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Harvey Smith has been doing business in Miami-Dade
County as Smith Associates for 16 years. Now, he wants everyone to
know that the company has a new image, a new office manager and is
actively seeking a team of additional Realtors.
"We're at a point now where we have more buyer
calls coming in than we can really handle, so we need some help
here," Smith said. "Anybody that needs a change, this is a
good place to come. There's money to be made here."
Smith attributes the influx of new business to the
demand for property in the Pinecrest-Palmetto Bay area and to the new
advertising campaign put together by his new office manager, who just
happens to be his bride of nine months.
"Sylvia is now managing the office and she has
made a lot of changes," said Smith. "She has come up with a
new design for our yard signs, expanded and changed the office, has a
new website under construction and instituted a major new advertising
program."
Smith, 46, came to Miami in 1971 to attend the
University of Miami. He majored in history and government and
graduated in 1975 with thoughts of teaching. Enamored with South
Florida, he remained in the area, working a series of sales jobs
before joining the Bill Eisnor real estate company. Having worked for
his father's realty company in New Jersey, it was only a matter of
time before he
decided to open his own shop in 1984.
"We find that the real estate market has changed to the point that we
have more buyers and fewer sellers," said Smith. "The trick is to
find the buyers that can get the financing. There are lots of people out
looking who can't afford to buy, who have credit problems. So, you have to
weed through the masses and find the real buyers."
Smith also says he thinks builder interest in the real estate market is
shifting from Pinecrest to Palmetto Bay, where he feels there are better
buys and fewer restrictions.
"What's really changed is that on the outside of Pinecrest they are now
buying smaller homes on large acre lots, knocking'em down and re-building
houses, so that development is now moving across the lines of Pinecrest and
into Palmetto Bay," Smith explained. "There are still some good
buys in that area; you can pick up an acre lot for $225,000 to $275,000,
build a house and make a profit. Whereas, in the city of Pinecrest by the
time they buy the land, they're in the millions.
"The Pinecrest Village council seems like they're looking to do a lot
of restrictions and clamping down on a lot of things that go on," he
continued. "Whereas, in unincorporated Dade County where Palmetto
bay is, or is supposedly going to be at some point in time there aren't
those restrictions. So, I think the builders are getting out of there
(Pinecrest) because it's too difficult for them and not as cost
effective."
For more information or to contact Smith Associates, please call
305-251-2484.
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