By: Marcelo

When you hear a neighbor mention Grove Properties, you instantly think “real estate sales” – which is great, since that’s exactly what we do. But our mission is much larger than that. Every single member of our team is focused on creating a better community in Coconut Grove.

Our brokers and agents are lifelong residents of the Miami area. We love it here, which is why we are all very active in the community. In fact, everything we do is based on doing the right thing for our friends, our neighbors, and the residents of Coconut Grove. We are definitely givers, not takers, and how many other companies – real estate or not – can say that?

Here’s what we do to add value and give back to the community:

GP Cares

We donate a portion of each closing to either Joshua’s Heart Foundation or the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education, two local organizations that focus their efforts on childhood nutrition and education. Our agents and staff also donate volunteer hours to assist these valuable causes.

GP Bikes

Grove Properties was the first organization to offer bicycles to residents – and we helped get CitiBikes to the Grove. The best part: GP Bikes are free (as long as you bring them back within 10 hours)! Simply come to our office, park your care for free, and bike the easy .7 miles into downtown Coconut Grove.

GP Water Station

Every Saturday and Sunday, we put out a watering station from 7am to 5pm across the street from our office on Commodore Trail, and we’re working to install a permanent water fountain there. Cyclists, runners, and walkers love it, as it fills a three mile, once-waterless stretch between Peacock Park in downtown Coconut Grove and Ingraham Park in Coral Gables.

School Garden Installation

One of our real estate agents, Sean Reichert, has been on the board of our local Slow Food chapter for more than nine years. During that time, he and his fellow chapter members have installed more than 50 gardens at area schools (preschools through high schools, public and private) free of charge. The gardens provide a fresh supply of healthy produce, of course, but they also act as outdoor classrooms and are integrated in the science, art, English, and even music curriculums. The children actually plant the school gardens themselves and are responsible for maintaining them throughout the school year. Local chefs have come to many schools at harvest time to cook and celebrate what the children have grown for lunch.

Take 5 On Fridays

Every Friday, swing by our office on your way home from work for drinks, snacks, and discussions about any topic on your mind. We typically talk about events and activities in the Grove – or just guy stuff – but mostly it’s a chance to get to know your neighbors and your community a little better.

Utopia Homeowners Security Association

Sean Reichert is also a long serving (24 years!) board member of the Utopia Homeowners Security Association (UHSA), which operates in one neighborhood in Coconut Grove. For a $100 monthly fee, member households enjoy direct access to off-duty Miami police officers, who patrol the neighborhood during the day and in the evenings. As a result crime is almost zero in this neighborhood, which, in turn, boosts property values.

UHSA has evolved into a social club over the past eight or nine years, hosting progressive dinner parties, family movie nights, and more. It has helped new homeowners get to know their neighbors and really built a tight-knit community.

Bring Your Dog Events

Coconut Grove is a very dog-friendly area, so one of our agents, Melanie Elder, who is also a pet nutrition consultant, offered “Share & Learn in the Grrrove!” events to promote pet health. Topics covered everything from deciphering pet food labels to post-holiday (pet) weight loss tips, and our dog friends and their owners enjoyed our beautiful yard here at Grove Properties, healthy treats, and thoughtful conversations about pet ownership.

Green Home Building

Did you know that about 80% of our carbon footprint comes from existing buildings? That is not sustainable, which is why I’m a member of LEED for Homes, a certified Y-Green contractor, and a founding member of the Architectural Research Collaborative.

We are currently working on a $2 million property that will be a platinum LEED certified home when it’s completed. It’s really astonishing how much you can save on your water, gas, and electric if you go LEED.

Join us to make Coconut Grove a better place to live, work, and play. We have a calendar of events on our website, making it easy for you to get involved in our community.