Key Biscayne Stories

Sensei Robert Duzoglou a 30-year Key Biscayne resident and founder of the RDCA Academy of Martial Arts. Sensei shares how a chance realtor's recommendation brought his family to the island decades ago, and takes us through his 55-year journey in the martial arts.

We dig into what really sets the Academy apart: the character development and core values, respect, accountability, and discipline that Sensei and his children, Derek and Morgan, instill in students of all ages. He also shares about his civic engagement in Key Biscayne, from chairing the Chamber of Commerce and sitting on the Educational Advisory Board to leading community service and disaster-relief efforts through the dojo.

Sensei also talks about "Life Quest: A Transformational Journey," the interactive book he co-authored with his daughter Morgan, and closes with his idea of a perfect weekend on the island, beach, family, good food, and feeding the peacocks at Crandon Park.

55 years in martial arts: kung fu, judo, jiu-jitsu & more
Crossing paths with Chuck Norris and Dan Inosanto
Building character: respect, accountability & discipline at the Academy
Civic engagement: Chamber of Commerce, education board & community service
Meeting Sensei Matthias and the German connection
"Life Quest" — the book co-written with daughter Morgan

#KeyBiscayne #MartialArts #KeyBiscayneStories #ChuckNorris #LifeQuest

Kathie Klarreich, founder of Exchange for Change, a nonprofit that teaches writing, leadership, and communication skills to incarcerated men and women across Florida.

Kathie's path here started far from the Key: as a freelance journalist covering Haiti through a coup, a devastating earthquake, and a decade of reporting for outlets like NBC, ABC, and TIME. That work eventually led her into a Homestead women's prison classroom in 2009 and to founding Exchange for Change in 2014, which today reaches roughly 700 students a year across state prisons, county jails, and juvenile facilities in Florida, run by a staff of just two and a half people and a corps of volunteer facilitators from FIU, University of Miami, Miami Dade College, and Florida Atlantic University.

We talk about how the program pairs incarcerated students with university students for an exchange of letters and ideas, how former students have gone on to teach classes themselves inside other facilities, the difference between jail and prison, the wellness and mindfulness programs that have grown out of the writing classes, and why Kathy believes giving people inside a voice — rather than telling their stories for them, is the whole point.

Topics covered:

How a career in Haitian journalism led to a nonprofit in Florida prisons
The origins of Exchange for change and its university exchange model
A typical day teaching inside Everglades and Homestead Correctional
Leadership councils, student-led classes, and expanding to new institutions
Wellness programming: mindfulness, meditation, and trauma toolkits
Getting incarcerated writers published
Jail vs. prison, explained

Key Biscayne Stories is a podcast where neighbors meet neighbors.

#KeyBiscayne #ExchangeForChange #PrisonEducation #Nonprofit #Journalism #KeyBiscayneStories

Chief Charles "Chuck" Press spent 17 years as chief of police in Key Biscayne. In this episode, Chief Press joins Key Biscayne Stories to talk about the ride-along that changed his life, what it took to rebuild a police department from the ground up, and how a small Christmas toy drive grew into the Chief Press Foundation, which has raised over $700,000 and forged a sister-city bond between Key Biscayne and Liberty City.

We cover:

Beating out 75 candidates nationwide to become Key Biscayne's police chief
The origin of the Chief Press Foundation and its Christmas toy drives in Liberty City
Making Liberty City Key Biscayne's official sister city
Opening food pantries in Liberty City and Homestead
His unexpected return to policing as Chief of Police in the Town of Surfside

Key Biscayne Stories is a podcast where neighbors meet neighbors — conversations with the people who shape our island community.

#KeyBiscayne #KeyBiscayneStories #ChiefPressFoundation #LibertyCity #SurfsidePolice #CommunityPolicing #Podcast

En este episodio de Key Biscayne Stories conocemos a Martha García, vecina de la isla desde hace 34 años. Marta cuenta cómo llegó a Miami desde Guayaquil, Ecuador, justo la noche del huracán Andrew en 1992, y cómo esa tormenta terminó marcando su historia con Key Biscayne.

Hoy Marta es Realtor y home stager, y además dirige dos emprendimientos propios: La Casa de Marta, su mueblería online, y Table Design by Martha, donde diseña y decora mesas para cumpleaños, bautizos, bodas pequeñas y fechas especiales como el Día del Padre, el 4 de julio y Thanksgiving.

Hablamos de su camino de Colombia a Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nueva York y finalmente Key Biscayne; de qué hace un home stager y por qué es clave para vender propiedades más rápido; y de sus planes para abrir un showroom en la isla.

Un episodio con mucha historia familiar, negocios y la vida de barrio en Key Biscayne.

Patricia Romano and Patricia Riestra Peraita have been side by side on Key Biscayne since the nineties. Known around the island simply as Pat and Pat, they've built a life and a business here together — through good markets and bad ones, through community events and volunteer work, through Rotary Club meetings and Fourth of July parades.

In this episode we sit down with both of them to hear how they each ended up on the island, how their partnership started, and what has kept it going for so long. Two very different people, one very strong team.

📊 Florida Real Estate Market Update – 2025 Cooling, Early Signs of Movement

In this Real Estate Edition of Key Biscayne Stories, Alejandro Servalli breaks down what happened in Florida’s housing market in 2025 — and what may be coming next.

After a slower year driven by higher mortgage rates, rising insurance costs, and affordability pressure, the market is beginning to show early signs of renewed momentum.

🏡 What We Cover in This Episode:

• Why the Florida housing market slowed in 2025
• The impact of higher mortgage rates on monthly payments and buyer activity
• Why rising inventory did not mean a market crash
• The return of international buyers — up 50% year-over-year
• Which countries are leading international purchases (Canada, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico)
• Why South Florida remains a key destination for global investment
• What modest price adjustments really mean
• Early signals of stabilization as mortgage rates begin easing
• What this means for homeowners, buyers, and investors

🌎 Key Takeaways:

• 2025 was a cooling year — not a collapse.
• Inventory rose because homes took longer to sell, not because supply flooded the market.
• International confidence is returning.
• Mortgage rates easing could support gradual market movement.
• Real estate moves in cycles — and Florida may be entering a stabilization phase.

Whether you're a homeowner evaluating your equity, a buyer looking for opportunity, or an investor watching trends, this episode provides clarity without hype.

📞 Contact Alejandro Servalli
Text or Call: (305) 431-3526
Email: [email protected]

Your neighbor. Your Realtor. Here in Key Biscayne.

📊 Actualización del Mercado Inmobiliario en Florida – 2025 Más Lento, Nuevos Movimientos

En esta Edición de Bienes Raíces de Key Biscayne Stories, Alejandro Servalli analiza lo que ocurrió en el mercado inmobiliario de Florida durante el 2025 y qué señales podrían indicar un nuevo impulso.

Después de un año más lento, influenciado por tasas hipotecarias elevadas, mayores costos de seguro y presiones de asequibilidad, el mercado comienza a mostrar señales tempranas de movimiento.

🏡 En Este Episodio Hablamos de:

• Por qué el mercado inmobiliario en Florida perdió ritmo en 2025
• Cómo las tasas hipotecarias afectaron los pagos mensuales y la actividad de compradores
• Por qué el aumento en inventario no significó una crisis
• El regreso de los compradores internacionales — un aumento del 50% año tras año
• Qué países lideran las compras internacionales (Canadá, Colombia, Brasil, México)
• Por qué el sur de Florida sigue siendo un destino clave para inversión global
• Qué significan realmente los ajustes moderados en precios
• Señales tempranas de estabilización mientras las tasas comienzan a bajar
• Qué implica todo esto para propietarios, compradores e inversionistas

🌎 Puntos Clave:

• El 2025 fue un año más tranquilo, no una caída del mercado.
• El inventario subió porque las propiedades tardaban más en venderse.
• La confianza internacional está regresando.
• La baja gradual en tasas puede impulsar movimiento sostenido.
• El mercado inmobiliario se mueve en ciclos, no en extremos.

Ya seas propietario evaluando tu propiedad, comprador buscando oportunidades o inversionista observando tendencias, este episodio te ofrece claridad sin exageraciones.

📞 Contacto – Alejandro Servalli
Llama o envía un mensaje de texto: (305) 431-3526
Correo electrónico: [email protected]

🎙 Notas del Episodio

Los propietarios mayores están transformando el mercado de vivienda

Key Biscayne Stories – Edición Bienes Raíces
Con Alejandro Servalli

En este episodio, Alejandro Servalli — su vecino y Realtor local — explica una tendencia importante que está comenzando a transformar el mercado inmobiliario: el aumento de propietarios que se están jubilando y cómo la decisión de mudarse a viviendas más pequeñas está impactando la oferta y la demanda.

Cerca de 12,000 personas cumplen 65 años cada día en Estados Unidos, y millones planean retirarse en los próximos dos años. Con la jubilación surge una pregunta clave:

¿Mi casa actual encaja con la vida que quiero vivir ahora?

Alejandro explica esta tendencia de forma sencilla y clara, sin términos complicados de bienes raíces, para que cualquier persona pueda entender lo que está ocurriendo y cómo podría afectarle.

🏡 ¿Qué aprenderás en este episodio?

• Qué significa realmente “reducir tamaño” (downsizing)
• Por qué el estilo de vida — y no el momento del mercado — está guiando muchas decisiones
• Qué es la equidad (equity) y cómo funciona
• Por qué muchos propietarios tienen más oportunidades financieras de las que imaginan
• Cómo la jubilación puede influir en la cantidad de propiedades disponibles
• Qué podría significar esta tendencia para Key Biscayne y el sur de la Florida

💡 Puntos Clave:

• Reducir tamaño es simplificar, no perder.
• Muchos propietarios mayores han acumulado una equidad significativa con el paso de los años.
• Las decisiones de jubilación están comenzando a influir en la oferta de viviendas.
• El primer paso no es vender — es entender sus opciones.

Si usted está cerca de la jubilación — o está ayudando a sus padres a planificar su próxima etapa — este episodio le dará claridad sobre lo que puede ser posible.

Para conocer el valor actual de su propiedad, su posición de equidad o sus opciones en bienes raíces en Key Biscayne o el sur de la Florida:

📧 [email protected]
📞 305-431-3526