Lifestyle

Tag: luxury real estate agent

  • LATEST INTERVIEW OF OUR CEO AND FOUNDER, QUENTIN VIAC, FOR MIAMI AGENT MAGAZINE

    LATEST INTERVIEW OF OUR CEO AND FOUNDER, QUENTIN VIAC, FOR MIAMI AGENT MAGAZINE

    Quentin Viac, CEO and Founder of Viac Luxury Real Estate

    Quentin Viac has fostered a team of real estate agents who are eager to learn and happy to serve. As the CEO and and founder of Viac Luxury Real Estate, which has offices in Florida and Michigan, Viac supports both teams and their respective clients, sharing the knowledge he’s acquired through years of training to ensure that every investor, buyer and seller within South Florida and Detroit is satisfied with the end result. 

    “In order to grow my business and push my agent to grow, I followed sales, real estate and personal development training and taught my team everything I could” he says. “I am starting to see the benefits now and even experienced real estate agents were able to have a real breakthrough”. 

    With a company comprised of new and experienced agents, Viac maintains a supportive environment where everything from rehab to property management is done in-house.
    Viac is playing an active role in the expansion of his Detroit business, visiting the office every other week, investing time and money into the team’s success by onboarding the right employees, and finding the best houses.
    “We have come a long way”, he says. “We started three houses, and now we have over 100 and are still growing. It was very challenging, but I never stopped believing in it”.
    Viac’s Miami office is equal parts real estate agency and art gallery, showcasing pieces from a gallery in Milan. It was also the first real estate company to get a booth at the Miami Yatch Show, where the team demonstrated a virtual reality tour developed in conjunction with the architect of Missoni Baia.
    Viac is a member of the Miami Association of Realtors and the French-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida. He supports the Jessica June Child Cancer Foundation and LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 

  • How Can Foreigners Invest in Miami – a Guide for Florida Investment

    How Can Foreigners Invest in Miami – a Guide for Florida Investment

    Florida real estate has always been attractive to foreign buyers. Luckily, the state has always held opportunities for investing in properties, especially to invest in Miami luxury real estate.

    Come to think of it, real estate in this state was attractive even before the housing crash that depressed prices for both residential and commercial properties. This made foreign investment in Florida a bargain for many buyers.

    This is why our luxury real estate agents are awaiting your call!

    According to the National Association of Realtors, Florida has the largest number of foreign investors in the field in the country, with 41% purchasing vacation homes, 25% making a dual use purchase and 23% are investing in rentals.

    Although, investing in Miami real estate is popular and widely known, there are still a few things investors should keep in mind. For starters, foreign nationals are able to purchase real estate in the country for personal use, on their own or in the name of a corporation or LLC, without any governmental agency’s involvement.

    Foreign investors are also entitled to defer capital gains taxes in the country by purchasing another investment property under Section 1031 of the IRS Code. However, the actual tax treatment may depend on tax treaties between the United States and the investors home countries, if such treaties exist. This can be a rather complicated area, which is why it is advisable for investors to consult with Florida professional real estate agents on the subject before making a purchase or opt for an investment.

    Investment in Private Property

    If you opt to invest in property, foreign nationals who purchase large tracts of real estate in the U.S. must report that purchase to the U. S. Department of Commerce under the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. The reported information must include the names and addresses of buyers, sellers and owners of more than a 50% interest, and financing information like income or expenses and similar info about the property itself. More reporting details are needed for property over 200 acres or property with a purchase price of more than 1 million dollars.  

    Investment in Rental Property

    When it comes to rental property, foreign nationals purchasing Florida real estate for leasing purposes are subject to taxation on rental income. However, foreign landlords have two choices on how to be taxed. The first option is to pay 30 percent of gross rental receipts, or they can pay regular U. S. income tax rates on net income from the property by filing a Form 4224 with the IRS.

    Other Requirements Concerning The Subject

    The state of Florida has certain filing requirements for foreign nationals and legal entities purchasing real estate. Any property which is owned by a foreign business entity or U. S. corporation whose ownership by foreign nationals exceeds 10% must have a registered office in the state and an agent on file with the Florida Department of State.

    If the sales tax on rents is collected, a foreign national must register as a sales tax dealer with the Florida Department of Revenue.

    As you can see, investing in Miami might be a bit confusing, but nothing out of the ordinary procedures from similar matters. If you have any more questions, contact us!

  • Top 6 Reasons to Move to Miami

    Top 6 Reasons to Move to Miami

    “I’m moving to Miami,” says everyone who has ever survived one blustering, bitter winter day. We hear it every year and still each winter, watch our news feeds burst with claims of abandoning the north for better days toward the equator. We laugh, sometimes in January, from our penthouses with cocktails in hand at the idea of our closest friends waddling in vertical sleeping bags up to an air-tight hallway that someone branded as a lobby. Snow falling at their feet as often as we run our fingers through our hair in the low-seventies breeze.

    Besides the soul-sponging indulgence of getting a laugh at my tundra-bound friends, if someone asked me, “why move to Miami?”, I could sum up the rationale in six points.

    The Real Estate

    Miami luxury real estate is certainly something over which to gush. It is not attainable for everyone, and frankly, that is part of its appeal. But luxury Miami is not solely reserved for the highest price tags assigned to the best corners of grid-locked streets. Luxury real estate here is the actual luxury. Architecture ranges from historical to modern and glows under an artist’s touch. Furniture isn’t too nice to sit on; it’s so exquisite and lush that you want to stay cooped up or sprawled out on it forever. Windows stretch for days and eliminate the need for fine art (hypothetically, hypothetically…) with their insane blue views of the sky and the sea. Boat lined harbors and wide-brimmed hats speckle the scene with just enough movement to remind you of the wind and chatter whisking about the day. Miami views are not tantalizing. They are approachable. The sun outside casts warm kisses along the shore and invites you outside to shop or dine any time of the day. Lux living in Miami is actually where life is as good as it gets.

    Fashion and Shopping

    On more than one hand, I count the times I shopped until I dropped. Literally, made it home only to plop on my bed, bags still around my wrist. I suppose the copious cosseting of a closet could be one reason to not migrate south, but if you can control your addiction, you’ll thrive in this fashion capital. Bold designers, boutique traders and luxury artists dabble in new creations daily. Streets are quite literally lined with the world’s most famous designers and local artists that never bother to stretch farther than home.

    Nightlife

    If you have not seen photos of all-aged livelihoods boasting hand crafted cocktails amidst postcard views with a famous DJ in the background, you need to move here yesterday because you are living under a rock. Miami nightlife is a top destination and consequently, never sees a night with festivities raging until the sun is ready to rise.

    Dining

    The Caribbean influence is one of the best treats in Miami culture. Tasty Cuban restaurants dazzle taste buds on the reg and alter the course of culinary interest for life. Luxury dining is everywhere, sometimes hidden in the walls of streets; other times within Gianni Versace’s old mansion. Celebrities trail the migration of the world’s best chefs to the city, and you can believe the word meal will be removed from your vocabulary. We are talking a kitchen craft and hospitable retreat as many times a day as you desire.

    Entertainment

    Oh, the host we are! From the most prestigious food and wine festivals to performing arts and world-renown installations and sculptures in everyday use, there is never a day that goes shy of the bustling, artistic offerings of the city’s entertainers. Don’t feel like heading out on the town tonight? No worries, just watch the light show from your wall-sized window amidst the city’s skyline.

    So are you ready to make the move before the umpteenth episode of bitterness in your life? When you are, get in touch with VIAC for a top-shelf luxury real estate agent. We look forward to leading you into the high life Miami.