This penthouse at the Marina Blue condominium has just hit the market. If 20 foot high ceilings with walls of glass overlooking the bay all the way to Miami Beach does not knock your socks off maybe the $5.5 million price tag will.At 4,800+/- square feet there is plenty of space to entertain at home. The Miami Heats home is directly across the street and their center guard will be your neighbor.Great space, great location, great views just freshen it up and make it yours! 04/04/2016

Here is a rendering of the new stadium project to house the team Miami United owned by a group lead by David Beckham. It's a done deal  Miami United group have closed on the 6 acre parcel. Construction will be very soon to commence as they already have a playing schedule.   This blighted area just a few blocks north of downtown will soon be transformed into another Miami Hot Spot!This location  has a metrorail station and will sure bring in the international soccer fans!Who knows it may even make a fan out of me!           03/24/2016

When they were building this property, I was very excited to see how the market would respond to it. It brings a splash of modern luxury to the island of Key Biscayne in a way that some of the older buildings on the island don’t. Now that 101 Key Biscayne has finished construction, it is one of the newest buildings in South Florida, and it’s already one of the more popular condos in Key Biscayne. Just a few days ago, unit 302 has gone up for sale, and I’m excited to talk about it today. This condominium is perfect for all kinds of people. From young families to retirees to overseas investors, 101 Key Biscayne presents an attractive alternative to some of the more boisterous neighborhoods of the region. With great schools, beautiful beaches and a small-town feel, Key Biscayne can feel li... 03/23/2016

The Lighthouse Tower is planned to reach 817 feet high with an actual lighthouse beacon on top. All in there will be 70 stories of condominium units (384), parking for 516 cars, a spa and pool deck on the 55th floor.The building directly on the mouth of the Miami river will also be "sail" like in design which in my opinion fits perfect. Stay tuned for more details. 03/21/2016

The Babylon Apartments were the first building built by famed Architeconica. The problem is the owner wants to tear down the 5 story structure and build a 48 story condo in its place.  That would require re-zoning and the neighbors are not happy!The Babylon has been down this road before but the owner has now left it in a state of disrepair and states it needs to be demolished. Oh the politics...stay tuned. Let's hope the Miami Vice Era building will be made a permanent resident of Bayshore Drive. 03/20/2016

The Carpet Creations building in Miami’s Design District has sold for $21.5 million. A 8,800 SF, two story building, built in 1954 and renovated in 2014, sits on a 5,000 SF lot.The Sellers are Elizabeth and Neil Rosen, who owned and operated the carpet store for more than 40 years. The buyer is Harbor Group International, which has a large Real Estate owned portfolio with several properties in Florida.If you do the math, the price comes to $2,443 per square feet, taking at conservative CAP of 6 % and considering ideal situation (100% occupied), the NNN rent should be $147.00 per square feet per year and the operating expenses should be around $49 in taxes plus insurance and maintenance.The rent to the tenant should be in the neighborhood of $202.00 per square feet, this is for a 1,000 S... 03/19/2016

What a wonderful Friday afternoon it was! Lunch on the water in a great restaurant with the lovely Eileen Burns. We have been amigos from Active Rain since 2011 and get together to share info, ideas, catch up and shoot the breeze.As we sat dining on the edge of the deck a wonderful parade of yachts pulled up and in, which is always fun!  03/18/2016

This is probably one of my favorite spots in all of Miami. Once the winter home of James Deering (John Doe fortune). It was built between the years 1914-16 at a staggering cost of $66 million. It covered 180 acres and was directly on the pristine shores of Biscayne bay.The 70 room Italianate Villa contains original furnishings, artwork, sculpture and tapestries from the period and back as Mr. Deering bought out palaces in Europe to fill his home.Over 1000 local people worked on the estate at the time tending to the gardens and the actual farm on the property.It truly does not get much grander than this.    03/14/2016

It’s finally time to close on your property, and you are ready to move on, the next step is the walk through and then the closing table! But wait, the walk through? What exactly does that mean, can it hold up closing, can it create last minute delays? Yes, yes and yes!It’s imperative to read over your sales contract and talk to your agent about buyer expectations for the final walk through. Every contract is different, so you need to understand how you are obligated to turn over the property. This way, there won’t be issues left behind that can create closing delays or reasons for the buyer to hold back monies at closing.The walk through’s expectations will be set by the buyer and their agent. But ultimately the sales contract dictates what’s what. The buyer if they have never attended ... 03/13/2016

 A district-issued bid for 4001 NE Second Ave. and did not get any interest in the first week out. The bid is still under a “cone of silence” — basically a government gag order meant to keep the selection process fair. The district will to “ask around” after the cone is lifted to figure out what kept people from expressing interest. Listing commercial property for development must be performed by specialist in the field, to max out the value of the property base on the options of future developments.  Cone of Silence Report The Cone of Silence Report lists all of the contracts affected by the County's Cone of Silence ordinance and show the dates during which the Cone of Silence is to be in effect. It is the policy of Miami-Dade County that a “Cone of Silence” be established on all Count... 03/12/2016

 Talk about a stunning forever view! This corner unit in the 900 Biscayne building is a stunner! This view is due east overlooking the port channel (giant Cruise ships!), American Airlines area (where the Heat play & concerts) and comes with 2 bedrooms and 3 full baths, 1 parking space is included. Listed at $1,099,000 this beauty will not last!Downtown living doesn't get much better than this! 03/11/2016

When selling your Miami property, how do we make sure that you get the most money?We recently sold a property that went under contract in about 30 days and sold two weeks later. The seller didn’t take a lowball offer, in fact, I am confident that we got top dollar in today’s market.So, how did we sell it so quickly?First, it takes two. The agents. As the agents it’s important that we start by providing useful market data and advice to list the home correctly with the right price from the beginning and adjust to the buyer response (or lack of) and the market very quickly. The seller. It’s important to understand the market and be willing to take tips and adjust as needed. This seller trusted our advice from the beginning. Right out of the gate the property was priced well. Not too low an... 03/07/2016

Now the Barnacle Historic State Park, the 1891-built house is one of the oldest houses in Miami-Dade County. It was the home of one of Coconut Grove's founders, Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe, who purchased the 40-acre bayfront property in 1886 for $400!This home besides sitting on a coral bluff has amazing vistas of Biscayne Bay. It also was constructed with native woods and wood reclaimed from ship wrecks.Open to the public on Main Hwy in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami. 03/01/2016

Come see this handsome dude and all his friends at the Miami Zoo.As the only tropical zoo in the continental United States, Zoo Miami is a cage-less park. Only moats separate man from beast. It's like being on a safari! Wildlife expert,zoo director and photographer Ron Magill has become a celebrity of sorts with his entertaining Sex and the Animals event on Valentine's Day.  The time to go is now, while the sun doesn't bake you to a crisp.   02/29/2016

 Matheson Hammock park opened in 1930 as the first county park in Dade, gifted by William J. Matheson. It's now over 600 acres and features a man-made atoll pool draped by Biscayne Bay and trails through a natural tropical forest.If you're looking for a cheap, entertaining afternoon, look no further than its marina. Grab a six-pack and soak in the wildness that occurs when eager boaters attempt to navigate the hectic process of unloading and re-loading their boats from the water. 02/29/2016

Are you thinking of selling your Miami house? Do you feel uneasy with strangers walking through the house? Are you concerned about getting the paperwork correct? Are you worried about not get the amount of money you need to sell?Hiring a local professional real estate agent can take away most of the challenges of selling. A great agent is always worth more than the commission they charge; just like a great doctor or an excellent attorney.To hire a great agent who will match your style and expectations, you must be able to distinguish the average agent from the great one.5 Things To Consider When Selling your Miami House 1. Tell the truth about the priceToo many agents just take a listing at any price and then try to the “work the seller” for a price correction later. Ask your agent to p... 02/25/2016

The Miami real estate market of 2016 is turning out to be an interesting market. Real estate is local and in our city; it’s so local that pockets of neighborhoods and buildings sometimes fare better than surrounding areas and buildings. I can put one property on the market, have offers within an hour, and it sells quickly while another one may sit a little longer.Of course, a lot of this also has to do with pricing and seller motivation.When we start working on numbers for a new listing, one of the first things we have to do is look at the overall inventory within that building or neighborhood. From there we narrow down and compare only comparable properties. The most important data is what’s currently on the market, what’s under contract and what has recently sold. These numbers will g... 02/23/2016

We have a lot of Miami property owners contacting us asking if now is the time to sell. As with all real estate, it’s a local market, so it’s important to understand what’s going on in your neighborhood with comparable properties. We are always happy to prepare for anyone interested a free comparable analysis of their Miami property.Meanwhile, here is a great analysis from our KCM blog that is a bit more general but helpful.Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey.Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists about where they believe prices are headed over the next five years. They then a... 02/23/2016

Once I started Googling credit card fraud at hotels, I was amazed at what I learned. For example, so many of the reservation systems at hotels are run on older computers: rife with viruses and worms and all sorts of nasty stuff, including scammers ready to grab your personal information and run with it. Yet, guests are forced to use credit cards at hotels. Not to mention, some credit card companies like Chase and Citibank credit back cash, so there is even more of an incentive to use a credit card.You'll be astounded to read what happened at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami after I stayed there for 3 hours on Christmas. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: Credit Card Fraud by Mandarin Oriental in Miami. 02/23/2016

This gorgeous corner lot property is a huge 3 bedroom 2 bathroom single-family home located in Biscayne Park. This home features a huge open living, family & dining room space. The kitchen is also very spacious with stainless steel appliances, a double oven and a huge pantry with custom built industrial shelving for tons of storage. Off the kitchen is a large laundry room with washer and dryer. The property has temperature controls through Nest. Other features include newer roof, newer air conditioning, gas dryer and water heater, sprinkler system, hurricane shutters throughout, alarm system and garage. The outside space features a large patio ready for entertaining or just enjoying a nice evening outside with a custom-built brick oven.One of the best features is that the property is lo... 02/22/2016