Miami Beach Waterfront Homes sold in 2011

There are 165 Miami Beach waterfront homes for sale right now ranging from a $399,000 North Beach home on Hawthorne Avenue (outside Biscayne Point Island), to a $35 Million Star Island Mansion.  Although the private island of Indian Creek is not considered Miami Beach, we can’t forget the $60 Million property for sale there … which is the most expensive home listed in South Florida to date.

Miami Beach waterfront homes are well-known throughout the world and offer unparalleled distinction, but not all Miami Beach homes were created equal – desirability has to do with location, condition of the property, size and views.  We will give you a break down of all the homes that were sold this year per island in order to be able to differentiate and understand pricing throughout Miami Beach.

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.

The Median Listing price for a Miami Beach waterfront home is currently $4.7 Million.  And if you are not convinced that this real estate sector is hot, out of the 165 homes listed for sale, only 2 are distressed (both are short sales – one in Normandy Island and the other one in Mid-Beach).

There were 100 Miami Beach waterfront homes sold in 2011.

Star Island Home Sales

4 Star Island waterfront homes sold – averaging $1,137 per square foot with the highest sale at $25.5 Million for the house located at 13 Star Island Dr – with 15,000 sf of living space, 8 bedrooms, 40,000 sf lot and 100 feet of water frontage.

Palm Island Home Sales

2 Palm Island homes sold on the water -  highest sale at $14.2 Million for the house located at 94 Palm Avenue with over 14,000 sf of living space, 8 bedrooms and 200′ of water frontage.  The average price per square foot for Palm Island homes coming in at $912.

Hibiscus Island Home Sales

5 Hibiscus Island homes sold on the water – price ranging between $1.9 and $9.35 Million.  The highest sale of $9,350,000 was for the home designed by Oppenheim, located at 40 S Hibiscus, with 8,000 sf of living space, 24,000 sf lot, 8 bedrooms and 120′ of water frontage. The average price per square foot in Palm Island was $740.

Venetian Islands Home Sales

There were 18 Venetian Island waterfront homes sold – prices ranging between $1.595 Million to $5.5 Million, with an average price per sf of $692.  The highest sale was for the unfinished construction at 1429 N Venetian Wy, with over 13,000 sf of living space, 26,764 sf lot, 8 bedrooms and 200 feet of water frontage

Sunset Islands Home Sales

There were 6 Sunset Island homes sold on the water – prices ranging between $2.4 million and $19.9 Million.  The average price per sq.ft. coming in at $924.  The highest sale was a historically significant home designed by Maurice Fatio at 1736 W 28th St, with 70,885 sf of land, over 11,000 sf of living space, 7 bedrooms and 453 feet of water frontage!

North Bay Road Home Sales

There were 10 North Bay Rd waterfront homes sold this year.  Their prices ranging between $1.55 to $15 Million and averaging $787 per sq.ft.  The highest sale was for the 13,000 sf home located at 4580 N Bay Rd, with over 24,000 sf of land, 8 bedrooms and 148 feet of open bay water frontage.

La Gorce Island Home Sales

There were 2 waterfront La Gorce Island homes sold.  One for $6.5 Million and the other for $11.6 Million and averaging $909 per sq.ft.  The highest sale was the ultra contemporary home at 94 La Gorce Cr with over 15,000 sf of living space, over 20,000 sf lot, 9 bedrooms and 120 feet of water frontage.

Allison Island Home Sales

There was one waterfront Allison Island home sold this year at 6475 Allison Rd.  The home has almost 5,000 sf of living space, over 21,000 sf of land, 5 bedrooms, 100 feet of water frontage and sold for $2.45 Million at $494 per sf… BARGAIN!! (even for a fixer upper).

North Bay Island Home Sales

There were no waterfront homes sold in N. Bay Island

Normandy Island Home Sales

There were 8 waterfront homes sold in Normandy Island, which historically, has been the least expensive waterfront real estate in Miami Beach.  They ranged in price between $770,000 and $2.6 Million for the bay front home located at 1800 Bay Drive – with over 5,000 sf of living space, 5 bedrooms, over 10,000 sf of land and 60 feet of water frontage.  The average price per sq.ft. in Normandy Island coming in at $437.

Biscayne Point Home Sales

11 Biscayne Point waterfront homes sold in 2011 ranging between $385,000 for a foreclosure, to $1.15 Million for the home located at 7972 Biscayne Point Cr.  This home has over 4,000 sf of living space, 5 bedrooms, 12,150 sf lot and 100 feet of water frontage.  The average price per sq.ft. in Biscayne Point coming in at $219.

Stillwater Island Home Sales

12 Stillwater Island waterfront homes sold ranging between $550,000 for a foreclosure, to $1.7 Million for the home at 1481 Stillwater Dr – with 2,800 sf of living space, 4 bedrooms, 7,500 sf lot and 50 feet of water frontage.  The average price per square feet for Stillwater being $378.

Pinetree Drive Home Sales

There were 5 Pinetree waterfront homes sold ranging between $1.9 (for an unfinished abandoned construction home), and $6.5 Million.  The highest sale of $6,536,289 was for the mediterranean mansion located at 4855 Pinetree Dr, with over 10,000 sf of living space, almost 40,000 sf lot, 6 bedrooms and 100 feet of water frontage.  The average price per sq.ft. in Pinetree coming in at $660.

It is obvious that the waterfront housing market in Miami Beach improved by a landslide in 2011 and this is evidenced by amount of sales, decrease in inventory as well as decrease in distressed properties for sale.  There are still some areas like Biscayne Point and Stillwater that are not out of the water (pun intended), but this helps keep a balance with the rest of Miami Beach.  Here is a graph showing price per square foot in each of the islands, and as expected, Star Island is at the top with The Sunset Island and La Gorce Island following close behind.

What’s fortunate for everyone looking to buy or sell their Miami Beach waterfront property, is that because there have been sales, we now have real comps.  This means that buyers and sellers don’t have to pull numbers out of their imagination but have real numbers to base their decisions on.  Granted….in our Miami Beach Luxury real estate market, this doesn’t mean much, great homes many times sell for unfathomed prices just because they are fabulous.

I’ll end this report with last years’ quote,

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

Top 3 Most Expensive Miami Beach Homes sold in January 2011

There were 9 Miami Beach homes sold in January 2011.   The highest sale was $4.4 Million and the lowest sale was a foreclosure near Lincoln Road for $370,000.  The talk on the street is that Miami Beach Luxury Home prices are still coming down.  The truth is that it’s a volatile market because of the influx of foreign nationals who don’t care about comparables and will pay cash, so guess what?  The better your home shows, the better the chance you will have of getting top dollar, it pays to hire a designer!!

January’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

2128 N Bay Rd – Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $4,950,000 and sold for $4,400,000 on January 28th, 2011

The home is located in the Sunset Lake subdivision just East of The Sunset Islands (not a bay-front property), and was originally listed for $6,950,000 in February of 2008.  It had several price reductions, REALTOR change and finally closed after almost 3 years.

My favorite part of the listing description is one photo of the view that reads “Wide Views, moments to open bay”.  The MLS description reads as follows:

Owner financing available….Med Contemporary, 100′ wide, secured waters, moments to open bay. Double docks, suitable for 40′ to 75′ vessel, boat lift. Elegant entrance to paved courtyard, pond, great outdoor living beautifully landscaped, marble floors, formal dining/living rms. Sunny display throughout, grand family room, French doors to pool. Master suite w/walk-in closet, open terraces, balconies, eat-in kitchen with water views, 3-car garage, no fixed bridges.

Features:

• 5,682 square feet of living space
• built in 1990
• 5 bedrooms / 5 bathrooms / 2 half baths
• 3-car garage
• 20,000 square foot lot
• waterfront
• 100 feet of water frontage
• double docks for 40’ to 75’ vessels with boat lifts.
• North Bay Road Location within Sunset Lake

January’s second Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

6675 Sheffield Ln – Miami Beach, FL 33141

Listed for $2,990,000 and sold for $2,700,000 on January 10th, 2011

This La Gorce Island home is not waterfront and was listed since March of 2010 with a starting price of $3.5 Million.  It was bought for $3.2 Million in March of 2007, so the sellers did suffer a loss, which is not uncommon in Miami Beach’s Luxury real estate market, especially if you bought in the height of the market.  The MLS reads:

Elegant home on prestigious and beautiful La Gorce Island. Magnificent layout with 5 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths. Top-of-the-line gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, custom cabinetry and mink-chinchilla marble countertops. Web-server video security, indoor/outdoor Bang & Olufsen entertainment system, two-car garage. Beautifully manicured french garden with couture outdoor furniture. Stunningly landscaped outdoor area includes gazebo and high-end bbq station.

Features:

• 3,971 square feet of living space
• built in 1958
• 5 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms / 1 half bath
• 13,125 square foot lot
• La Gorce Island
• pool
• 2-car garage
• gourmet kitchen

January’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

1155 N Shore Dr – Miami Beach, FL 33141

Listed for $1,990,000 and sold for $1,560,000 on January 11th, 2011

This Open Bay Normandy Island home is completely renovated to its Mid-Century Modern Character and had quite a listing history.  On and off the market since 2007 with a starting price of $2,795,00, several price reductions and REALTOR changes, was also listed for rent for $9,500, $8,500 and $6,500/month.  The home appears as purchased in 2004 for $1.1M, so depending on the cost of renovations, the seller did not do that badly.

The home description screams in all caps:

NOT a sh.sale! OWNER MOTIVATED.BRING YOUR OFFER…SPECTACULAR ENDLESS BAY VIEWS FROM THE MOMENT YOU ENTER THIS RENOVATED MIMO STYLE HOME IN GATED COMMUNITY ON MIAMI BEACH. WIDE OPEN LIVING AREA WITH FLOOR TO CEILING GLASS UNITE THE INTERIOR WITH THE SPARKLING WATERS OF BISCAYNE BAY. 3/2 IN THE MAIN HOUSE AND DETACHED 1/1 GUEST QRTRS PLUS SPACIOUS OFFICE.THE BAYFRONT POOL IS PRIVATE AND SURROUNDED BY OVER 14OOO SF OF LUXURIOUS GARDEN. LOT HAS ABOUT 90 FT OF BISCAYNE BAY WATERFRONT.

Features:

• 2,791 square feet of living space
• Built in 1950 but completely renovated
• 4 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms
• 14,000 square foot lot
• 84′ of water frontage
• open bay location on North Normandy Island

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

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 – June 2010

The month of June was HOT when it comes to Miami Beach homes sold.  We’re talking the higher end of the Miami Beach Luxury home market, the one I’ve been telling you has been at a standstill .  I hope this doesn’t mean our “quota” has been met….I’m hoping the Luxury market is picking up.  There were 20 sales ranging from $250,000 for a 3 bedroom short sale at 1234 13th Street in South Beach to $16 million for an amazing Todd Michael Glaser masterpiece.  These Miami Beach home sales represent the highest sales seen in quite some time, so let’s take it all in.

June’s Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

88 La Gorce Cr – Miami Beach, FL 33141

Listed for $19,500,000 and sold for $16,000,000 on June 11th, 2010

I had written about this impressive Miami Beach Luxury Estate back in December of 2009, where I said:

The home is impressive to say the least – contemporary, simple, austere and phenomenal.  With over 20,000 square feet of living space, sitting on a 48,000 square foot lot, guest cabana, elevator, 5-car garage, amazing landscaping….what else could you want?  My only concern of course is that we have not seen any waterfront sales in La Gorce in 2009….the whole mega luxury home real estate market in Miami Beach is at a standstill….waiting waiting waiting.  The house has been active for sale since January of 2008 starting at $25,000,000 ($5,500,000 reduction is not bad at all).  It’s also currently for rent at $100,000 per month and known to house a few celebs on a short-term basis.

And Todd Michael Glaser himself, describes as:

The property, called OKTO, features a brand-new 20,000-square-foot house, which my team and I built from the ground up in just 10 months. It is one project that I am particularly proud of. The flowing floor plan separates “back of house” function spaces (such as dual laundry rooms, staff quarters, ample storage spaces, and a five-car garage with berthing large enough for limousines), from the opulent living areas. The master bed and bath have floor-to-ceiling glass sliders that seem to disappear when opened, exposing the his-and-her soaking tubs to the direct Florida sunlight. The terrace overlooks the pool and manicured lawns, as well as the elevated guesthouse and cabana. With all of this, I am not surprised it wasn’t on the market for very long.

(for those that don’t know who Todd Michael Glaser is – he’s a builder…but not just any builder, he builds Luxury Estates that have been featured in HGTV, and said to have “started” the Miami Design District)

Features:

• 17,183 square feet of living space
• built in 2008
• 10 bedrooms / 12 bathrooms / 3 half-baths
• 5-car garage
• 48,024 sq.ft. lot with 260′ of water frontage
• 2 docks
• lap pool and spa
• rooftop terrace
• staff house
• elevator
• La Gorce Island location

June’s Second Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

55 Palm Ave, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Listed for $15,500,000 and sold for $11,950,000 on June 16th, 2010

This was a Mediterranean Revival restoration also done by Todd Michael Glaser – damn Todd! you are on a roll!  The 1928 home Palm Island residence is best described in Todd’s  own words:

This project was extremely interesting for me, as it involved a unique historical restoration of an original 1920s Spanish Colonial-style residence on Palm Island, providing city tax abatement for 10 years. Set on a 30,000-square-foot lot, the home features a three-car garage, service quarters, formal dining room, elevator, a grand waterfront master suite and sitting area, his-and-her baths and walk-in closets, and more. We incorporated a 10,000-square-foot modern addition, careful to blend the old and the new, and the possibilities are endless. There is room for a media room, library, office, gym, outdoor barbecue, separate guest rooms, a playroom, sitting areas, and more. The details are what really sets it apart, though: 12-foot cathedral beamed ceilings, quatrefoils windows, fireplaces, a romantic interior courtyard, oversize heated pool on beautifully landscaped grounds featuring flowering vines. It’s the quintessential Miami Beach island property.

And MLS description reads:

Unique historical restoration of original 1920′s Spanish Colonial Palm Island residence providing city tax abatement for 10 years plus a 10,000 SF modern addition.  12 foot Cathedral & coffered ceilings, Bulthaup kitchen, interior courtyard, amazing backyard w/ gazebo & pool cabana.  Gorgeous views of intercostals & MB skyline.  One of a kind master suite w/ private terr.  Enchanting guesthouse w/ plenty of rm & privacy and much more.

Features:

• 12,184 square feet of living space
• 8 bedrooms / 9 bathrooms / 2 half-baths
• built in 1928 and restored in 2008
• 30,000 sq.ft. lot with 100′ of water frontage
• 3-car garage
• service quarters
• elevator
• media room
• library
• 12-foot cathedral beamed ceilings
• interior courtyard
• pool
• Palm Island Location

June’s Third Most Expensive Miami Beach Home Sale

40 La Gorce Cr, Miami Beach, FL 33141

Listed for $7,900,000 and sold for $7,400,000 on June 11th, 2010

There are not even photos of this home because it sold in 4 days!  The 1937 home of known attorney Dan Paul, author of Miami-Dade county charter, with an MLS description that leaves us wanting more:

This extraordinary waterfront property is located on the tip of prestigious La Gorce Island in Miami Beach. The most sought after wide bay, city and sunset views. Upon entering the sumptuous courtyard you will be enchanted by the beautiful architecture of this 8,200+SF Gem. Nothing short of a South Florida masterpiece, this residence has it all.

Features:

• 8,284 square feet of living space
• 6 bedrooms / 8 bathrooms / 1 half-baths
• built in 1937
• 23,145 sq.ft. lot with 115′ of water frontage
• 2-car garage
• dock
• pool
• La Gorce Island Location

>>>> BONUS SALE you absolutely have to know about<<<<<

4358 N. Bay Road – Miami Beach, FL 33140

Listed for $8,300,000 and sold for $7,400,000

This amazing piece of land was bought by none other that Alex Rodriguez after many rumors of offers on different properties around Miami.  And guess who’s helping A-Rod build the house of his dreams?  Yes…you got it….Todd Michael Glaser!!!  (and all I hope is that he convinces him to go modern and not do another Spanish-Med wanna be with a million ballustrades – somehow….I have confidence that this time will be different!)

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

2009 Miami Beach Home Sales for La Gorce Island

La Gorce Island homes are known for their scale and “wow” factor. It is a guard-gated community in Miami Beach with some of the nicest landscaped streets you will see anywhere in South Florida and with large, luxurious homes. As for real estate sales in 2009, only 3 and none of them are waterfront.  There are currently 10 homes listed for sale at La Gorce Island ranging in price between $19,500,000 and $1,600,000 – which is again evidence that the high-end Luxury inventory is not moving. Six of the 10 homes currently listed are above $5 million, all except one listed for sale for quite some time.

Address	Bds	Bths	HBth	sqft	Water	Lot Size	List Price	Sale price	$/sq.ft
6675 Windsor Ln	5	5	1	4,347	N	13,125	$1,500,000	$1,450,000	334
6640 Pinetree Ln	4	4	1	3,534	N	12,500	$1,475,000	$1,312,416	371
6630 Sheffield Ln	5	4	1	3,515	N	13,125	$1,300,000	$1,200,000	341

The good news about La Gorce is that the average price per square foot is high for homes on dry-lots (non-waterfront homes) – putting the price per square foot based on those 3 sales at $349.  I’m curious to see what happens with the Mega-home inventory in Miami Beach – will it start moving in 2010?  I’m sure a lot of those home owners hope so.

**UPDATE** There were no additional sales in the month of December in La Gorce Island which makes this real estate market report the FINAL one for 2009.

La Gorce Island Home – Miami Beach Luxury Homes

When you think Miami Beach Luxury Homes, La Gorce Island always comes up.  The scale of La Gorce Island homes is unquestionably impressive and vistas from surrounding islands always leaves you wanting more.  Waterfront homes in La Gorce Island are some of the largest in Miami Beach and the house we are featuring today is the perfect representation of that with 260 feet of water frontage, sitting on the Northeast corner of the island – protected from the elements.

88 La Gorce Cr – Miami Beach, FL  33141

Listed for $19,500,000

Here we have one of Todd Michael Glaser’s impressive Luxury estates.  Haute Living Magazine’s Stephanie Wilson gives us the scoop:

His impressive projects are scattered throughout Miami-Dade and beyond. He “started” the design district. He has appeared on HGTV. He built the house featured on Hogan Knows Best. Todd Michael Glaser’s name is one you should know, but he doesn’t necessarily want you to know it.

The home is impressive to say the least – contemporary, simple, austere and phenomenal.  With over 20,000 square feet of living space, sitting on a 48,000 square foot lot, guest cabana, elevator, 5-car garage, amazing landscaping….what else could you want?  My only concern of course is that we have not seen any waterfront sales in La Gorce in 2009….the whole mega luxury home real estate market in Miami Beach is at a standstill….waiting waiting waiting.  The house has been active for sale since January of 2008 starting at $25,000 ($5,500,000 reduction is not bad at all).  It’s also currently for rent at $100,000 per month and known to house a few celebs on a short-term basis.

The MLS description reads as follows:

New modern estate on prestigious La Gorce Island, 260′ waterfront, 2 docks, stunning lap pool  and spa, elevated guest house/cabana built for peaceful relaxation, oversized rooftop terrace, double high end kitchen appliances, staff house, 5-car garage, generator.  Unique marble staircase leads to a splendid master suite with designer bath, terrace overlooking pool and manicured landscaping, commercial Otis elevator.  the ultimate sun drenched masterpiece!

WARNING:  it’s not you, photos above ARE blurry….courtesy of our MLS

Property Features:

• Built in 2008
• Living square feet:  20,000
• Lot square feet:  48,000 (185′ X 260′)
• 5-car garage
• 260′ of water frontage with 2 docks
• 10 bedrooms / 12 bathrooms / 3 half baths
• Guest house/cabana
• staff house
• pool and spa
• elevator
• faces Northeast
• La Gorce Island location

**property information courtesy of South East Florida Multiple Listing Service and Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, Inc. **

2009 Miami Beach Home Sales for La Gorce Island

La Gorce Island homes are known for their scale and “wow” factor. It is a guard-gated community in Miami Beach with some of the nicest landscaped streets you will see anywhere in South Florida and with large, luxurious homes. As for real estate sales in 2009, only 3 and none of them are waterfront. There are currently 10 homes listed for sale at La Gorce Island ranging in price between $19,500,000 and $1,600,000 – which is again evidence that the high-end Luxury inventory is not moving. Six of the 10 homes currently listed are above $5 million, all except one listed for sale for quite some time.

Address	Bds	Bths	HBth	sqft	Water	Lot Size	List Price	Sale price	$/sq.ft
6675 Windsor Ln	5	5	1	4,347	N	13,125	$1,500,000	$1,450,000	334
6640 Pinetree Ln	4	4	1	3,534	N	12,500	$1,475,000	$1,312,416	371
6630 Sheffield Ln	5	4	1	3,515	N	13,125	$1,300,000	$1,200,000	341

The good news about La Gorce is that the average price per square foot is high for homes on dry-lots (non-waterfront homes) – putting the price per square foot based on those 3 sales at $349. I’m curious to see what happens with the Mega-home inventory in Miami Beach – will it start moving in 2010? I’m sure a lot of those home owners hope so.