Canyon Ranch Living, a luxury wellness hotel and condo development in Miami that has been heavily targeting New York City buyers, sold 49 condo units in the first quarter of the year, spurring optimism that the 1-million-square-foot property is catching on with buyers, according to Mel Zuckerman, the founder and chairman of Canyon Ranch. The complex contains 430 condo units and 150 hotel rooms, as well as a 70,000-square-foot spa. An affiliate company of Lehman Brothers Holdings took ownership of the property in November 2009 for $291 million. So far, 88 units have sold. Source: http://therealdeal.com/miami/articles/sales-pick-up-at-wellness-residential-complex-in-miami-canyon-ranch 05/19/2010

Cash continues to be king when it comes to buying condos.A new report by Condo Vultures LLC finds that buyers paid cash for nearly 600 units in 29 projects in the greater downtown Miami area from January through March. Fewer than 120 units in 19 projects were financed, according to the Bal Harbour-based real estate consultancy."Even though the U.S. government is encouraging lenders to once again finance condo purchases, the results have not been impressive in South Florida," said Peter Zalewski, a principal with Condo Vultures. "Many lenders claim to be willing to consider writing loans for buyers of condominiums, but the end results simply do not support that."The report found buyers obtained nearly three-dozen mortgages - the greatest number in the downtown market - in Icon Brickell. ... 05/17/2010

La Gorce Island Miami Homes | Real Estate Sale Rent  La Gorce Island Miami Homes and Real Estate in Florida La Gorce Island Miami is a neighborhood within the City of Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is located in the center portion of the main island that the city occupies. It is located just north of and separated from Bayshore neighborhood by the Surprise Waterway and Surprise Lake. It includes Allison and La Gorce Island Miami, and includes the area between Biscayne Bay and Indian Creek. La Gorce Island Miami has a guard house at its entrance, giving it the illusion of being an exclusive, private area. The island has been the home of many wealthy residents, including celebrities, since its creation. Cher and Billy Joel have owned property on La Gorce Isla... 05/14/2010

This week I have focused on The Continuum South Beach buildings.  The Continuum Miami Beach buildings are located in the South of Fifth area of Miami Beach and consist of two buildings, Continuum I and Continuum II. If you aren’t sure where these two buildings are located go anywhere on South Beach and look south for the big pink/orange colored building which is Portofino South Beach and The Continuum Condo South Beach are the two buildings to the far left directly on the ocean. One of the biggest attractions to these two buildings are the amenities.  These two buildings are located on the grounds featuring some of the best amenities for current South Beach condos for sale. The Continuum South Beach Amenities that stand out are: Two large lagoon style pools Beautifully landscaped garden... 05/14/2010

Miami Beach Condo Foreclosures are moving.  Each of my buyers have their own unique reasons for buying.  Some see it as an opportunity to buy a property at half the price of previous years, others want it for investment purposes and some are just typical buyers interested in living in the Miami Beach area. The Bottom Not all of my buyers are looking for Miami Beach condo foreclosures, rather most are just looking for a good deal. The questions I always get are:  “Have we hit bottom?”, “Do you think there will be another double dip?” and “Do you think there will be better opportunities in the future?” Unfortunately, these are questions I cannot answer.  I would love to answer them but I cannot.  The reason is because there are just too many factors to take into consideration:  Future Mia... 05/13/2010

US home foreclosures have dropped for the first time in four years as the economy recovered from a brutal recession triggered by a mortgage meltdown, a real estate data company said Thursday.Foreclosure filings -- default notices, auctions and bank repossessions -- were reported on 333,837 properties in April, a nine percent decrease from the previous month and a two percent decrease from last year, RealtyTrac said.This was the first year-over-year drop since the company started tracking annual foreclosure rates in January 2006, nearly two years before the US plunged into recession resulting from a home mortgage crisis."There were two important milestones in the April numbers that show foreclosure activity has begun to plateau -- but at a very high level that will not drop off in the ne... 05/13/2010

The recent recessional periods have brought about a sharp downfall in many real estate markets. But the scenario is totally different in the city of Miami Beach. The strong economy, a well-planned infrastructure, and the beautiful landscaping of this place have always placed it a top the real estate charts. Miami Beach is situated in Florida in the Miami Dade County.  Recently, the Miami Beach real estate is showing an impressive trend.  Several options of multi-family apartments, resale homes, vacation houses, town houses, and luxury houses are available.  Interestingly, Miami Beach is quite famous for its luxurious resorts and beautiful condominiums. The South Beach condos are extremely popular for their well-designed interiors and porticoes.  You can choose from the widely available ... 05/12/2010

The Continuum South Beach 100 South Pointe Drive Miami Beach, Florida 33139 Continuum I was the first of the two Continuum Buildings to be built in 2002.  The Continuum South Beach complex is pretty spectacular for many reasons. First, the location could be considered the prime real estate in Miami Beach purely based on location.  The Continuum South Beach is oceanfront, on the tip of South Beach, in the exclusive South of Fifth neighborhood, overlooking Government Cut (a large waterway that hosts the large ships in the port of Miami including the cruise ships) and on the edge of the new multimillion dollar renovated South Pointe Park . There are currently 29 properties on the market for sale in this building.  They are all regular sales (no short sales, no REOS). There are four pending... 05/12/2010

Propelled by low prices, attractive interest rates and federal incentives to lock in offers by the month's end, the number of new contracts on South Florida homes soared in April.Compared with March, pending sales of single-family homes and condominiums increased last month in both Miami-Dade and Broward, mirroring the national upward trend in contracts signed, according to data released Tuesday by the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches. Compared with last April, the number skyrocketed.Pending home sales track signed contracts that haven't yet closed -- a figure that may have been unusually high for April because buyers had to sign contracts by April 30 to qualify for federal tax credits. To finalize the credit -- $8,000 for first-timers, $6,500 for repeat buyers -- th... 05/10/2010

The Continuum South Beach complex is located in the exclusive South of Fifth area of Miami Beach.   The Continuum South Beach is a waterfront property consisting of two towers Continuum I and Continuum II. The Continuum I is the oldest of the two buildings from 2002 and is located at:    100 South Pointe Drive , Miami Beach, Florida 33139 Based on the most recent MLS Data: Continuum I 22 units for sale starting from $1.095 million for a one bedroom. 4 units are currently under contract 17 units have sold over the last 6 months Continuum I Market Analysis Report Property Type: Condo/Coop/Villa/Twnhse (RE2) Status: Closed Sale Number of Properties: 17 #Beds #FBaths SF/FF List Price Sale Price SP$/SqFt SP$/LP$ Days on Market High 4 5 5,300 $5,650,000 $6,250,000 $1,179 110.62 455 Low 0 1 1,... 05/10/2010

The group interested in buying $190 million in debt tied to the North Miami site of the defunct Biscayne Landing project is proposing to reduce the money it would owe the city by more than $15 million.The money is tied to a series of city agreements that dictate everything from the rent on the site's 200-year lease to $28 million Biscayne Landing's developer agreed to pay the city separately for the right to develop the former landfill into a community of offices, retail and 6,000 residences.Solar Park Management Corp., which won the auction on the debt last month with a more than $30 million bid, is proposing to reduce its overall payments to the city. The company wants to build an indoor ski and tennis center on the site.Instead of $25 million for the city's museum, library and sports... 05/06/2010

Murano at Portofino is a building located in the area South of Fifth South Beach. This building is a luxury condo in South Beach and sets a standard for exceptional elegance and designs in the luxury real estate Miami Beach market. The quality of  Murano at Portofino is not only in its location but also with its amenities. The Murano at Portofino South Beach features a health and fitness center, sauna, steam room, La Piaggia beach club, tennis courts, 24 hour valet parking, covered parking, concierge staff and 24 hour security services. The Miami Beach Marina is close by for boat dockage. The luxury apartments Miami Beach in Murano at Portofino condominium feature oversized terraces with Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach and Downtown Miami City views, spacious walk-in closets, European custom c... 05/06/2010

The Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches said Wednesday it's introducing a program to improve the short sale process.What it didn't introduce is a whole lot of details. ShortSaleSolutions will reduce the time for processing short sales and help the market recover, according to the Realtors' group, which is partnering on the project with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.RAMB's press release said participating lenders and mortgage servicers will receive "significant benefits, promotion, exposure and results." But it didn't say how the program will work. The release goes on to say that bank participation is critical and that Ocean Bank is among a group of lenders committed to the program.Exactly how this differs from new short sale guidelines started this spring by the... 05/05/2010

Pictures of South Beach Lincoln Road on Sundays for the Farmers/Vintage/Antique Market. To View Miami Beach Homes & Condos for Sale Click Here We know  Miami Beach Luxury Homes & Condos and will help you get your home sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your home in Miami Beach, Florida Call us today. Copyright © By Jamey Prezzi 2010 * All Rights Reserved*Pictures of South Beach 05/04/2010

It's a wonder what low prices and federal tax credits can do for home sales.Roughly 22,000 single-family homes are under contract and waiting to close in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, according to CondoVultures.com.That's the highest total in at least 18 months and a 138 percent increase compared to November 2008, when the Bal Harbour-based consulting firm started tracking weekly sales contracts.The increased activity means that some buyers are paying more than original asking prices, said Peter Zalewski, a principal at CondoVultures.com.Still, skeptics wonder about sales once the $8,000 and $6,500 tax credits disappear. The deadline to sign sales contracts was April 30, and buyers must close on the deals by June 30.Source: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/business/realest... 05/03/2010

Want to see a killer view? Check out this view on the 21st floor at Akoya Miami Beach!  Yesterday I did a walk through with one of my clients and previewed his new unit at Akoya.  Akoya Miami Beach is located in the northern section of Miami Beach and is a true ocean front property.  Akoya Miami Beach6365 Collins AvenueMiami Beach, Florida 33140 This way….  south. This way…. north. This way… west. And a little more west… All of these views were courtesy of my client’s new wrap around balcony……  sweet views!! To View Miami Beach Homes & Condos for Sale Click Here   We know  Miami Beach Luxury Homes & Condos and will help you get your home sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your home in Miami Beach, Florida Call us today. Copyright © By Jamey Prezzi 2010 * All Rights Rese... 04/28/2010

The recent recessional periods have brought about a sharp downfall in many real estate markets. But the scenario is totally different in the city of Miami Beach. The strong economy, a well-planned infrastructure, and the beautiful landscaping of this place have always placed it a top the real estate charts. Miami Beach is situated in Florida in the Miami Dade County. Recently, the Miami Beach real estate is showing an impressive trend. Several options of multi-family apartments, resale homes, vacation houses, town houses, and luxury houses are available. Interestingly, Miami Beach is quite famous for its luxurious resorts and beautiful condominiums. The South Beach condos are extremely popular for their well-designed interiors and porticoes. You can choose from the widely available cond... 04/25/2010

Miami Beach has always been a great vacation location. If you enjoy frolicking on the sand and sea, you will find the various Miami Beach condos simply irresistible. You can also rent it out when you do not need it thus ensuring a healthy profit. Why would you really want to invest a good sum of money in a Miami Beach condo? The basic fact remains that each of these condos are artistically created with every kind of modern convenience that can be conceived by the human mind. The lovely French window presented in almost all beach condos promises a spectacular view of the ocean even while you are cooped up indoors. Another endearing fact about the Miami Beach condos is that they come equipped with a variety of appliances making the ordinary drudgery of every day life enjoyable for you. Th... 04/25/2010

Miami Beach Fl condos come in many different price points, sizes, options and amenities.    There is a lot of information out there about our market but until you really put pen to paper, figure out your budget and preview properties that may work for you, you will not really have a good clear of what will match your criteria in reality. The Internet is a great place to start your search however in this market the Internet listings often only tell half of the story.  If you need to purchase a Miami Beach condo with financing, it’s key to talk to a lender/mortgage broker and find out what types of properties you can purchase in this market, how much you will need to put as a down payment and what are you qualified to pay with taxes and monthly condo fees included.  This is the first most... 04/23/2010

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO OUR WEBSITESales of previously owned U.S. homes jumped 6.8 percent in March, a national group said Thursday.Real estate agents have been counting on a spring surge brought on by an expanded and extended federal tax credit for buyers. The March sales pace reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.35 million units, up from 5.01 million in February and 16.1 percent above the 4.61-million-unit pace in March 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors in Washington.Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the group, said the federal tax credit that was to expire at the end of this month had been a "resounding success." Whether home sales will hold up after the expiration remains a question in debate."I'm fairly sanguine, frankly," said Michael D. Larson, ... 04/23/2010