RedHoek + Partners Officially Launches Sales for Boutique Development Solina Bay Harbor Miami

Solina Bay Harbor Miami
Solina Bay Harbor Miami

Miami’s Bay Harbor Islands are renowned for their blend of urban sophistication and coastal allure. Now, RedHoek + Partners unveils their latest gem in this vibrant locale – Solina Bay Harbor. With sales officially launched, Solina promises an exquisite living experience that epitomizes luxury and style.

Solina Bay Harbor stands proudly at 1055 93rd Street, offering a boutique collection of nine exclusive condominium units. Pricing for these residences starts at $1.4 million, providing an opportunity for discerning buyers to secure their slice of Miami’s coveted real estate market. Anticipated completion is set for Q1 2025, promising a timely and exciting prospect for prospective homeowners.

Solina Bay Harbor offers a meticulously curated selection of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, ranging from 1,400 to 2,600 square feet. Each residence boasts carefully crafted floor plans designed to optimize space and comfort, embodying the essence of modern luxury living.

One of Solina’s standout features is its rooftop pool, providing residents with an unparalleled urban oasis. With panoramic views stretching across the Miami skyline and beyond, the rooftop pool offers a serene retreat where residents can relax and unwind in style.

Lee Cohen, representing RedHoek + Partners, expresses his excitement for Solina Bay Harbor’s launch, stating, “I am thrilled to announce our highly anticipated launch at Solina. This new market offers a canvas where we can blend urban sophistication with a coastal lifestyle. Being our first project in this market, we are excited to be partnering with leading brokerages, Development Marketing Team & The Inside Network. Our boutique 9 unit building embodies meticulous design and carefully curated floor plans, reflecting the essence of luxury living.”

Solina Bay Harbor represents a fusion of elegance, innovation, and unparalleled luxury. With its prime location, thoughtful design, and collaborative approach to sales and marketing, Solina promises to redefine the standard of upscale living in Miami’s Bay Harbor Islands.

Solina Bay Harbor Summer Kitchen
Solina Bay Harbor Pool Deck

New Report Shows Miami as the Most Competitive Rental Market in the United States

Rental Market
Rental Market

Renting is at its greatest level in fifty years, with almost 44 million American households renting. However, some renters found it difficult to find a new place to call home in 2022, particularly in the highly sought-after South Florida region, which has long been a popular relocation destination for individuals from all over the country.

Additionally, in the past two years, more people have relocated to the Sunshine State as a result of laxer rules and the growing use of remote work. As a result, migrants found themselves in a competitive market with local residents looking for units, making Miami-Dade the most popular rental market in the country.

RentCafe.com examined the 135 biggest U.S. markets examing five crucial metrics that include the number of days apartments were vacant, the percentage of occupied rentals, the number of prospective renters, the percentage of rental renewals, and the share of apartments completed for the year.

The largest metro areas in Florida opened new apartments this year more quickly than any other city in the nation. However, this was still insufficient to meet the rising demand in such a well-liked location.

Due to record-high occupancy and high lease renewal rates, Miami had the hottest rental market in the United States. Numerous Millennials and even members of Generation Z who wanted to work and live in the Sunshine State were drawn due to a number of factors, including the absence of a state income tax, the business-friendly environment, and the thriving tech scene.

Renters in Miami are in a very difficult situation because practically all units are occupied, especially since 75% of apartment residents choose to stay put this year. As a result, Miami’s rental apartments were full in 25 days on average, with a record-breaking 32 renters competing for each available property. Additionally, despite the metro area’s stunning 2.8% rise in apartment supply in the first half of the year (the highest growth rate among the top 20 cities in the ranking), the high demand for rentals is still far from being satisfied.

Notably, the city’s favorable business environment, which draws corporate relocations and expansions, maybe the cause of this demand. Orlando is also a member of the Florida High Tech Corridor, which attracts business people, students, and young professionals.

Florida welcomed the newest residents between 2020 and 2021, according to the US Census Bureau (220,890 people looking to escape high taxes and frigid winters in the North). Arizona (170,307) and Texas (170,307) were much behind it (93,026). And even while developers are hard at work constructing apartments all around Florida, the supply of recently created rentals is just insufficient to meet the soaring demand for housing.

Melo Group Tops Off Construction of URBAN 22

Rendering for Urban22
Proposed Rendering of the Urban22 Tower

Seven months after breaking ground, the Edgewater twin-tower apartment building known as URBAN 22 has officially topped off on construction. The developer for the project, the Melo Group is a well-known development group in the Miami area. After completing 6,000+ residential units in Miami over the years, they currently have 2,000 units under construction. 

Multiple parcels making up the 1.94 acre site stretch’s from Second Avenue, 22nd Street, to 23rd street. The Melo Group started purchasing these sites in 2011 that is now making up the site for URBAN 22.

The project call for twin 15-story towers that will total 708,119 square feet with an 8-story podium connecting between the two. The towers will feature 441 residential units, 7,168 sq. ft. of retail, 5,692 sq. ft. of office space, and 529 parking spaces.

The units will range from 725 to 1,200 square feet of living space with each unit featuring a private balcony with glass surround railings. There are 4 studios, 243 one bedroom, 152 two bedroom, and 42 three bedroom units available.

The garage will feature a pool deck on the roof, indoor/outdoor spa, garden terraces, and a fitness center with a social room for gatherings. The Melo Group stated that project would enhance the pedestrian experience through the bridge between the two buildings as well as the retail and commercial aspects.

Plans Submitted for a 2 Tower Fontainebleau Project

Fontainebleau Apartments II
Fontainebleau Waterview Night View

Fontainebleau Apartments II is a two-tower multifamily development of 10 and 19 stories that is planned to rise atop 4.03 acres of backfilled land in Fontainebleau, Florida. It was developed by the Miami Lakes-based real estate developer and general contracting firm LF Development through an affiliated entity referred to as Combo Group Holdings LLC.

The project, designed by Coral Gables-based Valle Valle & Partners, would include 600 residential units split between its two towers, 5,200 square feet of retail space, and 957 parking spaces, including 147 parking spaces for electric vehicles and 20 handicap spaces. The engineering team is made up of Solver Engineering, Zamora & Associates, and Fineline Engineers, Inc. The landscape architect is Witkin Hults + Partners.

The property itself spans 11.18 acres which is roughly 487,436 square feet with the property also backing to a lake. The lake/property is specifically located west of Northwest 87th Avenue, east of Northwest 97th Avenue, between State Route 836 Expressway to the north and West Flagler Street to the south. The developer is requesting to backfill 4.03 acres (175,480.00 square feet) of the lake/property to construct the multifamily project.

If approved, Fontainebleau Boulevard would front the recently filled in land and run directly between these neighboring thoroughfares. The developer is also requesting that the property’s designation be changed from Water to Medium-High Density Residential and that the zoning be altered from GU to RU-4.

These zonings and classifications surround the region, which is being used as leverage to support the zoning changes. The owner of the area where the buildings are planned to go up is indicated as Italo Campagna.

The site permits 50 dwelling units per acre, resulting in a total of about 560 dwellings. Additionally, the developer is including 36 workforce housing units (WHU) at a rate of 6 percent, allowing for a density increase of about 50 units.

Residential units would have floor patterns with one or two bedrooms. The combined floor area of the two buildings would be 691,497 square feet, and 75,480 square feet of the land would be used as private open space to surround the complex. Google Maps places the building at 9193 Fontainebleau Boulevard, almost exactly where the south tower’s entrance would be.

On July 28, plans for Fontainebleau Apartments II were submitted, although there was no mention of a requested application meeting time.

Fontainebleau Apartments II

Legacy Hotel and Residences Construction Update

LEGACY TOWER

Legacy Hotel and Residences at Miami Worldcenter has recently completed the foundation pour making it one step closer to going vertical.

LEGACY TOWER

Legacy Hotel & Residences began selling in late 2019 and despite the pandemic, it is already entirely pre-sold, with $160 million in sales.

The luxury tower located at 942 Northeast First Avenue, will rise 55 stories making it the second tallest tower at Miami Worldcener. This mixed-use development will feature 310 residential units, 219 luxury hotel rooms, a business center, a medical office, retail space, and a rooftop atrium.

The residences will include studio to 2 bedroom floor plans with 368 to 964 square feet options. The units will be fully finished and furnished. One of the unique things about Legacy is that residents will be able to rent their units without any restrictions. This includes utilizing a short-term rental company, whether its the Legacy’s rental program, Airbnb, or VRBO

In December 2021, the developers for Legacy secured the construction financing marking it as the third-largest construction loan ever made in Florida at $334 million.

Construction is anticipated to be complete in 2024.

Legacy Hotel and Residences Construction

Miami Real Estate Sales Soar for the 17th Consecutive Month

Miami-Dade County Real Estate Sales Soar
Miami-Dade County Real Estate Sales Soar

According to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Miami-Dade County real estate achieved its best-ever February sales month as existing condo transactions climbed by double digits for the 17th consecutive month, following the historic January 2022 and 2021 year sales.

Total house sales in Miami-Dade County increased 13.2% in February 2022, from 2,485 to 2,814. Due to low availability, Miami single-family home transactions fell 7.9%, from 1,093 to 1,007 units. Existing condo sales surged jumping up 29.8%, from 1,392 to 1,807, marking the 17th consecutive month of double-digit year-over-year condo gains.

Home sales were much higher in February 2022 compared to February 2020 with total house sales up 51.1% compared to February 2020, from 1,862 to 2,814. Miami single-family house sales are up 13.9% while condo purchases are up 84.8% from January 2020.

Miami luxury condo sales are up 45.4%, with mid-market transactions ranging from $400,000 to $600,000 on the rise. In addition, Miami’s existing condo luxury ($1 million and more) sales increased 45.4% year on year to 237 deals.

Miami single-family houses valued between $400K and $600K climbed 24.7 percent year over year in February 2022, with 389 sales. Miami’s existing condo sales in the $400K-$600K price range surged 101.8 percent year over year to 345 deals in February 2022.

Single-family home inventory fell 29.3 percent year on year in February 2022, from 3,128 active listings the previous year to 2,212 this month. Condominium inventory fell 55.1 percent year on year to 5,272 from 11,735 during the same time in 2021.

Months’ supply of inventory for single-family homes has been decreasing since July 2019, suggesting high demand. Months of inventory for single-family homes fell 39.3 percent to 1.7 months, indicating a seller’s market. Existing condominium inventory fell 74.5 percent to 2.6 months, indicating a seller’s market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers provides six to nine months of supply.

The total number of active listings at the end of February 2022 fell 49.6 percent year on year, from 14,863 to 7,484.

In February 2022, Miami-Dade County single-family median prices grew 19.1 percent year over year, rising from $450,000 to $536,000. The median price of a single-family home in Miami has climbed for 123 straight months (10.25 years), the longest unbroken stretch on record.

Year over year, the median price of existing condos grew by 26.7 percent, from $300,000 to $380,000. The median price of a condo has risen in 125 of the previous 129 months.

Mortgage rates have typically been low, making house purchases more accessible. The average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.76 percent in February, up from 3.45 percent in January, according to Freddie Mac. The overall commitment rate for 2021 was 2.96 percent.

Miami real estate is attracting several bids, with buyers willing to pay above the asking price. In February 2022, the median percent of the initial list price obtained for single-family houses was 98.7 percent, up 1.5 percent from 97.2 percent the previous year. For existing condominiums, the median percent of the original list price obtained was 97.8 percent, up 3.7 percent from 94.3 percent last year.

Miami cash sales accounted for 75.6 percent of all sales in February 2022, which is much higher than the national average. In February 2022, cash transactions accounted for 43.9 percent of Miami closed sales, up from 35.8 percent in February 2021. According to the most recent NAR figures, cash accounts for around 25% of all house sales in the United States.

Cash sales made up 53% of all existing condo sales in Miami and 27.5 percent of single-family purchases.

Mast Capital Unveils Plans for a 3 Tower Development in Brickell: Cipriani Residences Miami

Mast Capital Announces New Tower in Brickell
Mast Capital Announces New Tower in Brickell
Renderings for Brand Residences in Brickell

Another development has just been announced and this one is massive. Coming in at 2.6 million square feet, plans for this 3 tower development in Brickell have been revealed: Cipriani Residences Miami. Developer, Mast Capital paid $103 million mark this transaction as one of the largest in Miami-Dade in 2021.

Mast Capital’s proposal for the site involves a master-planned development that will comprise of 400-unit condominium tower and two more high-rises totaling 850 premium apartment rentals, created in collaboration with Rockpoint Group.

The property located at 1420 S. Miami Ave, has been inactive for over 15 years following two failed development initiatives. This property is one of the last remaining raw pieces of land accessible in the vicinity to undertake a project of this magnitude.

New Tower Announced in Brickell

Development Information:

  • One 80 story condo tower
  • Two multifamily towers (one at 50 stories and one at 60 stories)
  • 1,250 residential units
    • 400 condo units
    • 850 rentals
  • 1,650 parking spaces
  • Ground floor retail

For this specific project, Mast Capital has partnered with a private real estate equity firm, Rockpoint, which will be responsible for the multifamily component. Mast Capital will be utilizing MSD and CanAm for financing. Arquitectonica will be the architect for the proposed tower.

The developer is expecting a sellout of approximately $1 billion. The groundbreaking is anticipated for the end of 2022 with a top-off date in 2025.

Renderings for Brand Residences

Sixty Sixty Condo Hotel Sold to Miami-Based Investment Group for $24 Million

Sixty Sixty Condo Hotel Sells for $24 Million
Sixty Sixty Condo Hotel Sells for $24 Million

In a previous foreclosure fight among owners and developers, the Sixty Sixty condo-hotel in Miami Beach has been sold for $23.5 million to a buyer who intends to repair as well as add to the waterfront development.

The 82-key condo-hotel is located at 6060 Indian Creek Drive along an inlet off of Biscayne Bay but also features views of the ocean. Integra Investments along with Sagar Desai’s Activate Hospitality sold the property to Bloom Hotels, under the umbrella of Bloom Ventures. The founder and CEO of Bloom is David Harari, who is located in Miami.

The CEO of Integra Victor Ballestas stated, “ripe market conditions created an opportunistic circumstance for the sale,” after stating he had no intention of selling the development.

The Schecher Group originally sold a majority of the units in 2020 to Integra and Activate for $15 million, then later bought the rest of the units in 2021. The company was then accused of a takeover although Schecher stated that the unit owners owed $9.4 million in homeowner association fees.

Bloom Hotels utilized Sheridan Capital to finance the property for a loan of $17.3 million. There have been talks of Bloom increasing the room count and bringing Canopy or Tapestry (Hilton brands) to assists with operations. Some plans include modernizing the property as well as adding a marina to the development.

Integra is also one of the co-developers for Brickell’s newest two-tower project, St. Regis Residences.

The Real Wolf of Wall Street Now Calls Miami Home

Jordan Belfort Moves to Miami
Jordan Belfort Moves to Miami

We can’t stress enough how hot Miami is right now! And we aren’t talking about the temperature. Notables, celebrities, and execs are moving to Magic City daily and another one just joined the ranks. Recently announced that the real ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ Jordan Belfort is Miami’s newest resident.

Recently, Belfort eloped in Las Vegas with model and now wife, Cristina Invernizzi. Invernizzi is originally from Argentina and is listed as Belfort’s third wife. Belfort and Invernizzi are moving from Las Vegas.

So who is Jordan Belfort? You may have seen the 2013 The Wolf of Wall Street movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Jordan Belfort. But to dive deeper, Belfort was a former stockbroker who pleaded guilty to multiple crimes related to stock market manipulation and the running of a long-term scam involving penny stocks sending him to prison.

Belfort grew up in Queens, New York where he began selling at a young age. His friend any him would sell Italian water ice desserts out of inexpensive styrofoam coolers at a beach during the summer months where they would earn around $20,000 every summer. Belfort later went to American University where he studied biology and later went to dental school for a short period. In the 1980s Belfort founded Stratton Oakmont, an over-the-counter brokerage house and financial firm that did remarkably well until he was later caught.

Since his sentencing and prison sentence, Belfort has profited off of 2 memoirs that discuss his life during the Stratton Oakmont era, as well as a self-help book on persuasion and influence.

More recently, Belfort has been participating and becoming fully engulfed in the Miami scene. During Art Basel week, he released his very first NFT. The NFT portrays Belfort partying on a yacht surrounded by models, helicopters, and helicopters flying overhead. One of the fascinating depictions includes the yacht being surrounded by FBI agents. David Yarrow is the photographer for the piece.

Another announcement includes Belfort’s announcement for his very own tequila coming to a shelf near you, Mezcel Santo Inferno. We can’t wait to see what else The Wolf has in store for Miami!

Smart Brickell Tower 3 Coming Soon

Smart Brickell Towers
Smart Brickell Towers

Smart Brickell is one of the newest condo-hotel projects located in the heart of West Brickell. This mixed-use development will comprise three towers total that features 170 condos and 150 hotel rooms spanning over the three towers.

The most unique thing about the Smart Brickell Tower, besides its futuristic design, the smart technology is so advanced that it will set the stage for all pre-construction towers going forward. Some of the smart features include Lifx Wi-Fi enabled LED smart bulbs, Samsung’s digital home appliances, concierge app, and Nest thermostats.

Tower 1 rises 26 stories featuring 50 condos with 1 to 2 bedroom floor plan options. Floor plans will range from 558 to 1117 square feet starting at $318,000. The first 7 floors will feature a boutique-style hotel managed by Habitat Hotels with floors 11-23 will be condos.

Units will be fully furnished and finished. Top-off was completed in May 2021. The exterior is still will be completed with stucco and prime paint has started on the south facade. Interior drywall and framing is 90% complete.

Tower 2 will feature 50 condos as well as 50 hotel rooms with one to two-bedroom floor plans. Units will also be fully furnished and finished and can be rented up to 50 times a year on a short-term basis like Airbnb. Completion for tower 2 is anticipated for 2022.

Construction on Tower 3 will begin soon and will feature 20 condos and 100+ hotel rooms. These units will also be fully finished and furnished.

On the ground level, the development will feature 12,000 square feet of commercial space with retail, a cafe, and a restaurant.

Building Features

  • 25 Story tower designed by the well-known architect, Hernando Carrillo
  • The building is Leed certified
  • One assigned parking space per unit in secured parking garage plus valet parking services
  • Electric car charging stations
  • 24 Hour concierge and security services
  • The café is on the ground level
  • Stunning amenity deck located on the 8th floor with landscaped recreational area and expansive terrace
  • Resort-style pools with lap area and sun deck
  • In-water lounge chairs near a waterfall
  • Spa and wellness center
  • Fully-equipped business center on the 9th floor
  • Chic and spacious event room on the 10th floor
  • Sky fitness center located on the 24th floor
  • Lounge bar located on the 25th floor
  • Wi-Fi throughout the lobby and amenity deck

Residence Features

  • Renowned design firm, Arquitectonica Interiors, designed the units that take full advantage of every square foot
  • Each unit is equipped with smart, Wi-Fi enabled features to compliment the look and feel of the future of living including Nest thermostat, Lifx Wi-Fi enabled LED smart bulbs and Amazon echo/Alexa home and personal assistant
  • City-view terraces with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors
  • Every residence has the ease to always be in control from the comfort of their smartphone with the Concierge App
  • The kitchen will be fully equipped with Bosch and Samsung appliances and contemporary cabinetry
  • The penthouse is located on the 23rd floor and has 12-foot ceilings
Pool Deck for Smart Brickell