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

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sales – October 2010

There were 14 Miami Beach homes sold in the month of October of 2010.   The highest sale was $3.25 Million and the lowest sale was a foreclosure in Normandy Island for $239,900.  October’s top sales come from Palm Island, Venetian Islands and Sunset Islands – although all of them under $5 Million (no mega luxury homes sold this month).   The rumor is that the top 3 Miami Beach home sales in October have something in common, they were all sellers in distress who HAD to get rid of their homes.  This should prove to be interesting in the months to come, since they are legitimate comps for many active listings out there.  These are instruments that buyers will not hesitate to hold on to, and sellers will try to justify or just ignore.

October’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

1 Palm Av, Miami Beach, FL  33140

Listed for $3,650,000 and sold for $3,250,000 on October 14th, 2010

This home had quite a listing history with original listing price of $5.9 Million back in August of 2006 – selling for $3.695 Million in November of 07, listed again in December of 07 for $4.495 Million – then increased and decreased several times, as well as various Realtor changes.  It does show as a Trust Sale in the county records, which explains all the changes.

The home sits on the Eastern tip of Palm Island, overlooking Star Island and MacArthur Causeway/Government Cut and the description given is:

Perfect cottage by the sea! Best value! 110ft of open bay water frontage with magnificent views of Miami Beach in the distance. 2 bedrooms/2 baths main house with open floor plan, recently renovated and tastefully furnished. 1 bedrooms/1 bathroom detached guest house, 2 car garage. Exceptional lot affords best opportunity to expand or build new.

Features:

• 3,449 square feet of living space
• built in 1957
• 2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms in main house
• 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom detached guest house
• 2-car garage
• 17,674 square foot lot
• 110 feet of water frontage
• Palm Island location
• renovated

October’s second Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

441 E Rivo Alto Dr – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $3,800,000 and sold for $1,800,000 on October 12th, 2010

Talk about an amazing buy for a beautiful location with direct Northern open bay views!  According to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), this home had been originally listed for $4.45 Million since November of 2007, with several price reductions and brokerage changes.  The property was immediately placed on the market for $3,349,000 just days after closing with no updates or changes – a perfect “FLIP JOB”.

According to the new listing agent, the purchase was a foreclosure (which doesn’t show on the MLS).  The sale price was at $627/square foot and the new listing price is $1,166/square foot.  The sold description read as follows:

This modern, tastefully renovated Venetian Island home is now available. The property sits on a huge 13,300+/- sf waterfront lot and boasts over 100 ft of waterfront and unobstructed wide bay views. The home features a great pool and includes a boat dock. The interior has a very well designed layout and the house overall is in excellent condition.

Features:

• 2,871 square feet of living space
• built in 1947
• 3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms
• 13,382 square foot lot
• bayfront property
• Venetian Islands location
• private dock
• 100 feet of water frontage

October’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

1440 W 21 St, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $1,950,000 and sold for $1,600,000 on October 22nd, 2010

This Sunset Islands IV home had been listed for $2,350,000 since April of 2009 and sold for $710 per square foot.  Many of you may know that the Southern view of this island is the least desirable from all of the Sunset Islands and has to do with condos and commercial properties across the canal.  You should keep this in mind when using W 21 street sales as comparables.

The home description read:

This original 4 BD / 3 BA home was gutted and converted into a fabulous 2 BD + den / 4 BA home, with permits.  This waterfront pied a terre on gated Sunset Island close to Lincoln Rd is the ultimate modern design and luxury. Great entertaining areas, new 40 FT pool, seawall and 20′X8′ dock to watch the sunsets with no bridges to Biscayne Bay. Philippe Starck fixtures, 36″X36″ limestone flooring, impact windows, new roof, electrical, plumbing, Miele, Wolf, Sub Zero, Duravit, Jacuzzi Tub in master.

Features:

• 2,255 square feet of living space
• Built in 1956 but completely renovated
• 3 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms
• 9,500 square foot lot
• 60′ of canal frontage
• pool
• Sunset Island 4 location

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

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sales – August 2010

There were 11 Miami Beach homes sold in the month of August of 2010.  This is a clear representation that Summer is the slowest time of the year with regards to real estate in Miami Beach.  The highest sale was for $2.5 million and the lowest sale was a short sale in Normandy Island for $218,000.  When I was interviewed by The Miami Herald last month regarding market trends, I explained that even within smaller cities in Miami-Dade County, it’s important to go hyper-local when you look at numbers.  To think that a non-waterfront home in The Sunset Islands can sell at $436/sq.ft. and one in Normandy Island for $143/sq.ft. may be inconceivable for many that don’t know Miami Beach.  I can’t say this enough, make sure you work with a Miami Beach Realtor that knows the market and can give you specific information on different areas so you can make an educated decision about your sale or purchase.

August’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

5005 lakeview Dr – Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $3,000,000 and sold for $2,500,000 on August 2nd, 2010

Here’s one of those “once in a lifetime” opportunities to buy a fabulous historic home ready for a discerning eye that can appreciate its details and charm.  Built in 1932 with exposed beamed ceilings, original rod iron and details and lighting fixtures on over an acre of land with 100′ of water frontage!  Obviously, the house needed work, but whoever bought it struck gold.  It sold as a short sale and was under contract since January of 2010 (8 months to close…..love those short sales!).  The location is right off Surprise lake with fixed bridges to the Intracoastal or Biscayne Bay….but still Mid-Beach in a quiet and safe residential area.  The MLS reads:

Old world charm & elegance awaits you as you enter this magnificent Mediterranean estate located on over an acre of prime waterfront property with over 100 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway. This large family home boast over 6000 SF of living space,grand living room with cypress beam ceilings,gourmet eat in kitchen,formal dining room with fireplace,master bedroom with private terrace,tennis court,,guest cottage plus much more.

Features:

• built in 1932
• 6 bedrooms / 5 bathrooms / 1 half-bath
• 5,931 sq.ft. of living space
• 47,540 sq. ft. lot
• over 100′ of water frontage
• private dock
• heated whirlpool
• 2-car garage
• fixed bridges for ocean access

August’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

2800 Regatta Av, Miami Beach, FL  33140

Listed for $2,295,000 and sold for $2,054,000 on August 16th, 2010

Here’s what we’re talking about when we say Sunset Island I is the best island of the 4.  This is a dry lot home (meaning not on the water), on Sunset Island I selling above $1 Million.  It was originally listed in 2008 for $2,850,000 and the owners waited patiently for 2 years and reduced it $800k – selling at $436 per square foot….not bad for a dry lot home.  The MLS reads:

This remarkable Sunset Island I Mediterranean home mixes tropical living with fine detailing. Features 4 bedrooms, 5.5 luxury baths, private office, fine marble and travertine floors, large picture windows and atrium doors. Kitchen with granite countertops and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. Marble master bath with spa tub. Pool & private garden with mosaic tile fountain. Professionally designed, verdant landscaping surrounds the entire home. Large corner lot.

Features:

• Built in 1954
• 4 bedrooms / 5 bathrooms / 1 half-bath
• 4,707 sq.ft. of living space
• 14,850 sq. ft. lot
• pool
• circle driveway
• 2-car garage
• corner lot

August’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

1792 Cleveland Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33141

Listed for $999,000 and sold for $960,000 on August 18th, 2010

This home is located in North Beach in Biscayne Point Island’s interior canal.  Yes it is waterfront, but on a narrow canal with fixed bridges for ocean access (which means vessels need to be small….specially small in this situation because of the size of the bridges).  Updated mid-century modern home with beautiful clerestory lighting and amazing master suite.  Biscayne Point is a great place to get a “starter waterfront home” because the prices here are lower than in the rest of Miami Beach – same applies to the island just North of this location on Stillwater Dr.

This home was purchased for $602,000 in June of 2009, was remodeled and listed for $999,000 in March of 2010 – a good example of a nice flipped property with a good quality renovation.  The MLS description reads,

Sleek Mid Century Modern waterfront home on 24 hour guard gated Biscayne Point Island.  Renovated with style and sophistication.  This sun filled home has a great open floor plan overlooking back yard pool area.  Large master suite with master bath featuring double sinks, separate spa bath and Kohler rainforest shower.  The walk in closet you’ve been searching for.  4th bedroom is maid’s room/home office with its own side entrance.  Bring your fussiest buyers! They will not be disappointed.

Features:

• Built in 1951
• 4 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms / 1 half-bath
• 2,493 sq. ft. of living space
• 9,000 sq. ft. lot ( 60′ X 150′ )
• waterfront with fixed bridge
• pool
• grand master suite
• dock and boatlift

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

Not all Miami Beach Waterfront homes are created equal

Miami Beach locals seem to understand that not all Miami Beach waterfront real estate is the same, but instead of assuming, I decided to do a brief synopsis of the different types of waterfront homes in Miami Beach. Many relocating to South Florida think waterfront means “beach-front” – you have no idea how many calls we get from Europeans wanting a beachfront home when they really mean canal-front. It has to do with knowing the local landscape and also language idiosyncrasies – the type of waterfront has obvious implications on the price.

Miami Beach ocean-front homes

There are not many oceanfront Miami Beach homes – it is PRIME real estate! This type of waterfront real estate is the most exclusive and most expensive for obvious reasons (nothing like the Atlantic Ocean as your backyard)- A few beachfront homes can be found in a very small residential pocket South of Surfside called Altos del Mar and also Golden Beach – where the oceanfront homes will be everything but modest- talk about Miami Beach Luxury Real Estate! Otherwise, all other beach-front or ocean-front real estate will be condos.

Miami Beach Bay-front homes

The next best thing from beachfront is bay-front since you will have open bay views and more privacy (literally no rear neighbor and open bay views from your backyard). Miami Beach Bay-front homes are also not all created equal. The only down side is the lack of protection from the elements, but that’s what insurance, good construction and proper weather preventive methods are for.

Miami Beach Canal front homes

There are many types of canal-front homes in Miami Beach. Pricing of these will take into consideration many factors including: location of canal, type of canal, size of canal, location of home within the canal, etc.

• Wide canals

This is when the home is located on a canal but the the canal is wide and homes still have privacy – examples of these are homes on the South side of Hibiscus Island or North side of Palm Island, The Venetian Islands or Surprise Lake in Miami Beach.

• Narrow canals

The word says it – you can see your neighbor across the canal, privacy is limited since you usually would have a fence and landscaping separating a backyard neighbor – in this case, you would have the canal and in many instances could see right in their backyard or home. This does not mean that canal-front homes are bad by any means, it just explains that there are many considerations when buying waterfront properties.  Other factors to consider with regards to canal-front properties are:

• navigable – if you have a boat, this is a good question to ask – some canals do not allow boats, others don’t have access to the ocean

• no fixed bridges – canal-front properties with direct ocean access and no fixed bridges are more expensive.  If you are contemplating buying a property and you know there are fixed bridges and you have a boat, make sure you know what the clearance of those bridges are in high tide to make sure your boat will be able to go through.

• deep canals – many canals are deep and can accommodate sail boats – if you are a sailor and want to purchase a canal-front home, you need to make sure the canal is deep enough for the draft of the boat.

• debris – some canals have dead ends and they have a tendency to collect debris which can often be an eyesore or even worse, bring a horrible smell.

More food for thought:

Location of the property – If you are a boater and hate idling in the no-wake zones for an extended period of time, consider where, within the intricate canal infrastructure of Miami and Miami Beach, the property will be located. Golden Beach and Eastern Shores for example has a long trajectory from their waterfront homes to the open bay and ocean where you can really crank up the engines and go at a descent speed – the same thing happens at Coral Gables. If you are a true boater, it would be a good idea for you to navigate those canals first.

Seawall and Condition – knowing a seawall can cost up to $1000 per linear foot – you should inspect the seawall with a good professional and possibly structural engineer.  Don’t discard Natural Coral Seawalls, they are known to have very strong structural qualities – but don’t take my word for it, ask any Structural Engineer.

Type of dock DERM will allow – looking at the adjacent neighbors’ docks usually gives you a good idea, but don’t always trust that – their dock may be “grandfathered in” or have some special circumstances that you don’t know about. Rule of thumb is that you can usually build a dock out 20% of the width of the canal, bay-fronts all have different requirements. A DERM inspector will sometimes be willing to visit the property prior to you buying the property, to assess it.

If you thought the Miami Beach Waterfront real estate market was not intricate, think again!

*original article posted February 28th, 2009*

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Homes sold in March 2010

There were 22 Miami Beach homes sold in March 2010 ranging from the most expensive, which will be featured here at $2.85 Million, to the lowest sale in Miami Beach at $102,500 for a dry lot, bank owned, foreclosure home in Biscayne Beach (North Beach).  Talk about a disparity! but that’s Miami for you.  Please note that number 2 and 3 top sales last month were also dry lot homes all selling above the $2 Million mark.  Recuperating market?  I do think so, although the top of the Miami Beach luxury home market is moving really slowly.

March’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

270 Hibiscus Island – Miami Beach, FL 33139

Listed for $3,490,000 and sold for $2,850,000 on March 19th, 2010

The buyer of this home walked away with a great home and an amazing view.  The first time I saw this house there was an Aston Martin in the garage and we asked the listing agent if that could be included as an incentive (my joke was not received well….lighten up people!).  Great common areas, tons of intricate but not too ornate mill work, beautiful kitchen and nice sized bedrooms.  (The Faux painting was a bit too much for me….but nothing a little paint couldn’t solve).  This home was on an off the market and was originally priced at $4.69 million in 2006 with several reductions along the way. Here’s the MLS screaming in all CAPS description:

EXQUISITE WOOD FINISHES, BUILT INS, EMBELLISHED FAUX WALLS, PROFESSIONALLY DECORATED AWARD WINNING HOME, 16′ CATHEDRAL WOOD CEILING IN LIVING ROOM,FORMAL DINING WITH COFFERED CEILING, SPACIOUS OPEN FAMILY MEDIA INCLUDES GOURMET KITCHEN, GRANITE COUNTERS, LARGE WET BAR, STAIN GLASS WINDOW. MASTER WALK IN CLOSET DRESSING AREA, LUXURIOUS BATH, AUTOMATIC GENERATOR, SURROUND SOUND, JERUSALEM STONE FLRS, THEATER, OFFICE , IMPACT RESISTANT GLASS FRONT AND BACK, SHUTTERS ON SIDE.

Features:

• 4,256 square foot home on 10,500 square foot lot
• 60 feet of water frontage (60′ X 175′)
• 3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms / 1 half bath
• pool
• 16′ cathedral ceilings
• 2-car garage
• built in 1954
• Jerusalem Stone Floors
• Impact resistant windows on front and back

March’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

2549 Sunset Drive, Miami Beach, FL  33140

Listed for $2,300,000 and sold for $2,050,000 on March 18th, 2010

Florida Vernacular Influence in this Sunset Island 2 home.  No expense spared and sitting on a comfortable 12,500 square foot lot.  It’s neighboring properties are going in excess of $4 Million, so here’s a little jewel sitting amongst big timers and has certainly nothing to be ashamed of.  This is also evidenced in how quickly it sold.  Listed on February 1, 2010 and was under contract in one week!  MLS description reads:

Fabulous pool home situated on Sunset Island II across from the park. Fine hardwood floors throughout, 2-story foyer, living room with fireplace, formal dining room, theater room, wood paneled library, gourmet island kitchen with professional appliances & breakfast area. Family room opens to covered covered loggia with summer kitchen; surround sound, heated pool, master suite w/marble bath & walk-in closet, large sundeck, maid’s quarters, lush landscaping, converted garage, corner lot.  Gated community.

Features:

• 4,455 square feet of living space
• built in 1975
• 4 bedrooms / 5 bathroom
• 12,500 square foot lot
• Summer Kitchen
• pool
• maid’s quarters
• lush native landscaping

March’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

2820 Lake Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $2,290,000 and sold for $2,115,000 on March 26, 2010

Here’s an immaculate house on a dry lot not just in the Sunset Islands, but in Sunset Island I, which is the most sought out of the 4 islands.  This house has the works:  limestone floors, electric shades, steam room, 2-car garage and is designer decorated which makes it even more impressive.  Some may think that it would still be “the ugly duckling” of the island, figuratively speaking because of the multi-million dollar residences that surround it, but that’s for you to judge.  The house was originally listed for $3.45 Million in September of 2007 with a price reduction to $3.45 Million in January 2009 – closed for $2.115 Million on March 26, 2010 and already listed for $3,000,000 – Maybe someone can make a quick buck and flip this property….we will find out soon.  The MLS description reads:

Spectacular “Smart House” in Gated Miami Beach Community: Sunset Islands.  Exquisitely updated including beautiful Limestone, dark hardwood floors and impact glass windows and doors throughout. Amazing Zen-like patio area featuring infinity edge pool with waterfall. Electric black-out blinds; state of the art technology with controlled sound, lighting, video and security cameras, full gym and steam room.

with new Listing description reading:

State of the art house in Sunset Island.  Spectacular patio with infinity edge pool and waterfall.  High end technology with high end domotics.  Spectacular dark hardwood floors and patio and pool area in lime stone.

FYI – Domotics is “home automation” (I confess I had to look it up myself)

Features:

• 4,717 square feet of living space
• 11,880 square foot lot
• 2-car garage
• 4 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms
• built in 1945
• “Smart House” with home automation
• Hardwood floors
• Impact glass doors and windows
• Infinity Edge Pool with waterfall
• electric black-out blinds
• gym
• steam room

**all information obtained from the SouthEast Florida Multiple Listing Service**[idx-listings zip=”33139″

2009 Miami Beach Home Sales for the Sunset Islands

The Sunset Islands are the epitome of Miami Beach Luxury Real Estate, starting with Sunset I.  Historically homes in the Sunset Islands hold their value better than other nearby islands because of access, security and proximity to South Beach’s “action” but far enough to have privacy.

There have only been 4 sales this year in The Sunset Islands

Address	Bds	Bths	HBth	sqft	Water	Lot Size	List Price	Sale price	$/sq.ft
1400 W 28 St	7	7	1	9.933	Y	20.000	$15,900,000	$9,500,000	956
1727 W 27 St	4	6	1	6,244	Y	20,000	$8,250,000	$6,000,000	961
1401 W 22 St	4	5	1	4,576	Y	13,275	$3,200,000	$2,734,500	598
1600 W 24 St	4	4	1	3,453	N	11,858	$2,399,000	$2,100,000	608

The highest sale was at Sunset Island I (the most desired of all Sunset Islands) for $9,500,000 – this house was listed since July 2008 and originally priced at $15,900,000 (that’s a discount of over 40%). The lowest sale was a dry lot property located in Sunset Island III – located at 1600 W 24 St, selling for $2,100,000 and listed on and off since September 2008 with an original price of $2,495,999. It may have been the lowest priced sale, but sold for more per square foot than the immaculate waterfront home at Sunset Island 4.

The average price per square foot this year comes down to $780.75 – please note that none of the sales were open bay homes – an appraiser would pull comparables from North Bay Road homes because of the lack of sales in The Sunset Islands.  At least we saw 2 homes above the $5,000,000 range actually sell which is something we can’t say about The Venetian Islands.

**UPDATE** There was one additional sale in the month of December in Sunset Island Number 2 – this was the dry-lot property located at 2535 Lucerne Avenue listed for $2,750,000 and selling for $2,400,000 ($441/sq.ft) making this the lowest sale of 2009 in The Sunset Islands. This luxury home had been listed since January of 2009 with a starting price of $2,895,000 (that’s a 17% difference between list and sale price).

2009 Miami Beach Home Sales for The Sunset Islands

The Sunset Islands are the epitome of Miami Beach Luxury Real Estate, starting with Sunset I. Historically homes in the Sunset Islands hold their value better than other nearby islands because of access, security and proximity to South Beach’s “action” but far enough to have privacy.

There have only been 4 sales this year in The Sunset Islands

Address	Bds	Bths	HBth	sqft	Water	Lot Size	List Price	Sale price	$/sq.ft
1400 W 28 St	7	7	1	9.933	Y	20.000	$15,900,000	$9,500,000	956
1727 W 27 St	4	6	1	6,244	Y	20,000	$8,250,000	$6,000,000	961
1401 W 22 St	4	5	1	4,576	Y	13,275	$3,200,000	$2,734,500	598
1600 W 24 St	4	4	1	3,453	N	11,858	$2,399,000	$2,100,000	608

The highest sale was at Sunset Island I (the most desired of all Sunset Islands) for $9,500,000 – this house was listed since July 2008 and originally priced at $15,900,000 (that’s a discount of over 40%). The lowest sale was a dry lot property located in Sunset Island III – located at 1600 W 24 St, selling for $2,100,000 and listed on and off since September 2008 with an original price of $2,495,999. It may have been the lowest priced sale, but sold for more per square foot than the immaculate waterfront home at Sunset Island 4.

The average price per square foot this year comes down to $780.75 – please note that none of the sales were open bay homes – an appraiser would pull comparables from North Bay Road homes because of the lack of sales in The Sunset Islands. At least we saw 2 homes above the $5,000,000 range actually sell which is something we can’t say about The Venetian Islands.

Blog Action Day at Prime Miami Beach

This year over 9,000 blogs across the world have registered to write about Climate Change because there is power in numbers and together we can make a difference.

So how does Miami Beach Luxury Real Estate relate to Climate Change? easy, think of green products, how real estate is built, what waste is produced, what appliances are used, the “walkable” factor of your real estate to shopping and business. No matter the industry, there is something you can do to help our planet.

I have talked about Green Urbanism because it’s a topic dear to my heart and somehow it seems like Miami is distant from many of the walkable communities concept because of Urban Sprawl. I’ve even talked about Green Designer Finisher for your kitchen, identifying recycled glass counter tops. My favorite is Miami Green Houses from the past where I identify 3 Green Mid-century architects and their masterpieces. And lastly, 5 Green conscious moves for your home (anyone can do these).

Take a look at who else is participating in this year’s Blog Action Day:

• Six Eco Realtors to Watch- Blog Action Day 2009 (Agent Genius)
• Bloggers of all stripes grab a piece of the climate pie for Blog Action Day 2009 (Grist)
• Who’s participating at Blog Action Day

Miami Beach Luxury Home Sales – October 11, 2009

There have only been 43 Miami Beach Luxury Home Sales this year above $1,000,000.  Think of the implications… last year at this same time there were 71 sales ranging between $1,000 and $13,100,000 which should make you believe that the “recuperating market” is not as palpable as some in the industry are leading you to believe.

I have to admit that certain areas are seeing more movement than others, there are more buyers out there as well, but they are also a lot pickier and not as willing to pull the trigger as they have been in the past….even in the Miami  Beach Luxury real estate market.

The Link above will provide a list of all the closed home sales in Miami Beach over $1,000,000 this year.  The Average price per square foot for Miami Beach Luxury Homes is currently $542.00 – but I need to stress, as I always do, that generalizing whole real estate markets like this is never a good idea.  This number pulls North Beach and Star Island together, for example, which are not even close to being comparable areas – it also pulls dry lots and waterfront properties.

If you separate the different areas and do calculations by location, you get a better idea of what the real average price per square foot is.  Obviously, when there is only one sale, like Shaq’s house on Star Island – the average will not say much.

Also note that all the sales in La Gorce Island were all dry lots, so the $348 per square foot average will not even come close to a waterfront property on the island.  Similarly, some of the Pine Treearea sales were also dry lots, so comparing the average price to North Beach would be preposterous in my opinion.

Venetian Islands are down over $100 per square foot from last year – that should be a big eye opener to all those sellers that are not being flexible – some Realtors in the area keep giving a false sense of the market to their seller clients – please make sure you remain realistic….even in a recuperating real estate market.

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