miami market)… have been a worthwhile means of moving property. ”FOR SALE BY OWNER” listings SEEM to operate on a similar premise (with owners believing open houses are the way to go)…. yet statistically, relatively few of them sell ’by owner’ (for reasons that are numerable… and often misunderstood). If you’re buying, selling, listing … or visiting open houses for whatever reason… I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the topic: Open Houses… Worthwhile?”

ICE … “In Case of Emergency”

Vicki Restivo — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:26:58 +0000

Under the heading “ICE” in your cell phone (meaning ‘in case of emergency’) insert names and numbers for whomever should be contacted, in an emergency. Paramedics may not have the opportunity to debrief your phone, but hospital personnel and medical staff often do. Scrolling to “ICE” is far simpler than searching blindly. (Guessing at an emergency contact is a hit and miss game… as anyone knows who has tried it!) Contrary to rumors stating that “ICE” may open the door to viruses, www.snopes.com assures that there is no validity what-so-ever to the virus hoax! Insert contacts into your phone under the heading “ICE”. Carry a card in your wallet (next to your I.D.) with the identical header…. Help emergency personnel locate friends or family … just in case.

7469 SW 168 Terrace (Palmetto Bay) will be OPEN on Sunday 8/31

Vicki Restivo — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:12:12 +0000

Planning to bar-b-que … or enjoy a dip in the pool …. over Labor Day? Before your Sunday gets up and running, pop-in and check-out a true Palmetto Bay backyard “find”…. complete with a half-court basketball court! OPEN HOUSE: 11:30 am - 1:30pm Sunday, August 31st (Labor Day Weekend) Palmetto Bay…. 7469 SW 168th Terrace… $899,000

Online Streaming of the Olympics

Vicki Restivo — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:35:05 +0000

For live (commercial-free) online streaming of the 2008 Olympics, click on www.nbcolympics.com. Great way to experience the raw competitive nature of the games…. the sports… with athletes competing all arenas… from all nations…. No interruption. No commentary. No extraneous information.