Top 5 Distressed Condo Sales Closed in May 2009
Below, you will find what I believe to be the five best condo deals of the 46 distressed sales that closed in the month of May in the MLS located in Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami and the Arts District. I think the distressed condos that closed in the month of May were better deals than what we have seen in previous months.
- Jade Brickell – unit 1002 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,529 square feet) – This unit sold for $375,000, or $245 per square foot, on May 15, 2009. Short Sale
- Courts Brickell Key – unit 1909 – 3 bedroom/3 bath (1,488 square feet) – This unit sold for $350,000, or $235 per square foot, on May 20, 2009. Short Sale
- Skyline on Brickell – unit 306 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,367 square feet) – This unit sold for $349,000, or $255 per square foot, on May 8, 2009. Foreclosure
- Skyline on Brickell – unit 1512 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,367 square feet) – This unit sold for $305,000, or $223 per square foot, on May 18, 2009. Short Sale
- One Miami – unit 3916 – 1 bedroom/1 bath (846 square feet) – This unit sold for $150,000 or $177 per square foot, on May 27, 2009. Foreclosure
Runner-ups:
- The Mark on Brickell – unit 1001 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,200 square feet) – This unit sold for $205,000, or $171 per square foot, on May 22, 2009. Foreclosure
- 1800 Biscayne Plaza – unit 203 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,057 square feet) – This unit sold for $120,000, or $114 per square foot, on May 01, 2009. Short Sale
- Cite on the Bay – unit 2213 – 1 bedroom/1 bath (795 square feet) – This unit sold for $100,000, or $126 per square foot, on May 13, 2009. Foreclosure
New & Improved South Florida MLS Property Search for Condos
Many of you have already noticed that a much improved Miami condos search has now taken the place of the old property search. New search parameters have been added to allow your search experience to be more powerful and effective. For example, you can now search by year built, number of parking spaces and distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), as well as many other parameters. Additionally, you can now draw a shape onto the map to restrict the search to condos located within that shape. For example, in the picture above, I drew a shape around Brickell Key to restrict the search to only condos located in Brickell Key. Enjoy!
Asia in Brickell Key – A First Look
Last week, I was able to get another look at Asia in Brickell Key. I brought my digital camera along this time and was able to get some great shots of the amenities and common areas as well as a large 2 bedroom unit with 2,745 square feet of interior space.
The gatehouse and entryway into Asia:
The concierge desk at Asia:
The lobby:
Outdoor seating area off the lobby:
Tennis court at Asia:
Swimming pool at Asia:
Resistance pool at Asia:
Fitness center at Asia:
Sauna:
Racquetball court at Asia:
After viewing the amenities and common areas, I was able to take a look at unit 703 at Asia. Unit 703 has a 2,745 square feet of interior space and two large balconies. It is currently listed for $1,599,888, or $583 per square foot, which is the lowest price per square foot offered in the entire building at this time through the MLS. The unit also comes with a private storage room located right outside the unit.
The living room of unit 703 with 12-foot ceilings:
Another shot of the living room:
The large wrap-around balcony of unit 703 at Asia:
The spacious master bedroom of unit 703:
The large walk-in closet off the master bedroom:
A built-in TV in the mirror of the master bathroom:
A Jacuzzi tub and separate shower:
The bidet and toilet of unit 703:
The kitchen of unit 703 at Asia:
Wine cooler:
High-end stainless steel appliances:
The second bedroom was surprisingly small given how big the floor plan of the unit is:
The second balcony off the second bedroom:
South Beach Vacation + Bargain Condos = Miami Condo Investments Tour
I’ve been kicking around this idea in the back of my mind for quite some time. I guess the timing just never felt right. Prices have now fallen to a more realistic level, however, and it may be time to at least discuss the idea to see if there would be any interest.
I’m proposing to hold a two-day tour of Miami and South Beach condos in June of this year. The tour would focus on the best condo deals in Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami, the Arts District of Miami and South Beach. The objective would be to educate nonlocal buyers, who may not be familiar with the various neighborhoods and condo developments, but may have an interest in buying here at some point in the future. It’s also an opportunity for local buyers to take a first-hand glimpse into the best condo investment deals in Miami. Weather-wise, June may not be the best time of the year to visit South Florida, but I expect the deals at that time to be even better than they are now.
The condo tour would be held on a Friday and Saturday, in which time we would visit 10 buildings and about 30 condo units. The tour package would include a 3-night stay at the Loews Hotel, a 4-star/4-diamond oceanfront hotel in South Beach; 3 breakfasts; 2 lunches; and the 2-day chartered bus tour. The cost would be $900 for one person or $1,500 for 2 people staying in one room. The 2-day chartered bus tour would also be open to local buyers who do not require hotel accommodations at a rate of $300 per person. To those who close on a condo that was placed under contract within 3 months of the tour, I would credit half the cost of the condo tour package at closing for those requiring hotel accommodations and the full cost to those paying the $300 rate.
I’d love to get your feedback about this idea, and I’m open to suggestions regarding the buildings that will be included in the tour. Please add your thoughts in the comments section and use the second poll below to vote on the buildings that you’d like to see on the tour (you may select multiple buildings when voting). I’m hoping to get around 20-25 interested parties in order to set this plan into motion.
[poll id=”7″] [poll id=”5″]
Unit 701 at Carbonell in Brickell Key Revisited
Some of you may remember unit 701 at Carbonell which appeared in an earlier post entitled “Top 5 Distressed Condo Sales in December 2008“. The 1 bedroom/1.5 bath condo with 1,031 square feet of interior closed on December 19, 2008 for $215,000. Many of you felt that a condo for $209 per square foot at Carbonell was an amazing deal.
Well, the condo is back on the market. It appears that the investors who purchased the unit felt that they got such a great deal that they could flip it for a profit. The condo is now listed for $295,000 after two quick price reductions. I showed it Sunday afternoon. I didn’t realize until later that it was the same condo that previously sold as a foreclosure in December.
I know everyone hates to hear the word “flip”. However, I think the investors will be able to accomplish just that. The condo doesn’t have much of a view but it’s a very spacious floor plan, is in great condition with beautiful marble floors in the living room and kitchen and is in one of the best buildings in Brickell Key. Unit 701 is by far the best priced one bedroom at Carbonell at this time. The next best priced one bedroom is listed for $415,000. Unit 601, one floor below, is listed for $439,000.
Perhaps the investors will decide to hold onto their purchase. The condo is also listed for rent with an asking price of $1,825 per month.
Carbonell condos for sale
New Miami Condos – Closing Rates for February 2009
It’s been a few months since my last Miami condo closing rate update. The percentage of closed units for 25 major condo developments are provided below, starting with the first development to begin closings. Four condo developments have been added: Icon Brickell, Everglades on the Bay, Infinity at Brickell and Epic. You’ll find these towards the bottom of this post.
Below, you will find the date that each condo development began closings followed by the number of closed units in each condo development:
With the exception of Onyx on the Bay and 50 Biscayne, the first group above has remained unchanged. Onyx on the Bay was able to close one additional condo while 50 Biscayne was able to close two.
Quantum on the Bay and Plaza on Brickell once again were able to show a decent improvement in their closing rate. Quantum on the Bay closed an additional 14 condos while Plaza on Brickell was able to close 21. 1800 Club did not have any new closings but I did find another deed that had been recorded twice. This is the reason why the total number of closed condos in this update is one less than the total stated in the December 2008 post for 1800 Club. It needs just 7 more closed condos to hit the all-important 70 percent mark.
As a result of the 60-unit bulk sale, Marina Blue showed the most improvement of the above five condo developments since the last update. I did, however, find re-recorded deeds for Marina Blue that I had previously missed. The developer of Marina Blue has now closed around 82% of the total number of units.
In my opinion, the five condo developments above are all likely candidates for some sort of bulk deal taking place in the future. Met 1 was able to close 7 additional units, Asia 2, 900 Biscayne Bay 13, 500 Brickell 17 and Axis 8. As a result of the new Fannie Mae guidelines, it is not likely that we’ll see significant improvement in any of the condo developments that haven’t thus far reached the 70 percent mark.
Above, you’ll find the four newly added condo developments which began closings within the past 3 months. Timing could not have been worse for these four. They’re going to need to find a plethora of cash buyers who are willing to pay dated prices. Ivy at Riverfront, which began closings back in June 2008, was able to close 14 additional condos since the December 2008 update.
The bright side is that the condo construction cranes of Miami are gone. The cranes that remain are for commercial developments. Marquis and Paramount Bay, which should begin closings within the next 3 months, will be the last of the newly constructed condos to hit the market in Miami. It does appear, however, that Met 3 has begun to lay its foundation. Hopefully, the condo market will reach some sort of equilibrium by the time that development has been completed.
Disclaimer: The above closing rate information was derived from public County records. There can be a 2-3 week delay from the time that a closing occurs and the time that the closing is recorded. The information above is not deemed 100 percent accurate as a result of delays in the recording of deeds and deeds being re-recorded.
Top 5 Miami Distressed Condo Sales in December 2008
Sorry for the long hiatus. I’m back from my long vacation and ready to get back to work. Below, you will find what I believe to be the five best condo deals of the 36 distressed sales that closed in the month of December in the MLS located in Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami and the Arts District.
- Four Seasons Residences – unit 3305 – 1 bedroom/1 bath (611 square feet) – This unit sold for $285,000, or $466 per square foot, on December 3, 2008. Foreclosure
- Carbonell – unit 701 – 1 bedroom/1.5 bath (1,031 square feet) – This unit sold for $215,000, or $209 per square foot, on December 19, 2008. Foreclosure
- Three Tequesta Point – unit 1605 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,694 square feet) – This unit sold for $465,000, or $275 per square foot, on December 3, 2008. Foreclosure
- Blue Condominium – unit 2310 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,174 square feet) – This unit sold for $330,000, or $281 per square foot, on December 1, 2008. Foreclosure
- Cite on the Bay – unit 3502 – 3 bedroom/2 bath (1,398 square feet) – This unit sold for $230,000, or $165 per square foot, on December 10, 2008. Short-sale
New Miami Condos – Closing Rates for December 2008
It’s been almost three months since my last Miami condo closing rate update. The last one was published on September 22, 2008. Unfortunately, there has not been a lot of progress in closings for most of the condo developments below since that time.
Below, you will find the date that each condo development began closings followed by the number of closed units in each condo development:
Latitude on the River had three new closings since the last update, Onyx on the Bay had three new closed condos and 50 Biscayne had two. Ten Museum Park and Loft Downtown 2 were both unchanged since the last update.
Quantum on the Bay and Plaza on Brickell each had an impressive number of closings, since the last update, considering how long ago closings began. Quantum on the Bay had 28 new condo closings while Plaza on Brickell was able to close 46.
On Friday, the Miami Herald reported that the developer of 1060 Brickell is looking to sell around 60 percent of its condos in bulk. Closings at 1060 Brickell recently reached the 40 percent mark meaning that this represents the developer’s remaining inventory.
900 Biscayne Bay and Ivy have now each reached the 40 percent mark. I’m actually quite surprised that not one of the condo developments in this last group has been able to hit the 50 percent mark. Enough time has certainly gone by. To rev up sales, 500 Brickell recently held a 4-day promotion offering a free Mini Cooper with any condo purchase from the developer’s inventory.
The next update will include Icon Brickell, Everglades on the Bay (now known as Vizcayne) and Infinity at Brickell which recently began closings.
Disclaimer: The above closing rate information was derived from public County records. There can be a 2-3 week delay from the time that a closing occurs and the time that the closing is recorded.
Top 5 Miami Distressed Condo Sales Closed in October 2008
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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
