Aurelio Leyva May Issue Cocoplum Living

COCOPLUM

Living

A Social Newsletter Exclusively For The Residents of Cocoplum, Islands of Cocoplum & Tahiti Beach

Meet Islands Of Cocoplum Neighbor Aurelio Leyva Jr. Photography By: Christian Alexander

MAY 2017

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Meet Islands Of Cocoplum Neighbor

Aurelio Leyva Jr. Photography By: Christian Alexander . Written By: Carina Zatarain

Throughout the years, there have been more than a few staple families in Cocoplum who not only love and embrace the community, but have even had the pleasure of watching their siblings, children, and grandchildren become neighbors. The Leyva family happens to be one of those fortunate families. Growing up on Rosales Ct. and then Marinero Ct., Aurelio Leyva Jr. has spent his entire life living in Islands of Cocoplum. Cocoplum always felt like such a friendly community. I loved the amenities and having my extended family living so close by was an amazing experience!� Today, the family continues to dig its roots in the community, albeit it in a completely new way.

Leyva’s father and mother, Aurelio Sr. and Lilianne, have lived together in Islands of Cocoplum since 1996, but their story here began years earlier as high school sweethearts.

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entrepreneurial drive is something he picked up from his father, “I really admire my father’s vision and ability to build strategic relationships with key partners. He has a brilliant business mind, I’m always picking his brain to learn about the keys and principles that led to his success.”

Lilianne Leyva studied interior design before becoming a stay at home mom to take care of their three children Aurelio, Brandon and Mikaela. She confesses that in her spare time she was always keeping up with the latest design trends. “My dream was always to become an interior designer. I loved the opportunity to stay at home to take care of my children, but since my passion was design, I would consistently stay up-to-date with current trends,” explains Lilianne. As their family grew, the Leyva’s moved into a house on Marinero CT. When it came time to remodel the house, Lilianne would utilize her talent for interior design to transform the house into a home. The transformation would eventually payoff in more ways than one. “I was studying at UM at the time and I remember my parents weighing out the costs of purchasing a new home or remodeling the Marinero home. Looking back now, it was a great learning experience,” explains Aurelio Jr. Remodeling their Marinero CT. home was more than just a great learning experience, it was an eye opening experience for the entire Leyva family. That is because when it came time to sell the home in 2014, it sold for the highest waterfront price per square ft. in Islands of Cocoplum history – and still holds the record today. The Leyva’s knew they were onto something and Aurelio Jr. began to discover a passion he never knew he had.

The family’s next project would be a familiar one. After almost 20 years, the Leyva’s purchased back the first home they had build in Islands of Cocoplum, 139 Rosales CT. and began working on the redevelopment. The family turned their Marinero CT. experience into an enterprise for opportunities to buy & redevelop homes, and turn over homes for themselves or clients. Where Aurelio Sr. focused on the construction and development side, Lilianne would complement their projects with interior design, putting her finishing touches on all the final details. Leyva Jr. was in charge of sourcing potential opportunities, developing a cost analysis for renovations and researching comparable properties to determine the potential value of the new projects.

Lilianne moved into the community in the 1980’s when her parents purchased a waterfront home in Islands of Cocoplum. “I remember seeing just a few constructed homes across the entire community when I moved in,” recalls Lilianne. During her high school years, she met and fell in love with Aurelio Sr. The couple has vivid

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memories of the community under development in the late 1980’s while they were dating. Aurelio Sr. and Lilianne eventually got married and had their first child, Aurelio Jr., but at the time they were living in Miami Beach. As they began thinking about relocating closer to their son’s school, a familiar community came to mind, so they built and moved into their first Islands of Cocoplum home on Rosales CT.

The Leyva family’s journey was a familiar one to many South Floridians. Aurelio Jr.’s grandparents were Cuban immigrants who came to Miami looking for a better life, following the Castro regime’s takeover of the island. They arrived in Miami with nothing, worked extremely hard and sacrificed everything to built a successful business and a strong family.

Leyva Sr. along with his father and brother founded CEM Global, a manufacturing and distribution company specializing in home appliances and consumer electronics. Aurelio Sr. has led the company for the past 15 years, an international business that continues to expand its operations in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. Their brands, such as Continental, Farberware & Professional Series, can be found in Walmart, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and retail stores throughout the Americas. Aurelio Jr., who is 22 years old, admits that his

Finishing his study in management and economics at the University of Miami, Aurelio Jr. also acquired his real estate license. As he developed close relationships with collegiate athletes as well as NFL and MLB players, Aurelio Jr. soon realized that he had an opportunity to do what he loved. “Like my parents, I began discovering a love for real estate. I realized that I had some great relationships and with my knowledge of the market, I knew I could help clients and friends find the home of their dreams, or assist them to sell their current home at an optimum price,” says Leyva Jr. May 2017 t CoCo Plum Living

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The 139 Rosales CT. home was another success. In 2016, after only 6 months on the market, the family sold the property at a record breaking price per square ft. on land, in Islands of Cocoplum. Leyva Jr. was intimately involved in the project. He relates how studying economics greatly applied to real estate, from supply and demand to the most challenging class he had taken, game theory. “I look back to whenever my dad talked about price points or marginal profit on a house and I would go back to that game theory class. I wouldn’t have understood what my dad was saying without it,” Leyva Jr. realizes. He attended meetings with his father to learn about the inner workings of the business, whether it was with subcontractors or architects, Leyva Jr. recounts, “Through everything, I was always listening and writing notes on my father’s perspective on real estate.” Then in 2017, the time came for Leyva Jr. to branch out on his own project, Leyva International Realty.

To see their son taking initiative to start up his own company with a clear vision has made Lilianne and Aurelio Sr. immensely proud. “As a parent, to see the passion that our son has for real estate and development, looking for market opportunities, connecting with people and turning relationships into opportunities, I think it’s very gratifying to see how far he’s come along in such a short period of time. I think it’s the reason he’s had a lot of success and he’s going to continue to be successful in the future - I’m very proud of him,” Leyva Sr. expressed. Leyva Jr. has seen the hard work that his parents have undergone in order to be successful in not only the business aspect, but in their family dynamic as well. Ultimately a key building block of their success has been their family support system. “When we invest in something, we’re not just looking at it as an individual investment. Our family name is on the line when we are presenting a product. We think of ourselves as a brand,” Leyva Jr. says. In the light of their recent success, Leyva Sr. and Leyva Jr. opened Leyva Development, a real estate development firm focusing on luxury developments.

Today, the Leyva brand is surely growing. With Aurelio Jr.’s Leyva International Realty, he’s utilizing all that his family, education, and experience have taught him to create a business that develops and evolves with the ever-changing market conditions.

Rather than trying to build up the brokerage with an abundance of realtors and listings, Leyva Jr. is focusing on the quality of realtors and listings that his company represents. “It all begins with the right kind of people that understand the luxury buyer and homeowner. Our family has always shared the values of hard work, integrity, transparency and teamwork, and that is the kind of atmosphere we are building at Leyva International Realty.”

Given that the Leyva family name is on the line, Leyva Jr. understands the importance of being selective in hiring agents who are knowledgeable about the market, sophisticated and warm in their relationships with clients, and can deliver world-class service.

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Aurelio Jr.’s connection to family and teambuilding have transferred to his relationships in business. The key to luxury real estate for Leyva Jr. is the personal connection he develops with clients. “I’ve seen that a major component to my family’s success has been their ability to build long-term relationships. One of my favorite aspects of realty is that you’re dealing directly with people. You’re not just gaining a client, in many cases you’re building lifelong friendship,” says Leyva Jr. Along with Leyva International Realty’s focus on relationships, Leyva Jr.’s believes that an innovative international digital marketing strategy is important to becoming a leader in the luxury real estate industry. “With advances in technology the marketing world is ever-evolving. I don’t remember a world without cell phones or internet, and the next generation of luxury buyers interacts with technology more than any generation before. It’s imperative that we utilize the latest tools and modernizations so that we can connect with the new generation of luxury buyers,” explains Leyva Jr. In addition, Aurelio Jr. sees firsthand the trends in the local Cocoplum and Coral Gables real estate market. As his family renovated several homes that have broken the waterfront and land price per square ft. records in Cocoplum and Gables Estates, he identifies potential opportunities in Cocoplum that are largely untapped, “In my opinion the homes in Cocoplum are potentially undervalued. The location is probably the best in all of Coral Gables for any gated community, and the amenities at Islands of Cocoplum are second to none. I believe homes in the future will sell at prices that are unimaginable for many current Cocoplum residents.” So far, Aurelio Jr. is off to a great start, as he is the listing agent of a new home under construction on 287 Rada CT. as well as a Mediterranean-style home on 140 Rosales CT. The Rada CT. project is a 14,000 square ft. modern tropical estate on the Gables Waterway, which he is very excited about. “The Rada CT. home will be Coral Gables’ most unique home. I am certain the finished product will be spectacular!”

The Leyva family’s love for the community is palpable as they reminisce on all of the memories they have built through the years. From Lilianne and Aurelio Sr.’s high school sweetheart years in the late 1980’s, to Aurelio Jr. working with them to develop and market new homes in the community today; it is a journey that reflects the quality and uniqueness of our Cocoplum, Islands of Cocoplum and Tahiti Beach community. Cocoplum Living is proud to honor Aurelio Leyva Jr. and the Leyva family in this issue of Cocoplum Living. If you have an interesting story to share with the community, we’d love to hear it. Please contact Daniel.Lerin@n2pub.com to set up an interview and we’ll include your story in the next available issue of Cocoplum Living!

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Rada Ct. New Construction In Progress

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