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Top 5 Miami Distressed Condo Sales Closed in October 2008

November 16, 2008 by Lucas Lechuga
I found a total of 30 distressed condo sales that closed in the month of October in the MLS located in Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami and the Arts District.  The following are, in my opinion, the five best deals that took place along with one worth mentioning.

  1. Skyline on Brickell - unit 2505 - 1 bedroom/1 bath (791 square feet) - This unit sold for $200,000, or $253 per square foot, on October 28, 2008.  Foreclosure

  2. Vue at Brickell - unit 1501 - 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,255 square feet) - This unit sold for $170,000, or $135 per square foot, on October 17, 2008. Foreclosure

  3. Jade at Brickell - unit 504 - 1 bedroom/1 bath (895 square feet) - This unit sold for $220,000, or $246 per square foot, on October 24, 2008.  Foreclosure

  4. Solaris at Brickell Bay - unit 1607 - 1 bedroom/1 bath (730 square feet) - This unit sold for $146,000, or $200 per square foot, on October 24, 2008.  Foreclosure

  5. Courvoisier Courts - unit 704 - 2 bedroom/2.5 bath (1,230 square feet) - This unit sold for $290,000, or $236 per square foot, on October 22, 2008.  Foreclosure


Runner-up: Jade - unit 3509 - 2 bedroom/3 bath (1,730 square feet) - This unit sold for $710,000, or $410 per square foot, on October 13, 2008. Foreclosure

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AJ

Does Jade 3509 has either a direct or partial bay view?

Direct view. Take a look at the pictures by clicking on its link.

gables

compared to a year ago, these are great prices. but today, look for 1B at $100k and 2B at $150k on the low end. $200k for a 2B is history. and rentals are also dropping like bricks as well. lucas, could you give us any info on the number of units sold over the past month or so? my best guess is next to nothing, but curious.

gables,

I’m going to try to post a new Brickell Condo Index this upcoming week. That will show the number of closed sales within the past month for each building in Brickell.

AD

Lucas,

Any news on what’s happening with Everglades on the Bay? I hear that closings have started.

ctvlateta

I agree with gables. What looks good today won’t seem like a good deal in 6 moths.
We are too far from the bottom to be jumping in. The buildings have HOA collection problems, so the risk it’s still high even if prices are lower. Good post otherwise Lucas.

Renter Tom

I think we will start seeing a lot more of the “intentional foreclosures” in the near future. They have been going strong now in California so I anticipate a lot more to come in Florida… Just what we need, people with the ability to honor their mortgage commitments deciding not to and sticking there mistakes onto others…..where or where has the moral hazard gone? Oh I know, it died about 2 weeks ago…..

gables

i dont think the foreclosures have even come close the the numbers we will see in the future. banks are deliberately delaying foreclosures. my guess is to hold off on paying tax and HOA fees, and to see what if any bailout comes along which may benefit them in the long run. some trends i have started to see in the past year. typically you will have common units listed for both rent and sale. these are not foreclosures, but they will be soon. these units are at the low end of the rental scale, and also typically offer cheap… Read more »

AZ88

The deals with Jade look good however…..

-still would be hesitant to buy in the buidling due to its reputation for mortgage fraud
-last I heard (August 08), banks had blacklisted the building and no mortgages were being written there (all cash deals only)
-threat of looming assessments (any idea on how big they could be? insiders know anything about this?)

Renter Tom

Just saw on another website, closing data for some Sunny Isles Beach condos:

Trump Tower I: started closings on 1/8/2008 has had 53.1% close.
Trump Tower II: started closings on 7/30/2008 has had 5.9% close.

These numbers are as of 9/28/2008.

TTI actually had more closings than I expected. But since there are three towers the closing rate on the project so far, even though closings haven’t started on TTIII yet, are at less than 20%. This will be an interesting project to watch for sure. TTI never seems to have even 5% of the lights on and some very very bored valets.

Renter Tom

Looks like a lot for sale and for rent. This project, Trump Towers SIB, is going to dump a ton on the market……a ton! Heck, looks like some good rental deals, maybe I’ll move…..oh, the true luxury and carefree lifestyle of a renter….sample buildings at will at bargain prices! 🙂 LOL Seriously, never would have even thought about being a renter a year ago……..it sure beats owning in this market! I keep thinking, if things get really ugly they will have a 2 for 1 sale soon……….

AJ

Good price of $400/sf for a direct bayview in Jade.

BUT……

Taxes per month $2523 (At an assessed value of 1.37 Million Dollars)
Killer HOA fees of $1405
ie. $3928/month of taxes and HOA over and above the Mortgage.

I know the crazy HOA’s are the own fault of Jade. But these obscene taxes must go too. Does any elected official has any shame left what so ever to justify 30,281/year taxes for just a flat?

Visionary

Renter Tom,

Read the SIB article in today’s Miami Herald.

Renter Tom

#12 – If you want more govt, vote in big govt, don’t complain about the high taxes AJ. This is just the start, just the start indeed. Most people become republicans when they start really paying taxes…we should tax the college kids instead of giving them low cost loans so they will stop voting for big govt! LOL Visionary – A big thanks for the heads up on that article. It is pretty much on target (except maybe the 64 y.o. with a 3 y.o. son (should be grandson?) and most are condos, not condo-hotels, and the completed Jade BEACH,… Read more »

I was told that when a financial institution takes title to a condo they are responsible for only one months condo fees. Can someone confirm this?

some guy

Realtor AJ, do you have any other real estate tips for us? I’m sure that from your experience as a Realtor you’ve learned a lot….

Keith

What’s the latest on Onyx on the Bay guys? Is it facing special assessments? Anyone renting there? I need some scoop.

Seanjohn

Bently by the Bay South has a 1/1 for $284,900. Doesn’t that look cheap to these downtown units in general?

Renter Tom

Great article on the Fontainebleau in Time magazine. Will have to go take a look and maybe stay there for the fun of it. This will probably be a terrible investment for whoever owns it so we should all say thanks to them. Bubbles always produce some amazing things and investing $1B into an existing structure is impressive (assuming that really is what they spent….probably less but makes for a good headline splash). I enjoy good architecture so look forward to seeing this in person. But $1B….they overpaid….

Seanjohn

The Fontainebleau is nice & not badly price compared to South Beach but if you’re a vacationer in Miami the location can be tough. There is nothing to walk to & after a week of taking cabs down to South Beach restaurants etc it gets old.

Renter Tom

Miami, and Florida in general, is getting some competition in this global economy….

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081117/ARTICLE/311179998/2055/NEWS?Title=Costa_Rica_lures_new_wave_of_retirees

Alex

What do you think about lower end condos in Sunny Isles like 2bd in $150-200k range? Are there a lot of foreclosures there? How much do you think prices will come down in that area?

Wild Bill

All these buildings have been blacklisted by bank, mortgage companies and mortgage insurance companies. They aren’t a bargain at these prices. Even if you happen to be an all cash buyer the risks of living in any of these buildings is simply too high. I would ask the condo board president to attend the next meeting, and get minutes from the past board meeting before even considering one of these buildings.

Clark

Yikes! Help! A few weeks back after touring my building at Everglades I posted here that although there were a few minor issues with my aprt interior that I was pleased overall with the building especially awesome gym pool amenities area. People asked me to post any progress reports. I recently received a closing package from the developer and a scheduled closing date of Dec. 30th. My problem is and my question to any others who may have run into this problem that the apart size was always advertised in their literature as 2 bdrm 1200 sq. feet. In none… Read more »

jcrimes

RT
I can confirm FB spent over a billion.

la la

Clark,

This happened to a friend of mine at Quantum. She raised a STINK before she closed and was able to negoitate the price down. She even got her realtor to reduce his commission to cover some of the price reduction. She also has successfully got it rented even though the view sucks and the square footage is like a hotel room.

Angel

Quick put on Channel 7 WSVN. They are about to tour Icon. This should be amusing.

Clark

Thanks lala

Grant

Keith, I closed on a unit at Onyx on the Bay and haven’t heard anything about any special assessments. There’s still some work being done on the roof terrace but generally it’s done. The hallways are finally being refinished and the views are awesome. Best of all I paid the right price. Are you looking to rent or buy? If it’s to buy then stick to the 02, 03, or 04 lines. There are two high floor units (03 line) for rent that just got finished by a couple of my buddies. Good luck!

la la

You’re welcome, what does your realtor say? That’s who I would speak to first…I would also try somehow to find out if anyone else is cognizant of this, there’s power in numbers, especially people who have purchased within your line.

la la

Sorry for the multiple posts, figure out what you paid per square foot, then deduct the difference in psf for the difference in square footage. So say if you paid 300psf x 140 sf difference=price you want off.

DJ

Grant, do you have any info on units for sale at Onyx? Thanks.

Renter Tom

Alex – I don’t know since I haven’t been in those buildings but from what I have heard the Plaza of the Americas has one bedrooms under $100K. Granted I drove by them once so can’t speak to them at all but understand that they were built in the 70’s and at peak the one bedrooms were selling for over $200K. Also, probably a lot of rentals there too. I was in the all rental (claim 5 stars) Intercostal Yacht Club or whatever it is called to vote and it looked decent (5 star may be debatable though). A one… Read more »

gables

Clark, you actually should ask for more than the purchase price per sq ft times the reduced living area. in my opion, there is a big difference between a 1050 sq ft condo and a 1200 sq ft condo. I will not buy a 2B at under 1100 sq ft-just too small. you essentially bought one less small room (den perhaps) than you bargained for. i dont mind when renting, but if you buy for long term living you will want all the space you can get. these back door moves by developers is really unethical. room sizes are known… Read more »

la la

Gables,

Doesn’t hurt to try, but what I quoted will be more realistic…I know my friend tried to remove herself from the contract period based on that discrepancy and was unsuccessful. Go for the sun I guess and settle for the moon.

Mr Waverly

Clark
If I were you I would cancel, then come back in six months and buy at a 20-30% discount. Fur Real

gables

la la,
i understand what you are saying. still it is bad when deep pockets can do wrong, deliberately, and get away with scamming and fraud. funny how that is illegal yet you will be unable to get a court of law to uphold decency.

Lucas,
any chance you could add a couple of buildings to your listings. 55 merrick in coral gables is new and of interest. also appears that mark on brickell is now missing? can it be returned? thanks for all the hard work. your site is great!

Renter Tom

A good article about foreclosures from CA: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20081116-9999-1n16littlelake.html Somehow, I feel no pity. When one guy extracts $380K over three years “for his jewelry and getaways to Acapulco and the Philippines.” Or “Like Alvarez, several people who pulled equity out of their Little Lake properties say they spent it on business expenses or mortgage payments. Only when prodded, and in one case reminded, did they acknowledge using the money to buy a timeshare, new cars and jewelry. The most common response to the question of how the money was spent was: “To pay bills.” Many could not remember what those… Read more »

RT
Yeap.
Shame, I really want to buy too.
But I can wait.

Is it just me, or do other people remember that pre 1997 you could actually buy a property and make money on it as a rental?
You know, like you really did not have to sell it, you were not buying to sell.

Alex

Thanks

Grant

DJ, Approximately 75 units have been sold out of 118. The 75 units support the fees, etc (including reserve) for the whole building but it’s meant a slower rollout of the building finishes. I recommend that you see it as the views from the units are spectacular. The o4 line is my favorite but the 03 and 02 lines are excellent as well. For whatever reason some of the sales have not been reported properly. Example: I know the owner of penthouse 2701 (beautiful place) moved in months ago. I think there’s an issue with the unit # as the… Read more »

Renter Tom

FYI – nterview in Forbes, Steve Forbes interviews Don Peebles, the successful real estate entrepreneur: “Forbes: Do you see big differences in regions of the country where you think some are harder hit than others, or some may come back quicker than others in this thing? Peebles: Yeah, I do. I see we’re actually in two markets that I think are probably the worst two markets for residential, for sure, and that is Las Vegas and South Florida. South Florida was overbuilt. And you take Miami, for example, on the condo side: In downtown Miami alone, almost 50,000 new units… Read more »

guillermo

DJ, You are getting advice from Grant!!!. This is the same person who said a year ago,that the best advice is to buy on Onyx on the bay because of the view!!!. This is the same person who said that a group from England is baying 40 units???. Forget about Onyx on the Bay,the building is not finish. A friend of mine is reting for $1250 a month(8th floor),and eventhoug is the cheepest new building in the area,he is looking forward to December 31,2008 (end of contract)since nathing is working properly in the building. The developers are having problems with… Read more »

Realtor AJ,

Can you give me some stock picks?

I want to buy the opposite position in whatever you suggest so lay it on me.

Renter Tom

Now, now, Christopher, you know AJ only “invests” in real estate…. And these things, unlike a dividend paying stock need to be fed each month. But don’t worry, the price appreciation will more than make up for the negative monthly dividend, after all, Suzanne research this and she assured him that he can do this….or was that NAR commercial just marketing? I don’t know, get so confused sometimes on whether I should rent or buy before I’m priced out of the market…..Maybe I should call Suzanne and haver research if for me…

la la

Sounds to me like Mo is back.

Hugo P

Lucas: Thanks for the post and these are definitely showing where the market is going. A small analysis: There are 47 listings in MLS for Skyline and the units have been in the market for a long time. I have a tough time believing that with all this new construction being completed, that prices there will hold at $240/sf. That building doesn’t have the best finishes/amenities (I believe it was built as a rental) and it cannot compete with other buildings. Same thing with Curvoisier Courts… 45 listings with plenty of units having cut their listing prices over 40% with… Read more »

DJ

Grant/Guillero, I’m really just doing my research at the moment, but looking to buy sooner rather than later. Mt current lease is up in April, so I would ideally like to find a place by then, but if not, I don’t mind going month-to-month until I find the right place. So far the building I liked the most was The Lexi in North Bay Village, but closing/occupancy rates there have made me take pause. I haven’t heard too much about Onyx, but I figure it’s at least worth looking into. I’m aware that prices will probably fall more in the… Read more »

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