I just had a tremendous interview with someone who has been a real estate thought leader in South Florida for many years.
Melissa Jane Rubin isn’t new to Miami or to real estate, but she has became a Broker/Associate with the firm Compass, which recently entered the market.
Compass, she said, is the Silicon Valley of real estate, with collaboration through technology being a key theme.
Rubin had been in the fashion business and came to South Florida in 1997 to launch a startup company. She started in real estate in 2002 – a time when everything related to development was about parking. Parking on the street. Parking in the buildings.
Basically, having a place to put your car.
Now the entire approach has changed, Rubin said. Conversations revolve around walkability, bicycling options and projects like The Underline.
“What’s great about The Underline is that it’s going to attract young talent. And that’s what we’re missing in Miami,” she said.
“When I look at my friends that are employers in New York, all of the kids want to be there because of The Underline, because of the green space, because they can live outside. The young Millennials really want life balance.”
By the way, it’s not just the Millennials. Down here, lots of people would appreciate the opportunity to live in a fully integrated community where they don’t necessarily need a vehicle for life’s necessities.
Looking for value
Rubin said with every challenge there’s an opportunity, and things have definitely been challenging in the Brickell submarket. But now the infrastructure is getting better, and new opportunities will arise as new buildings come out of their pre-construction phases.
Actually, it’s a “propportunity,” she would say.
“Propportunities” are present in all three South Florida counties, but the key is finding areas with improving infrastructure. Doral and Hialeah, she said, are great for buy-and-hold investors.
Miami, Rubin said, is a global city with bargain prices.
“When I came in 1997, we only talked about Miami Beach as the place to be. And now you look at so many cities and so many opportunities to go out – in the Design District, and Downtown Doral, and Dadeland – the expansion of stores everywhere. It’s really amazing. We have this whole global city of growth that we’re all living in,” she said.
Personally, I think it’s a place where people come together to come together. It forms a community that’s attractive to both international and domestic business.
We talked about lot more, including:
– Rubin’s favorite submarket.
– Why it’s a buy-and-hold market.
– Buildings that merit a look from investors.
– Emerging neighborhoods that are worth consideration.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Melissa Jane Rubin of Compass.
Contact her at 305-984-7706 or melissaj@compass.com.
Kudos to Turkel
I just read Bruce Turkel’s new book – All About Them: Grow Your Business by Focusing on Others – and it is fabulous.
It’s the culmination of more than 30 years of marketing experience and two years of work to put it all down on paper.
“Really what I want is for people to not only understand why, but to understand how you do it. There are clear, proven techniques that you can use and they make your business and your life better,” he said.
Vivian Fried Kidney Transplant Update
By now, most followers of Fried On Business know that my wife Vivian is battling end-stage kidney disease. She’s been undergoing dialysis treatment for more than 30 months while she waits for a kidney to become available for transplant
What does it mean to wait for a kidney? Well, to some extent it’s all about clearing up some misinformation:
1. You need two kidneys to live. False: You only need one. People born with only one kidney live long and healthy lives.
2. You have to be a match to donate. False: All you have to be is a willing and qualified donor. Giving a kidney to someone else could free up a kidney that becomes available for Vivian.
My wife’s purpose on Earth has been to bring love and kindness to others. Now I’ve dedicated my life to saving hers. Join me in that mission.
For more information on how to help, email R1125@renewal.org or visit http://renewal.org
For a video update, watch her interview on WPLGTV10 in Miami: http://bit.ly/Viv10
