Visiting from out of town and want to buy a Miami Beach condo?

Contrary to many people’s beliefs, buying a condo, no matter the price range, is not something you will do from one day to the next out of impulse.  Impulse buys can be shoes and purses, even cars, but real estate? seriously?

So here’s the deal, don’t visit Miami and call us to show you properties once you are here.  First of all, you are expecting us to drop what we’re doing to help you, which is not very polite, or worse yet, you think we’re just waiting for the telephone to ring.  Our team is busy! we are working with buyers and sellers and you need to give us notice to be able to gladly fit you in our schedule.  In order to have a successful business relationship, you need to value our time as much as we value yours.

Even if you are local, we will need to go through a consultation process to assess your needs and guide you in the right direction.  The consultation process takes a few days and in-depth conversations and includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Method of payment – will you pay cash or will you finance?  If you will finance, are you pre-approved and how much money will you put down?  Banks will not finance many condos, so that will discard those properties from your criteria.  Other condos require a certain amount of down payment, which will narrow down your criteria even more.  If you are not pre-approved, then that’s another process you must start immediately with a mortgage broker or bank to know how much you can afford.

• Price Range – seems silly, but how much you want to pay will determine what type of property you will buy, and that includes not only price, but maintenance, property taxes, insurance,  and other fees.

• Location – Miami is really big and price ranges differ from location to location.  You may think you can buy a certain property in South Beach, for example, to find out you need to look further North or inland.

• Amenities – these will determine how much monthly maintenance fees are and will narrow down your search if you are looking for specific amenities like Tennis Courts or in-house gym, for example.

• Proximity to places – if you want to be within walking distance to the action, to shopping or even your preferred house of worship, we need to know in advance to make appropriate recommendations.

• Maintenance Fees – this vary enormously from condo to condo!  Take Williams Island, for example, they have an island fee in addition to monthly maintenance and a minimum consumption fee.

• What your intent is with property – occupy, rent, etc.  Some condos do not allow rentals, or pets – knowing how you will utilize the condo will also help us narrow down your search criteria.

• How quickly you need to buy?  could be a 1031 exchange with deadline…will discard short sales and certain properties that take a long time for approval.

• Views – we always need to explain this – water views can be canals, bay, ocean, lake, direct, indirect ….the options are endless.

• New or fixer upper? Are you willing to do work to a condo that is in disrepair but priced right or do you prefer new buildings?

Once these questions are answered, then we will start narrowing down your choices by sending you properties.  This will give us an idea of what your style is and will help us get a better grasp for your needs.  We will also have to clear all pre-conceived notions about the local housing market….it will take time and should not be rushed because we need to gain each other’s trust.  A week or so before you visit, we will clear our schedule for you and start planning showings.  Please note that Miami rarely has lockboxes on properties and most are “listing agent accompany”, this means that coordinating appointments can take between 24 to 48 hours.

We value your business and want you to make an informed decision because we are a lot more than a taxi service and want you as clients for life, not just for a single transaction.  In addition to that, we don’t like to waste our own time if you are not serious about the purchase.   So don’t be offended if we can’t help you from one day to the next, we need to know you are committed.

Google your Miami Beach REALTOR

Dear Miami Beach home Seller:

Do you realize that today’s real estate buyer is smart? is educated? and will research your property to death before they even place an offer?

Most of you are even aware that almost 90% of buyers start their search on the Internet, so what do you have to do to sell your home?

If you are planning to sell, you have to be just as smart as those buyers and you need to do a little homework.  Your research should start with Google.

Google the area you live in to see which agents have a strong Internet presence.  Those agents that have a strong presence will know how to market your property on-line and will know how to expose your listing to millions of buyers.

Example:  You want to sell you Miami Shores Home – you should Google “Miami Shores Real Estate”, “Miami Shores”, “Miami Shores Homes” and any other combination thereof.  Take a look at the first 2 (maybe even 3) pages of Google Searches and find out what each one of those Realtors is doing to market their listings.

It’s not about your Realtor having a website anymore, it’s about your Realtor knowing where to place your listing, exposing your property in not only local web-portals, but all over the world.

If you are not finding your favorite agent in Google, or the properties they are selling, it may be time to re-examine your “selling strategy”.

Please remember that although this is a very important part of the equation, once you find that “Googable Realtor” (no that’s not a real word), you should also follow home preparation and pricing recommendations.

• Staging your Miami Home

• Why isn’t your Miami home selling?

• Pricing your Miami Home

• How to Sell Your Home in Black and White

• Home Sellers Can’t Handle The Truth

• First Impressions in Real Estate

**originally published June 25th, 2008**

NINE45 Jefferson Townhomes in South Beach

NINE45 Jefferson Townhomes or 945 Jefferson Townhomes

Brand New Miami Beach condo project in the smack center of South Beach.  they are actually townhomes because they are 3 stories with the third story being an incredible sky loft that opens to 2 roof terraces with awesome views of South Beach.  The project is located just South of Flamingo Park on Jefferson and it’s literally walking distance to the beach, to Alton Road and everything in South Beach.

The best part is that is has covered parking!! No more driving around trying to find on-street parking in South Beach.  Each residence comes with one parking spot and you have the option of buying an additional one for $25,000 (and that’s cheap! considering parking is a commodity in SoBe).

The project only has 7 residences with the front and back ones being the best ones with more light, and the 5 interior ones, sandwiched in between, a bit less desirable, but still great investments.  They are priced between $450,000 and $525,000 and the monthly maintenance is low at .40 cents per square foot.  Here are photos I took of the interiors:

The residences come finished with Italian ceramic flooring with leather finish, baseboards, painted, Bosch stainless steel appliances, granite counters, impact resistant windows and doors and window treatments and closets!  You do have the option of buying them furnished as well for a bit more – with Bobby Berk Home and Crate & Barrel furniture.

The beauty of a small project like this is that there are no condo restrictions.  If you are buying as a vacation property or second home, you don’t have rental restrictions and can rent as many times as you want during the year.  There are also no pet restrictions and you have a dog park near by.  Majestic Properties has also teamed up with BBU Bank who is offering financing (80% conventional loans and 60%-70% financing for foreign nationals).

And now to my honest opinion – I loved the front unit because of the light and would buy it furnished at their $545,000 asking price because it was perfect.  They are not big by any means and the sets of stairs could get a bit old after climbing them a few times per day (but at least you would stay in shape).  The project is great for vacationers, for people that like to be in the middle of  the action and love clean, simple spaces.  The interior units are a bit dark, but honestly, great distribution and still a great price for new construction in the area.  The adjacent buildings are not pretty at all, but that comes with the territory, the impact windows should block out the occasional loud fight from a neighbor or loud music from obnoxious teen.  It is South Beach after all…. and starting at $450k!! I definitely endorse this one.

Call me to schedule an appointment – these will probably not last long.

We're sorry, but it seems that we're having some problems loading MLS data from our database. Please check back soon.

Walk Score

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Condos Sold – April 2011

There were 238 Miami Beach condos sold in April of 2011. Price range of these sales varying from a $25,000 foreclosed studio in the Versailles Condo Hotel on Collins and 34th Street, to a mega luxury sale at Apogee seen below.  27 out of the 238 condos sold were above $1 million and 184 of those sales were below $500,000.  As for distressed inventory (short sales and foreclosures), the number has dropped to 38% for all of April’s sales.  A lot of media channels are calling 2012 the end of the down market for Miami Beach, but I still think it’s on a building by building case – many areas in Miami have already said bye bye to the down market, seeing an upward trend.  Just bring cash, because financing is what’s making it difficult!

April’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Apogee South Beach – 800 S Pointe Dr #PHA– Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $14,000,000 and sold for $11,500,000 on 4/14/2011

Talk about an amazing top sale for South Beach!  Now this condo has a bit of history or “real estate baggage”, if you will.  It was originally listed for $22,000,000 as “the most expensive Miami Beach Condo ever!” – and that was back in July of 2008.  Well….although it still sold for top dollar, that’s almost a 50% reduction from that original price.  Can you say “HOME RUN” for the current buyer?  This penthouse residence occupies the top 2 floors of the Apogee South Beach with ri-di-culous views of South Beach, Government Cut, Fisher Island and Miami.  The Marketing description reads in all caps:

PENTHOUSE A COMMANDS THE TOP 2 FLOORS OF THE APOGEE. IT IS COMPLETED WITH A 360-DEGREE ROOFTOP PALAZZO, PRIVATE POOL & BUILT IN SUMMER KITCHEN. THE MAIN LIVING AREAS HAS A SOARING 22FT CEILINGS ENCLOSED BY DOUBLE HEIGHT FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS WHICH CREATES A FIRST IMPRESSION THAT ONLY A FEW PH’S CAN BOAST. OVER 11,000SF OF TERRACE/BALCONY AREA. IN ADDITION, 2 1/2 CAR PRIVATE AIR CONDITIONED GARAGE AND MAID QUARTERS.

Features:

• 6,853 sf
• built in 2008
• 6 bedrooms / 7 bathrooms / 1 half-bathroom
• 2 1/2 car private air conditioned garage and maids quarters
• roof top palazzo
• 22′ ceilings in main areas
• over 11,000 sf of terrace/balcony area
• marble and wood floors
• Monthly maintenance = $7,935

April’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

The Setai Resort & Residences – 101 20th St #2308 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $5,899,000 and sold for $4,600,000 on 4/01/2011

The Setai Resort and Residences makes the Top 3 Miami Beach Condos sold again!!  This time with unit 2308, which is obviously gorgeous, but cannot tell from the photos (which happen to be one of the worst examples of photography for a luxury condo in Miami Beach).  This property was originally listed for $6,999,000 in 2006 with several price reductions and marketing description:

One of a kind residence, featuring a large master suite with a private massage parlor and endless views of the Atlantic Ocean.  Enjoy the Sunset and Downtown Miami Skyline from anywhere in the residence or from the expansive terrace.  This 3 bedroom suite has the elegant finishes of The Setai’s Hotel Furniture package and is currently enrolled in the program as the “Specialty Suite”.  Statements available upon request

Features:

• 2,558 sf of living space
• built in 2005
• 2 parking spaces
• 3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms
• Hotel Furniture Package and “Specialty Suite” hotel program
• monthly maintenance – $4,886

April’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Continuum South Beach – 100 S Pointe Dr #3204 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $3,750,000 and sold for $3,270,000 on 6/06/2011

The Continuum South Beach’s South Tower is my favorite of the 2 and the fact that it’s a full-amenity ocean front building, is all it takes to be convinced that the place is amazing.  This particular 32 floor unit only had photos of the view and the foyer in the MLS and the history is a bit strange.  Originally listed for $3.65 Million on October of 2010 and increased to $3.75 Million 2 weeks later.  Marketing description reads:

Best line in the building view of Fisher Island and cruis ship alley. Corner unit with wrap around balcony. Great open floor plan. Full service building with state of the art facilities, world class fitness center, lap pool and juice bar!

Features:

• 2,508 sf
• built in 2003
• 3 bedrooms / 3 bathroom / 1 half-bath
• carpeting and marble floors
• ocean front building
• 2 + parking spaces
• monthly maintenance = $2,255

**all information obtained from the Southeast Florida Multiple Listing Service**

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Condos Sold – March 2011

There were 250 Miami Beach Condos sold in the month of March 2011.  The highest sale being at Apogee for $4,995,000 and the lowest at The Royal South Beach, a historic condo-hotel studio (270 square feet),  selling at $35,000.  Condo-hotels are usually cash deals unless financed privately by the hotel, they are considered investment properties and banks will not finance them.  Financing for Miami Beach condos in general has become challenging because bank underwriters expect condos to have certain ratios (unpaid or delinquent condo fees) or to have money in reserves, which doesn’t happen very often.  We like to inform our customers of possible road blocks ahead of time in order for you to have realistic expectations.

March’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Apogee South Beach – 800 S Pointe Dr #1402 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $5,349,000 and sold for $4,995,000 on 3/22/2011

Talk about an amazingly finished Apogee residence!  The photos are spectacular…..every Miami Beach Realtor should market their properties this way.  With top of the line everything and in the most exclusive South Beach Condo.  This particular unit was originally listed for $5.299 Million back in April of 2010 and was then increased $100k, and selling only 7% under listing price.  The marketing description reads:

Seeing is Believing ! #1402 is the best value in the most exclusive address South of New York City – APOGEE. This unit is impeccably finished with top of the line everything ! Incredible flow-through views of the Bay, Government Cut, Ocean and South Beach. Be one of the privileged to live in this 68 unit ultra exclusive complex.

Features:

• 3,103 square feet of living space
• 3 bedroom / 3 bathroom / 1 half-bath
• 2-parking spaces (covered)
• bay front with panoramic water views
• Apogee South Beach location
• built in 2007
• Monthly maintenance = $3778.00

March’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

The Setai Resort & Residences – 101 20th St #1701 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $5,200,000 and sold for $3,950,000 on 3/07/2011

This residence made our TOP 3 MOST EXPENSIVE MIAMI BEACH CONDOS SOLD exactly one year ago.  It sold for $2.5 Million and was listed for $5.2 Million just 9 months later, making the owner a profit of almost $1.5 Million dollars!  Who said you can’t make money off Miami Beach Condos?  Presentation is everything as you can see by decor.  The marketing description reads:

One of the biggest apartments in the building.  Combination of three 2-bedroom units into one expansive three bedroom residence with formal  living, formal dining, media room , game room and two balconies.

Features:

• 3,691 square feet of living space
• 3 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms / 1 half-bath
• built in 2004
• Setai Resort and Residences location in Miami Beach
• ocean front building
• ocean views
• 3 parking spaces
• Monthly Maintenance = $7,051

March’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

W South Beach – 2201 Collins Ave – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $3,600,000 and sold for $3,300,000 on 3/07/2011

The W South Beach happens to be one of my favorite buildings.  The location is spectacular, the views are amazing and the amenities cannot be any better.  This residence was listed in August of 2010 for $3.66 Million and lowered $60,000 4 months later, finally selling 8% under listing price.  The marketing photos are the W’s stock photos and the marketing description doesn’t say much, other than:

Exquisitely finished and furnished oceanfront condominium residences providing World – Class service and the ultimate resort lifestyle in the heart of South Beach.

Features:

• 1,906 square feet of living space
• 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom / 1 half-bath
• built in 2009
• Furnished / Turnkey
• Ocean Front Building
• W South Beach Hotel And Residences location
• East views – direct ocean
• Monthly maintenance = $1898

**all information obtained from the Southeast Florida Multiple Listing Service**

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Homes sold in March 2011

There were 32 Miami Beach homes sold in March, compared to 21 sales in February and 9 in January.  The top 3 most expensive sales were in the “mega luxury” category above $5 million and the lowest sale was the typical Normandy Island dry-lot home selling for $306,000.  Miami Beach remains the same as always, one month you have a $12 Million listing for the highest sale and the next you have a $1.5 million.  Foreign money is always coming in with Brazilians winning our real estate housing market with their fabulous economy and even better personalities.

March’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

4855 Pinetree Dr – Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $6,900,000 and sold for $6,536,289 on March 18th, 2011

One of the most exquisite Pinetree mansions ever in Miami Beach built in 1932, completely restored and maintained with no luxury spared.  The selling price may have been done by a numerologist (my attempt at humor), and was listed in December of 2010 and selling just 3 short months later.  It was however, listed previously in 07 for $12 Million with several price reductions, then in 2008 listed again for $8,999,999 < which means FIRM PRICE in real estate lingo… but finally settling for the $6.5 Million number.  You’ll notice that the view is not photographed, and that may be to the fact that Pinetree homes are not sold for their water frontage, but for their architecture, scale and style.  The selling description reads:

Splendid Mediterranean mansion on prestigious Pinetree Drive, has been magnificently restored beyond its original grandeur. Features 6BR/6B+2 half BA incl. a sep. 2BR/2BA guest house. Many gracious rooms provide wonderful gathering areas, incl. the dramatic great room. Fine marble and wood floors, fireplaces, custom built-ins, state-of-the-art media rm, 3rd floor office, library, formal dining room, wet bar, gourmet kitchen, wonderful views of the garden, pool and waterway. 100 ft of water frontage & dock.

Features:

• 10,383 square feet of living space
• 6 bedrooms / 6 bathrooms / 2 half-baths
• 3-car garage
• 39,700 square ft. lot (100′ X 397′)
• 100 feet of water frontage
• private dock
• 3-story house
• Prestigious Pinetree Drive location

March’s second Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

1429 N Venetian Wy – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $6,500,000 and sold for $5,500,000 on March 2nd, 2011

Here’s an amazing property that had been listed since April of 2009.  It didn’t sell quickly because it needed a very specific type of buyer, one that didn’t mind finishing the construction and one that didn’t mind being right on Venetian Causeway.  Although the lot was huge at over 26,000 square feet, buying this house was like buying a designer-ready condo where you could choose your own finishes. Contemporary architecture, “almost” finished with land, square footage and awesome views.  Congrats the its lucky new owner! Selling description reads:

Almost finished and absolutely stunning 8 BD + maids / 8.5 BA ultra modern bayfront home with over 200 feet on bay and 8 foot draft.  13,569 total square feet as per plans. High ceilings, full height impact windows and doors, two double car garages, elevator, reflecting pool running from front to rear, 4,000 square foot rooftop terrace plumbed for jacuzzi and summer kitchen with mind blowing 360′ views!  Much, much more. Bid from top quality contractor at $1.25M to complete.

Features:

• 13,569 square feet of living space
• built in 2009
• 8 bedrooms / 8 bathrooms / 1 half-bath
• 26,764 sf lot
• 200′ of water frontage
• private dock
• impact resistant windows and doors
• 4,000 sf rooftop terrace
• Venetian Islands Location – Marco Island

January’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

5465 Pinetree Dr – Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $4,950,000 and sold for $4,750,000 on March 31st, 2011

This particular home has the typical scale of a Pinetree home, but not quite as grand as the top sale of the month.  You will see by the photos that the house is a bit dated and even with its $4.75 Million sticker price, some updating and refreshing will be necessary.  I called these homes “tired”, but nothing a great interior designer and a little cash can’t fix.  The house was originally listed in 2006 for $9.6 million, with several price reductions and finally selling when reduced under the $5 Million mark.  The selling description reads as follows:

Stately Pine Tree Dr Mansion, on 125 feet of wide waterway, affords ultimate gated privacy within its expansive compound. This 10 bedroom, 11/2 1/2 bath residence w/approximately 9000sqft under air (as per owner) on a 21,156 sqft lot includes a newly surfaced tennis court, pool, a large auto courtyard, a new dock w/boat & jet ski lifts, 3 car garage & a separate guest house. Entertaining is a pleasure w/an over-sized kitchen & pantry, double refrigerators, ovens & sinks, all leading to a formal dining rm.

Features:

• 7,764 square feet of living space
• 10 bedrooms / 11 bathrooms / 2 half-baths
• built in 1926
• 3-car garage
• 21,156 sf lot (172′ X 123′)
• private dock
• 125′ of water frontage
• Pinetree Drive location

**all information obtained from the SouthEast Florida Multiple Listing Service**

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Condos Sold – February 2011

There were 198 Miami Beach condos sold in the month of February 2011 ranging from a $2.25 Million Murano at Portofino Condo, to a $27,000 Versailles Hotel studio in foreclosure in Mid-Beach. For all of you that call us about great deals and foreclosures in Miami Beach, be ready to bring cash.  Bank owned properties are not even looking at financing, no matter the type of down payment because a lot of the buildings will not be approved for lending.  Meaning they are not Fannie Mae approved because the building either doesn’t have reserves or has a high delinquency ratio (a lot of unpaid maintenance fees).   We also have the occasional call from someone that has cash and feels they will be a special buyer – guess what? most deals in Miami Beach are cash, you are no different than other buyers and that does not give you an advantage.  If you see a good deal, move quickly and be ready to close fast – those deals fly!!

41% of February’s Miami Beach Condo were distressed compared to:

• September 2010 – 58% of MLS sales were either foreclosures or short sales
• October 2010 – 50% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed
• November 2010 – 42% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed
• December 2010 – 52% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed
• January 2011 – 57% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed

The highest short sale sold for $1,050,000 at Icon Miami Beach and the highest foreclosure was for $510,000 at Seacoast Condo.

February’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Murano at Portofino– 1000 S Pointe Dr #3102 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $2,490,000 and sold for $2,250,000 on 2/25/2011

This particular Murano at Portofino residences offers stunning views of Sunsets and Sunrises with 3 terraces.  Perfect for boaters with Marina within walking distance and Lapiagga Beach Club just South of it.  South of Fifth still remains the hottest real estate in all of Miami and Miami Beach.  This unit was sold in June of 2010 for $1,925,000 and was listed in November for $2,490,000 and selling with a $325,000 profit – not bad for a so called “down market”, in less than 8 months!.  MLS reads. (“rarely” makes me smile, considering they just bought it).

RARELY AVAILABLE, THIS STUNNING THREE BEDROOM, THREE BATHROOM HOME HAS FLOW THROUGH PLAN WITH DRAMATIC SUNSET AND SUNRISE TERRACE VIEWS. FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS OFFER SPECTACULAR DIRECT OCEAN, DOWTOWN BISCAYNE BAY, CITY AND FISHER ISLAND VIEWS. ONE OF VERY FEW “02″ RESIDENCES WITH ADDITIONAL THIRD TERRACE. GOURMET KITCHEN, PRIVATE ELEVATOR AND LOBBY, ADJACENT MIAMI BEACH MARINAS, ENJOY THE PRIVATE LAPIAGGA BEACH CLUB WITH SALT WATER- POOL AND RESTAU. ALSO FOR RENT. A MUST SEE! OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE!

Features:

• 2,618 square feet of living space
• 3 terraces
• 3 bedrooms / 3.5 bathrooms
• South of Fifth Location in Miami Beach
• 1 parking space
• bay front condo with direct water views
• full amenity building – Murano at Portofino Condo
• corner – flow through location
• split-bedroom plan
• Monthly maintenance = $1,926

February’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

The Setai Resort & Residences – 101 20th St #2708 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $2,375,000 and sold for $2,100,000 on 2/08/2011

The Setai makes the Top 3 list once again and this particular residence is to die for!!  Southeast Corner with wrap-around balcony and top of the line finishes.  It was purchased from hotel and can join hotel program.  This unit was on and off the market starting at a listing price of $3,250,000 in 2008, with several price reductions and also listed for rent at $18,000 per month. MLS reads:

Best line in the building.  Southeast corner unit with wraparound balcony.  Can join Setai hotel rental program if furniture is purchased from hotel.  It has the hotel finishes.  Enjoy breathtaking views of the ocean, south beach, downtown, bay and sunset.

Features:

• 1,141 square feet of living space
• built in 2005
• corner unit
• Miami Beach Location – The Setai Resort & Residences
• Ocean front building
• 2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms
• Monthly maintenance = $2,179

February’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Murano Grande – 400 Alton Rd #2404 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $1,955,000 and sold for $1,950,000 on 2/25/2011

South of Fifth Location in Miami Beach, right on the bay with direct views of Miami Skyline, Biscayne Bay and Fisher Island.  Murano Grande is one of my favorite bay front condos in South Beach because of the way all units frame the views and its proximity to everything!!  Boaters have access to top notch marina and you can walk to the beach and South Beach’s Action.  This particular unit was listed in 2009 for $2,000 and appears under contract 2 times prior to its close last month.  It was also listed for rent at $9,000 per month.  MLS reads (with “flor-thru” making me a chuckle)

SPACIOUS AND SPECTACULAR FLOR-THRU UNIT AT THE ULTRA LUXURIOUS MURANO GRANDE IN SOUTH BEACH.STUNNING OCEAN VIEWS,FISHER ISLAND AND MIAMI SKYLINE. 3bed/3.5bath with 2974 sqft under ac. UNIT FEATURES 2 TERRACES,TILE AND WOOD FLOORS IN THE BEDROOMS,STATE OF THE ART KITCHEN,PRIVATE ELEVATOR/FOYER ENTRANCE.MARINA ON SITE.WALK TO THE BEACH,SHOPS & RESTAURANTS.LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SOUTH BEACH!!PLENTY OF AMENITIES.EASY TO SHOW!!

Features:

• 2.974 square feet of living space
• built in 2003
• South of Fifth Location in Miami Beach
• bay front building – Murano Grande at Portofino
• 3 bedrooms / 3.5 bathrooms
• 1 parking space
• boat dock available
• private elevator
• full-amenity building
• monthly maintenance = $2,188

**all information obtained from the Southeast Florida Multiple Listing Service**

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Condos Sold in January 2011

There were 179 Miami Beach condos sold in the month of January 2011 ranging from a $2.6 Million Setai Condo, to a $41,000 Marseilles Condo in foreclosure in Normandy Island. The prevailing question lately has been about distressed property inventory – is it slowing down? are there more foreclosures and short sales? are we seeing the bottom? I grabbed sales from the last few months to see what percent of those were distressed:

• September 2010 – 58% of MLS sales were either foreclosures or short sales
• October 2010 – 50% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed
• November 2010 – 42% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed
• December 2010 – 52% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed
• January 2011 – 57% of Miami Beach Condo sales were distressed

It’s evident that this number is not going down and there are still quite a bit of distressed property sales, what you do need to keep in mind is that short sales can take anywhere from a few months to over a year to close.  Which means that some of these sales have been property under contract for quite some time.  The other factor to keep in mind is that most of these closings are on the lower end of the market, properties under $250,000 and very few in the Miami Beach Luxury Condo market.  The other piece of evidence I will share is that actual prices for distressed condos is starting to rise and the very low end of the scale is almost non existent.  Our team does not really specialize is these sales though, but we keep a close eye because once these begin to disappear, the Miami Beach housing market will start to see a significant change for the better.

January’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Setai  Resort & Residences – 101 20th Street #3603– Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $2,795,000 and sold for $2,600,000 on 1/19/2011

Setai designer furnished and equipped residence with panoramic views of the ocean and Miami Beach, it doesn’t get any better than this.  Setai is known for luxury and amenities and the monthly maintenance fees will attest for that.  This property was on and off the market since 2006 with a starting price of $4.25 Million – it was also offered for rent at $25,000/month.  Pricing for both sale and rental listings were adjusted through the years with a final selling price of $2.6 Million, which is still a nice $1,492/square foot.  The MLS description reads:

GORGEOUS APARTMENT AT SETAI ON 36TH FLOOR OFFERING UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS OF OCEAN, INTRA COSTAL AND MIAMI BEACH. “TURNKEY PACKAGE”, SOLD FULLY FURNISHED & EQUIPPED (DESIGNER DECORATED PUBLISHED IN “FLORIDA DESIGN”). ONE OF A KIND RESIDENCE! ALSO AVAILABLE FOR RENT WEEKLY & MONTHLY.

Features:

• 1,743 square feet of living space
• built in 2004
• designer furnished and equipped
• oceanfront
• 3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms
• 2 parking spaces
• open balcony
• Monthly maintenance = $3,339

January’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

W South Beach Residences – 2201 Collins Ave #1204 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $2,690,000 and sold for $2,500,000 on 1/15/2011

The W South Beach is one of my favorite Miami Beach condo-hotels.  Amenities are fabulous and the designer finishes and workmanship are out of this world.  Although no particular photos were included of this particular residence’s views and floor-plan, I can guarantee they were top notch because that’s what The W is known for. All residences have beautiful views, even if they are not directly situated on the ocean, and you can read more about it in our article from June 2010 – The W South Beach Residences.  The MLS description for this unit reads:

Exquisitely finished and furnished oceanfront condominium residences providing World-Class service and the ultimate resort lifestyle in the heart of South Beach.

Features:

• world renowned W amenities and service
• 1,729 square feet of living space
• built in 2009
• 2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms
• oceanfront
• ocean views
• turnkey
• designer furnished and equipped
• monthly maintenance = $2,407

January’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Condo Sale

Continuum South Beach: South Tower – 100 S Pointe Dr #1007 – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $2,250,000 and sold for $1,999,000 on 1/14/2011

The Continuum South Beach is a popular amongst our TOP 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Condos Sold each month.  It’s no surprise it comes up time and time again in Miami Beach’s Luxury lists and it has to do with the ultimate South Beach location as well as amenities.  Think about it – out of all the amazing South of Fifth condos, The Continuum is the only one on the actual tip and it is ocean front with endless views of the ocean, Fisher Island, Government Cut and Miami Beach.  This particular residence was on and off the market and listed for $2.25 Million in June of 2010 with a selling price of $1.999 Million.  The MLS reads:

LUXURIOUS UNIT WITH DIRECT OCEAN VIEW. PRIVATE FOYER, MARBLE FLOORS, 10′ CEILINGS, OPEN KITCHEN AND SPLIT BEDROOM PLAN. CONTINUUM OFFERS ON-SITE CONCIERGE SERVICES, 24-HR COMPLIMENTARY VALET PARKING, 24-HR SECURITY, 3 TENNIS COURTS, TENNIS PRO-SHOP, RESTAURANT, 25000 SQ.FT STATE-OF-THE-ART GYM AND SPA, 2 LAGOON POOLS, LAP POOL AND BEACH / POOL SERVICE.

Features:

• 1,870 square feet of living space
• built in 2002
• 2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms / 1 half-bath
• marble floors
• 10′ ceilings
• 1 parking space
• oceanfront
• monthly maintenance = $1,800

**all information obtained from the Southeast Florida Multiple Listing Service**

Why pick THAT Miami Beach Realtor?

You are interviewing Miami Beach REALTORS and have no idea who to hire because they all have something that impresses you, good track record, good communication skills, good client testimonials, good Internet presence…..so how can you make up your mind?

The key is to be able to identify how they market themselves as opposed to how they market properties.  At first this may seem like easy task, but once you start thinking about it you realize that most REALTORS spend more money branding themselves that promoting their properties.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s only wrong when they want to sell you their branding efforts as property marketing.

In addition to identifying the type of marketing an agent does, it’s good to know where marketing efforts need to be more aggressive and where buyers will ultimately find your home.  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just published a 2010 profile of home buyers and sellers which includes this graph that details where buyers found the home they purchased from 2001 through 2010.

Interestingly enough, in 2010, 75% of buyers bound their home with the help of another REALTOR or on-line! (and the Internet is half of that number).  Which just means that yard signs, open houses, newspaper and magazine ads and brochures are a minuscule part of the equation!  Seriously??  But those property brochures are so pretty!!  And what have we been telling you?  The brochures are part of an agent’s branding efforts, it gets them more listings….not necessarily sell homes.

Brand Marketing vs. Product Marketing

A good REALTOR will use both types of marketing not only to attract more clients but to ultimately sell real estate.  Furthermore, Brand and Product will often be combined because in real estate, you really can’t separate one from the other.  A good example of this will be direct mailers with “just listed” information – the property will be shown and described and the agent brand will be emphasized – but do you see these in the list above? Yet one overly used home selling pitch is that “neighbors will tell friends and family about the home, which is the best type of word-of-mouth marketing” << can you say “MEANINGLESS SCRIPT”?

Tracey Drake from Suite101.com gives us a great analogy to differentiate the two:

Ford telling consumers that “Quality is Job 1″ – this is Brand Marketing

Selling that consumer a Ford Mustang – this is Product Marketing

So what am I telling you here?  In a customer service driven society, how can we not know when we are buying something for the brand, not necessarily the quality?  How can we not realize that the pretty magazine ad will not sell our home?  or the ingenious TV ad or the catchy yard sign?

So sit down with your Miami Beach Realtor and ask how they are using The Internet to reach the end buyer, what will they do differently to make your home stand out from the thousands of properties on the web and how is their business relationship with other Realtors since ultimately it will be their competition who will bring your home’s buyer.

For additional marketing insights, read Seth Godin’s What do you know? - a great list that manages to separate egos from achievers with some of my favorite points:

• Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.
• You can’t fool all the people, not even most of the time. And people, once unfooled, talk about the experience.
• Traditional ways of interrupting consumers (TV ads, trade show booths, junk mail) are losing their cost-effectiveness. At the same time, new ways of spreading ideas (blogs, permission-based RSS information, consumer fan clubs) are quickly proving how well they work.
• Good marketers tell a story.
• Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
• In the googleworld, the best in the world wins more often, and wins more.

Miami Beach Waterfront Homes sold in 2010

NOTE: This blog post has been updated reflecting 5 additional waterfront Miami Beach Homes sold since December 13th when this post was published.

There are 191 Miami Beach waterfront homes for sale right now ranging from a $450,000 short sale on Hawthorne Avenue right outside Biscayne Point Island, to a $49,995,000 Star Island Mansion. Miami Beach waterfront homes are highly coveted world wide and they are priced according to condition, size, location and views…but VIEWS and LOCATION are key.

The formula to understanding the Miami Beach waterfront home market is knowing that no matter what the comps are, most buyers are cash buyers and price is determined mostly by desirability of the property, not so much by how much other comparable homes have sold for. This is a total anomaly and difficult for a lot of buyers to understand, especially if you are looking to upgrade from a non-waterfront home, or are ready to make the switch to this very desirable lifestyle.

Let’s take Shaq’s Star Island home as an example because the price range cannot be any more random. He purchased the home in 2004 for $18.8 Million, then listed it for $32 M, increased it to $35M and ended up selling it for $16 Million! To top things off, the buyer, Vladislav Doronin, ended up gutting the entire mansion. That’s a $16 Million fixer upper for you! Only in Miami Beach…. or shall we call that a MIAMISM ?

Another example is the current real estate housing trends of The Sunset Islands, one of the most esteemed sets of islands in Miami Beach. Desirability starts at Sunset Island I, then II, then III and historically, Sunset Island IV has fallen in last place. You will see below that the only 2 sales this year in the Sunset Islands have been 2 distressed sales in Sunset Island IV at ridiculous prices. Does that mean that a $1.3 Million ticket price on a sold house will determine where the current $25 Million listing will sell? Not a chance!

So keep in mind that not everyone is willing to throw money up in the air, and not everyone is a tire kicker either.  Average price per square foot has dropped in all of Miami Beach, but this is not the end of the world and some sellers are still getting top dollar for their homes…look at Bosh’s $12.3 Million purchase.

I decided to give you true numbers and stats to paint a perspective of the Miami Beach waterfront  home market, but the more I look at these numbers, the more I see an abstract or even a surrealist painting.  So take these with a grain of salt and make sure you work with someone that has experience in this market.

There have been were 65 70 waterfront homes sold in Miami Beach in 2010.  Let’s break this down to each Miami Beach island/s:

• 1 sale in Star Island – 44 Star Island Drive selling for $7,250,000 at $1535/sq.ft.

• 4 waterfront sales in Palm Island – averaging $814 / sq.ft. with the highest sale for a 12,184 sq.ft. home located at 55 Palm Ave, which sold for $11.95 Million.

• 4 waterfront sales in Hibiscus Island – averaging $695/sq.ft. with highest sale for an 8,096 sq.ft. home located at 269 N Hibiscus selling for $5.4 Million

• 8 9 waterfront sales in The Venetian Islands – averaging $634/sq.ft. $625/st.ft. with the highest sale for a 4,200 sq.ft. home located at 303 E. Dilido selling for $3.4 Million

• 2 waterfront sales in The Sunset Islands – averaging $555/sq.ft. but keep in mind that these were facing South towards condos on island IV on a narrow canal (not your typical Sunset Island sales).  The highest sale was for a 2,255 sq.ft. home located at 1440 W 21 Street, selling for $1.6 Million.

• 7 8 waterfront North Bay Road sales – averaging $785/sq.ft. $813/sq.ft. with the highest sale being Chris Bosh’s 12,000 square foot crib which he bought for $12.333 Million

• 4 waterfront home sales in La Gorce Island – averaging $880/sq.ft. with the highest sale for a 17,183 square foot home at 88 La Gorce Cr, which sold for $16 Million (highest sale this year in all of Miami Beach)

• There have been no sales in Allison Island this year
• 11 waterfront home sales in Normandy Island – averaging $280/sq.ft. with the highest sale for a 3,446 sq.ft home located at 1045 N Shore Dr, selling for $1.6 Million (North Normandy – open bay)

• 1 waterfront home sale in North Bay Island – at $330/sq.ft and located at 7520 Miami View Drive and selling for $1,679,373 (I wonder what it took to come up with that number)

• 12 14 waterfront home sales in Biscayne Point – averaging $287/sq.ft. $291/sq.ft. with the highest sale for a 4,100 sq.ft. home located at 1525 Cleveland Rd, selling for $1.625 Million

• 2 waterfront home sales in Stillwater Island – averaging $325/sq.ft. with the highest sale for a 2,210 short sale located at 1480 Stillwater Dr, selling for $710,000
• 6 7 waterfront home sales on Pinetree Drive – averaging $543/sq.ft. $487/sq.ft. with highest sale for a 7,595 sq.ft. home located at 5245 Pinetree Dr, selling for $5.25 Million

The remaining 3 waterfront homes sold in Miami Beach this year were right outside one of the islands or on an inside canal, still desirable waterfront, but not as much as the islands.

An even better perspective of the performance of each island is through this graph, although the figures are a bit skewed because of the lack of sales.  The Sunset Islands have historically sold for more per square foot than The Venetian Islands, but that is not reflected in this year’s sales.

Many times you call us and ask us about desirability of each island and why the disparity in price ranges.  I think that same difference is a good tool to weigh desirability.  Star Island showing the highest price per square foot, followed by La Gorce Island, then Palm Island, followed closely by North Bay  Road.

As much as I hate scripts and we’re taught to say “a home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept”…it could not be more true when it comes to Miami Beach Homes, especially when dealing with waterfront homes.  Even with that, there are still some great buys out there….bank owned properties and sellers that NEED to get out, but it’s  not the norm.

**all information obtained from the SouthEast Florida Multiple Listing Service**

**There were 5 additional sales at the end of the year that were not originally reflected in this article (originally published December 13th, 2010)

• 5310 N Bay Rd – sold for $9,100,000
• 226 W Rivo Alto Dr – sold for $1,800,000
• 5223 Pinetree Drive – Short Sale sold for $1,600,000
• 1707 Cleveland Rd – sold for $1,300,000
• 1824 Cleveland Rd – Foreclosure sold for $403,000

Next Page »