Brickell Condo Tour and Construction Update [VIDEO] – February 14, 2015
It has been about four months since my last video tour covering the fast-paced development taking place in Brickell. Since then, a lot has happened, so I figured it was time to get back out on the road and provide everyone with another update. As you will see, this video is much more comprehensive, covering not only current and future construction, but also existing condo developments for those who may be unfamiliar or newly acquainted with the Brickell condo market. In the video, I even highlighted two, large commercial properties in Brickell which recently traded hands – the SunTrust building located at 777 Brickell Avenue, which sold earlier this week for $140M, and the former Capital at Brickell site located at 1420 South Miami Avenue, which was acquired this past December for $74.74M by CCCC International USA LLC, a subsidiary of Beijing’s China City Construction and American Da Tang Group of New York.
The rental market is a very interesting segment of the real estate market, not only for potential tenants on the prowl for a new pad but also current landlords and would-be investors trying to assess the demand for rentals across various neighborhoods and, more specifically, across various condo developments. Only a few years ago, the supply of rentals in Miami far outpaced demand. As a result, rental prices plunged and renters ruled the day. Fast forward to the present and an entirely different rental market is upon us in Miami. Nowadays, rental inventory is being absorbed quickly and overall rental prices are on the rise. For those living in Miami, I’m sure this a message that you have not only read in the local paper but have also heard directly from friends and family who have experienced it firsthand.
Obviously, not all neighborhoods and condo developments are created equal. Factors such as price, location, views, quality and recommendations from peers help determine rental demand. As a result, one would assume that demand can vary greatly from building to building and even neighborhood to neighborhood. Which condo developments are the leaders when it comes to rental demand and which are the laggards? More importantly, which buildings should we expect to see prices climb in the near future?
In this first segment, I decided to analyze the Brickell rental market to answer the above questions. Below, you will find a spreadsheet containing rental data for various condo developments in Brickell. Click the link below the spreadsheet to view it in its entirety.
Brickell Rental Market as of March 01, 2011
Columns C through G show the number of available rentals pertaining to each condo development grouped by number of bedrooms. Column I displays the total number of rentals available in each condo development while column J shows the total number of units within that development. I debated whether or not to include column K, the number of available rentals over the total number of units in the development expressed as a percentage, because the figure can be deceiving in buildings where developer inventory remains which has neither been sold nor rented. This is the case in buildings such as Icon Brickell and Infinity at Brickell. Regardless, I decided to include the figure because it can provide additional insight in buildings where this is not the case.
The main objective in creating this spreadsheet was to calculate months of inventory for each condo development. This can be seen in column M. Months of inventory was calculated by dividing total units available for rent by the monthly average number of units rented over a 3-month period from November 16, 2010 to February 15, 2011. You may be wondering why I did not include closed rental data from the past two weeks in determining the monthly average. I have noticed that it can take real estate agents days, and even weeks, to change the status of a rental in the MLS from pending to rented. As a result, I felt that the average would be skewed to the downside and not be an accurate representation of the Brickell rental market. Furthermore, if I had to venture a guess, I would also say that it is highly likely that around 10 percent of the total number of units available for rent are in fact no longer available. In this case, the listing agent has yet to change the status from available to pending.
Regardless, a lot can be ascertained from the spreadsheet above. In my opinion, any building with 1.5 months of inventory or less has a solid rental market. 1060 Brickell, The Plaza on Brickell and Vue at Brickell are standouts with absorption rates hovering around one month. I expect rentals prices in these developments to continue to rise in the near future. For those in the market to lease a condo in one of these developments, I advise that you act quickly and put your best foot forward when making an offer.
According to the spreadsheet, there is currently 2.29 months of rental inventory available in Brickell. Some may expect this number to increase as more units from Icon Brickell and Infinity at Brickell hit the rental market. Of course, this will all depend on how quickly the units become available and at what pace demand absorbs them. Only time will tell, but I plan to watch Brickell rental market closely and post updates on a monthly basis.
I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.
Espirito Santo Penthouse Foreclosure – Condo Deal of the Month
While searching the MLS Friday afternoon I came across a bi-level 3 bedroom/3 bath penthouse foreclosure at Espirito Santo that was extremely well priced. Not surprisingly, the listing agent only found the time in his busy schedule to upload two interior shots. Compelled to check it out for myself, I quickly made it over to Espirito Santo.
Unit 3405, the 3 bedroom penthouse foreclosure, has 1,934 square feet across two levels and a balcony located on the first floor. The condo foreclosure faces south and resides on the 34th and 35th floors. Condos with balconies are found only on the south, east and north sides of Espirito Santo.
Below is a video I shot of the first level which is where the living room, kitchen, third bedroom, third bathroom and balcony are found:
The following video contains footage of the second level which is where the laundry room, second bedroom, second bathroom, master bedroom and master bathroom reside:
As always, I also shot an array of pictures of the 3 bedroom condo and wanted to share them with everyone.
The MLS states that the maintenance fees are $1,000 per month but my guess is that they’re closer to $1,300 per month. (Once again, the listing agent was probably too busy to pick up the phone to find out the correct HOA fee.) This penthouse condo at Espirito Santo has a lot of potential. At this price, the buyer will likely do a complete renovation and create a spectacular penthouse. The asking price of this condo is $799,900, or $414 per square foot. Unit 3405 previously sold for $1.46M in March 2007. There’s no doubt in mind that this penthouse will go for at least full asking price.
Call me at 786-247-6332 if you’d like to make an offer on this Espirito Santo penthouse condo.
Valentine Message at Espirito Santo
As Valentine’s Day weekend comes to a close, I wanted to share a thoughtful message made of Jello-O that was left on the glass-enclosed shower of one of the units at Espirito Santo. I showed the unit earlier today shortly after the previous guest had checked out. Espirito Santo is a condo-hotel residence located in the heart of Brickell at 1395 Brickell Avenue.
