Unique 2,754 Square Foot 3 Bedroom at 900 Biscayne Bay – $1.45M

What a horrible floorplan.

Can you elaborate? What makes it a horrible floor plan?

There is no flow, there is no separation between public and private spaces, the room proportions are odd, there are too many irregular angles. There is no symmetry or balance.

It is a lot of square footage but poorly utilized. It looks like two units poorly combined into one. A lot of wasted space in hallways.

The living room is small for a unit of this size. One should enter into a gracious entry and it should lead into dramatic living space, not to the too small bedrooms and past the kitchen.

Ceiling height is nice and views are great.

PHB and PHC have logical floor plans and there are other available units at better prices than your feature. Sorry.

The living/dining area is too small… probably because the Master Bedroom space is way too big…

If you take that area south of the private lobby/elevator in the floorplan (which is pretty much the Master BR + laundry), it looks to be 2x the Living + Dining area. 1x would be more in line.

Also, I’m not fond of foyers where you enter and have to make a 90 degree right or left turn. Right away, it would make me feel that it’s not a prime unit.

I didn’t want to be the first to say something negative, but I agree with BillP. For $1.5 million, there should be some “wow” factor when walking in the door, but this unit, as BillP said, opens to a small maze (foyer + kitchen hallway).

I might like this unit at $200 or $250/sq. foot, but not at almost $500/sq. foot. Prices like this are why I’m sure the Miami market has a long ways left to drop.

Before looking at the pictures I was studying the floor plan and was trying to figure out the flow of the unit and I must agree with the other comments, this condo lacks an easy walk through flow with balance. Why the two laundry rooms? Is this an opened concept or not?
Why the two bathrooms on either side of the office? Why the cramped living room/dining room area? At the asking price of almost $1.5m, I am expecting much more……….

Who would pay $1.5 million to live in an area that has homeless people everywhere? The price is still way too high! Look at all the other buildings in that area. There have been no closed sales in that price range. I checked out this building already. There are beautiful units over there. But then I walked behind the building and in front of the building into the park. The area is just depressing. There were just so many homeless people. I would be scared to walk my dog around there at night. The views are great from the units.… Read more »

The main reason we didn’t move to 900 was the lack of usable space. The units were nice, but the angles used and small extra rooms just wasted a lot of space. Our secondary reason was the neighborhood.

Ahh the neighborhood-Park West or should we call it the hood @ Camillas West as its just amazing how many of our cities homeless live in this million dollar neighborhood-Nothing better than the people mover as a rain shelter- Too bad soo sad as so much hope so much hype and so many promises yet to be realized-Museums, plaza, restaurants? Three years later now and still nada-oh sorry an empty Brazillian place that will soon close and a soon to open Brick oven Pizza concept which will only look to feed the homeless the left over slices that dont sell… Read more »

I agree with the above posters. For such an enormous price and a seemingly large unit, there is such a waste of space. How much laundry do you really have with (at most) 4 people living here to utilize 2 W/Ds. The powder room is a waste when you have a bath next to the office and a bath in the 2nd bedrm. So much closet space which normally I would love, but even I cannot think of what I would use all that closet space for. If you’re living in a 3 bdrm home, you can’t have that much… Read more »

Yeah I would agree. Thumbs down on this unit. Poor layout.

Hate to pile on Lucas, but unimpressed.

The chopped-up unit, the neighborhood, lack of shops/services nearby….For that kind of money, I’d buy in the Grovernor House in the Grove…

If I was a Miami condo owner attempting to sell, I would make sure to tell Lucas NOT to post my unit info on his site, as it clearly is a Deathwish.

This looks like one of those placemat mazes your get at Denny’s. I live in a nearby building and the neighborhood is not good. I’m accosted when I go to fill gas at the BP. I can’t jog in the area and I can’t walk my dog. I would never live here permanantly. There is no cohesive feeling or sense of community. Just these 4 structures sprouting out from a surrounding wasteland. I feel totally disconnected from the rest of Miami. I wish I moved into a Brickell or Miami Beach condo… I feel sorry for people who bought units… Read more »

The views look nice but the first time I saw the floorplan I had trouble figuring out how it would be “livable”. As others have posted, the floorplan is choppy and awkward. Must have been two units combined into one. With a creative designer I’m sure it could look nice but seems overpriced.

I think State Income Tax has a good assessment of the area. Things I wished I would have done before renting a condo downtown: 1) drove from the ground to the assigned parking spot 2) walked the route from parking spot to/from unit 3) visit the building for a full day to see any trouble or permanent problems 4) meet the building management and assess their competency (I swear there are some really dumb people that 5 minutes of conversation can bring to light) I know things can change, but agents have a great way of disguising things or picking… Read more »

lucas
the floorplan apparently sucks.

Ok… besides the fact that the floorplan is strange, $1.45 Million for 2,754 sf in an unfinished unit translates to $526/sf. The question is: ARE YOU F$#$@@ SERIOUS??? Who would pay that for this unit at this location? Besides the fact that it probably needs at least $100k to make it livable. You can get an oceanfront unit with similar square footage at MEI or Mosaic for that price… and wait until Caribbean hits the market. Lucas… I know this is your site and that it generates business for you, but you need to be obective with these postings or… Read more »

I would have to agree at that price I would look at something on the beach.

The MCI was quiet for many days with no posts and suddenly 20 posts on one day. And I knew why! This unit is bringing as much consternation as ICON thread did a while ago. But in all fairness, Lucas never claimed it the “Best Deal or best price or most beautiful” and so on. He called it “Unique” and unique it is. That maze of a floor plan will leave you with a headache. After negotiating miles of labyrinths, the prize is to reach a bedroom with a view? If I were the owner, I would knock down all… Read more »

Everyone else ranking on Park West area, I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I lived there April and May and did not experience anything remotely what you guys described. Since when are you guys afraid of homeless people mugging you? I have only seen a handful of homeless people there. The max happened to be about 5 and they were hovering near the Mary Brickell Village Metro mover stop and not at the Park West or 11th st station. Go figure. If you want to go to beach to escape homeless people, I have news for you,… Read more »

At $526.51 per square foot that’s one hell of a price to pay for bathrooms with Bidets and an extra washer/dryer. I’m sure most of us would not know what to do with either one of them. This madness cannot continue and here is why: Foreclusures and unemployment continue to rise to record levels with no end in sight despite government intervention and loan modifications. In the short run the plan will keep some homes out of foreclosure and appease voters, who will be able to continue the delusions that they still have home equity. Also, the plan might create… Read more »

The Ace – Nice post. I know most people say location….but really it is price since at the right price it cures all location problems.

I would say timing comes first, then location and price

The Ace — Either “price, price, price” or “cash-flow positive.”

LONG LIVE “THE ACE” where have you been ACE????

5108 sold for $333 per square foot. That would put this one at $925,000.

We aren’t being negative. With our broad cross section of knowledge and honest feedback, we are helping Lucas do his job, either as buyer’s agent or seller’s agent.

You would have to be insane to spend over a million dollars on a condominium in Miami.

I impact glass will not block the sound from the street level gunshots.

Woman shot in parking space dispute near Miami club
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-miami-club-shooting-bn090809,0,208257.story

Wow, what a bunch of naysayers on everything! This is the best of urban living in an incredible building with stunning common facilities (you can have a party for 100 in the lounge with music or a screening in the theater with food and drinks right in the attached cafe.) The view from the 58th floor is world class–you don’t loose the “wow factor” just because you have to turn to the left to get it. The main living area is not small. It is just that the Master bedroom is huge–I would move the bed to the far wall… Read more »

Wow Judy….it was pretty clear from your cheering leading that you are a Realtor®, no need to actually have to tell us. Ignore the price since “it’s a home!”. I sure hope you’re not a buyer’s agent.

Judy…Judy…Judy….READ…LISTEN…and if you can….TRY to UNDERSTAND…..you cannot sell something that 19 out of 20 readers do not agree with YOU! Change your attitude or go work at McDonald’s……

Good to see you back Ace and excellent post by the way. We look forward to your answer as to the three most important words in real estate. As to Post # 30 I have to agree with Renter Tom, for her reply was the most blatent self serving (give me my 6% and screw you) diatribe I have ever read, even on Company Real Estate Websites. To pay more than $400 per sq ft than it’s worth ($526 divided by the Ace recommended wholesale price of $125) just because their is a Brilzilian resturant close by is absurd. Lady,… Read more »

For all you mathmaticians, I meant to say “minus” not divide

I knew Judy was a Realtor ™ as soon as I saw the phrase “the best of urban living” in her first sentence.

I don’t know enough about the Park West area to know if it’s as bad as some people say, but it’s sure as hell not “the best.”

With Miami’s screwed-up r.e. market and the City’s screwed-up finances, a person would have to be an idiot to buy into these downtown buildings based on the promises some r.e. people are spouting of “big development coming soon.”

Ace nailed it with his comments on leave the market alone. The problem we are seeing today with the burst housing bubble eminated from the perceived need of the Democrats to provide housing for all, regardless of their ability to make the payments. And the sleazy banks with their teaser rates that literally eat your lunch after a few 2% pops. Really showed those guys that they should be more honest and forthright in their loan practices by making them take all that TARP money w/ no strings attached… huh? But I agree with the 19, that the layout is… Read more »

Below is an somewhat interesting article from MNT regarding suicide jumpers from local condo towers. Another reason to not to buy a condo right now: if you live on a lower floor, your balcony may become very messy with splattered human body parts.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2009-09-10/news/legends-of-the-fall-suicide-by-jumping-from-miami-condo-buildings/

Drew – Sadly I have heard of other suicides in some of these new condos. Now, there are always suicides so don’t know if there is an increase or not but probably at least some increase due to economic stresses (as I posted long ago there are real consequences to the economic downturn….people die, divorce, etc.). My compassion goes out to these poor souls.

Why didn’t we think of this before, it’s no wonder that there are so many foreclousures and HOA dilinquents in Miami. Its because the owners are skydiving from the Miami skyscrapers without parachutes. Perhaps Obama can bail them out with a stimulus “Cash for Chutes” program.

What a joke this blog has become.

Please, would anyone care to comment on the new “Contiuum”? I would like to rent there this winter. Thanks, joey from NYC.

Continuum

Judy! Judy! Judy!

Prey tell how one can afford a party for 100 people with an underwater mortgage of $1.45M?

This unit has bubble written all over it. The entire neighborhood is a monument to stupidity.

Donzi, go there and if you like it, rent it. Since you’re not buying it, there’s not much you need to think about.

How is 900 doing anyway? Closings-wise?

Donzi — I might be wrong, and condo owners are known to break their own HOA rules when it comes to rentals, but I believe the minimum rental term at Continuum North is 6 months (and might even be 12 months). There’s no shortage of available rentals listed there, though, so YMMV.

Check Craigslist to confirm illegal rentals. Look under vacation rentals. Contiuum owners are still offering hotel rentals. Hope they are paying bed taxes. In total, there is a six percent (6%) tax collected on the rental amount from any person who rents, leases or lets for consideration any living quarter accommodations in a hotel, apartment hotel, motel, resort motel, apartment motel, rooming house, mobile home park, recreational vehicle park, single family dwelling, beach house, cottage, condominium, or any other sleeping accommodations rented for a period of six (6) months or less. If the rental is for more than six (6)… Read more »

Can I assume that the private lobby and the little hallway area to the left when you come off the elevator are included in that 2754 square foot number? So its probably closer to 2000 square feet of actual interior space.

Sorry to go off topic . . .

I’m looking at a condo : Brickell Townhouse (at 2451 Brickell Ave). I was wondering if anybody had any experiences or info that they could share regarding this building.

Stability? Reputuation? etc. . . .

Any and all advice would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!