Coral Gables, its colors and Cruz-Diez

If you asked anyone who has visited Coral Gables in South Florida about their experience there, everyone would probably tell you something about this city being one of the most colorful places in the world. Maybe it is the green, the palm trees, the flowers, the facades of old buildings, the lakes, or the blue sea… The thing is that everyone who remembers Coral Gables, for a moment in their minds, they see color, and the Venezuelan Artist Carlos-Cruz Diez recently helped this beautiful town to achieve a new level of color with his incredible kinetic art displayed in different parts.

The city of Coral Gables displayed pieces of the renowned artist all over town, promoting the exhibition of his works at the Coral Gables Museum. Thirteen banners were hung in front of the city hall, and eight crosswalks with original designs by the artist guided pedestrians to the main event at the museum, while mesmerizing them with chromatic effects and illusions. Also, photographs of the artist’s exhibition were displayed, so everyone could get a glimpse of how this unique art is made.

Considered one of the masters of color of the 20^th century, Cruz-Diez is also an expert intervening urban spaces and crosswalks. His designs are in many important cities all over the world, and it was only logical that his optical illusions and kinetic pieces were also shown in such a vibrant place like Coral Gables.

Now, Cruz-Diez’s signature and artistic movement will always be present here in Coral Gables, giving residents and visitors a unique experience when they walk the streets and boulevards. The event was a success; everyone is waiting for the next intervention by the artist to any public space anywhere in the city, and also hoping for a new exhibit in the near future so everyone can enjoy the work of this great Venezuelan artist.

Coral Gables allures every visitor with its many great features, and despite being a classical city with beautiful architecture and history, this town somehow keeps renewing every year, like this past December with the help of Cruz-Diez and the collaboration of Ninoska Huerta from Logistics Fine Arts. If arts are your thing, maybe a city with such a great taste is the place where you should finally settle down… If you need any help in that subject, Gables Riches is available to guide you and find the perfect place for you and your family. Contact us anytime!

Photo: EFE / www.ninoskahuertagallery.com

Why condos instead of houses?

If you decide to work with Gables Riches you should know that our job as realtors doesn’t end the moment we finally sell your home or help you find and buy a new one. We offer our advice and guidance to each and every one of our clients, even after our business together is done. In this particular article, we would like to talk about one of the most common questions we get: “Should I buy a house or a condo?” There’s no definitive answer to this question, but at Gable Riches, with the current Real Estate market, we recommend condos to most of our clients… Why? Keep reading below!

It will always depend on your taste and your particular situation, but here are our top reasons why we prefer Condos over Houses in South Florida:

1.    The main reason why we recommend Condos at Gables Riches (especially for young investors and first-timers) is because they cost less, and we are not just talking about the buying price. Monthly fees and maintenance can become a headache for house owners, particularly for newbies. Condos, on the other hand, don’t usually require that much maintenance, and since monthly fees are distributed among all the other condos in the building, prices are much better optimized and therefore lower.

2.    It’s much easier to take care of a condo. A question every investor needs to ask itself is “how much time do I have to take care of things around the house?” Young investors usually have much less time to spare because of their jobs, school or other commitments, and houses are much more demanding than condos. Houses require outside maintenance (painting, facade, lawn, mailbox, etc.) while with condos you only need to worry about the inside.

3.  Many investors eventually decide to get a condo instead of a house because they fall in love with the amenities included in the building. Having a pool, gym, concierge, valet, bike room or conference room is a strong incentive, and it adds some important points to any home anywhere in the world.

Condos usually have better locations, and that’s another attraction for investors. If you want to be able to go shopping or eating without having to use your car, a condo is much more likely to be close to populated areas where all these activities can be found. If you are more of a Downtown/Midtown kind of person, a condo is definitely the best choice for you. On the other hand, if you would like a quiet place and you don’t mind driving a few minutes to get to places, a house close to the city would be our recommendation.