Bayfront Brickell Condo Foreclosure to Sell Below $200 Per Squar Foot?

I’ve been keeping a close eye on a 4 bedroom/4 bath split-level bank-owned condo at Atlantis on Brickell for quite some time. It has 2,628 square feet of interior living space and is located on the third floor. The price has continually been reduced throughout the months that I’ve kept an eye on it, but it now looks appealing. The list price on this unit is $559,900, or $213 per square foot, at the present time.

Below you will see the price changes since it was listed on May 16, 2007:

• 05/16/2007 – $799,900
• 06/13/2007 – $759,900
• 07/16/2007 – $719,900
• 08/03/2007 – $679,900
• 08/28/2007 – $644,900
• 09/25/2007 – $559,900

Unfortunately, the pictures that accompanied the listing are no longer available. I haven’t personally viewed this property yet, but the pictures that were previously available made it apparent that the unit definitely needed some TLC. A few people in my office did visit the unit about six weeks ago and did confirm that the unit does need much work. On the high end, a $170,820, or $65 per square foot, build-out project should make this unit into an A+ residence. A $500,000, or $190 per square foot, offer should seal the deal on this condo given the continual decrease in price every month. I’m sure that Deutsche Bank is growing tired of keeping this property on their books month after month.

A 3/3 with 2,171 square feet of interior space on the same floor at Atlantis on Brickell, which needs some work of its own, is currently listed on the MLS for $750,000, or $345 per square foot. Invest $65 per square foot to fully renovate the unit, with an overall price per square foot of $255, and you should do well.

Four Bank-Owned Condos in Miami & Miami Beach to be Auctioned September 19, 2007

Four condos will be auctioned off Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at approximately 3pm. Three of the four condos are located in Miami while the fourth is located in Miami Beach. All four condos have gone through the foreclosure process and are currently owned by the bank.

1. Meridian Place – 325 Meridian Avenue #6 | Miami Beach, FL 33139

This is actually a townhouse. Of the four units being auctioned, it will probably hold the most interest because of its fantastic location. Some of South Florida’s most expensive condominiums reside in the South of Fifth neighborhood of South Beach. Built in 1994, this 3 bedroom/2 bath townhouse has 1,300 square feet of interior space, as well as two parking spaces (one garage space and one driveway space). County records indicate that the bank is owed $549,000. The opening bid is $100,000.

2. The Club at Brickell Bay – 1200 Brickell Bay Drive #2114 | Miami, FL 33131

Let’s just say that I’m not surprised. I’ll leave it at that. This 1 bedroom/1 bath condo has 818 square feet of interior space. The bank is owed $610,000. I guess they’re in for a rude awakening come September 19th. The opening bid is $100,000.

3. Venetia Condo – 555 NE 15th Street #16-H | Miami, FL 33132

Venetia Condo is located at the entrance of the Venetian Causeway in Miami. The building was built in 1980. The condo up for auction is a 1 bedroom/1 bath with 800 square feet of interior space. It faces south and has views of Biscayne Bay as well as the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. The bank is owed $410,000. The opening bid is $50,000.

4. Blue Lagoon Condominiums – 5091 NW 7 Street #705 | Miami, FL 33126

Of the four condos that will be auctioned on September 19, 2007, I think the 2 bedroom/1 bath at Blue Lagoon Condominium will hold the least amount of interest from the people attending the auction. However, this makes it a great candidate to be acquired at bargain prices. Blue Lagoon Condominium is located near the airport, about 12 minutes from Brickell. It’ll make for a great investment property if it can be obtained for $175,000 or less. The unit has 862 square feet of interior space. The bank is owed $305,000. The opening bid is $50,000.

Contact me for more information regarding this auction featuring the above four condos.

Short-Sales – Short of Spectacular

Everyone has heard that short-sale and foreclosure listings have increased dramatically in the past 12 months. I’ve found that, as of late, two to four new short-sale listings will appear in the MLS for each neighborhood in Miami per week.

I’m a huge fan of foreclosures but not such a big fan of short-sales, as of right now. I think in about six months things may change, however. I’ve found that the big banks just aren’t ready to play ball yet. Maybe they are just too optimistic about the state of the real estate market. Within the past two months I presented two offers on short-sale condos that were about 15 percent under the lowest comparable sold sale in the building. Both were rejected and the banks countered with figures that were very close to what they were owed. In both cases, what they were owed was much more than what had recently sold in those two buildings.

Banks need to realize that lending practices were lousy, at best, in recent years, and that what is owed to them is a pipe dream. Prices have already come down 20-30 percent from the height of the market here in Miami and Miami Beach. Many project that prices will come down even more. Yesterday, someone emailed me that “Your first loss is often your best loss”. I feel that more banks need to think along these lines. The banks ready to play ball now will be much better off than those holding out for greener pastures. As the saying goes, “Greedy pigs get slaughtered”.

From my experience, however, it does seem that the smaller banks do understand the state of the market and are more willing to negotiate terms. Perhaps, it is not their understanding but rather their eagerness to stay afloat. I think in the next six months, as pressure is added by stockholders, big banks will be much more favorable in their attitude towards short-sales.

The Fate of Prices at Vue at Brickell and The Club at Brickell Bay

For months I’ve been writing about the rampant mortgage fraud that has occurred in certain buildings located in Brickell such as Vue at Brickell and The Club at Brickell Bay.

The August Brickell Condo Index revealed that over the last six months Vue at Brickell had closed sales with an average price per square foot of $522.37 while The Club at Brickell Bay sold at an average price per square foot of $723.35. Both averages have been inflated as a result of the mortgage fraud that has occurred in these two buildings. Both figures seem outrageous to me since both are non-waterfront buildings and, by most, would not be considered top buildings in Brickell.

It is inevitable that in upcoming months both figures will come down drastically. Both have a lot of short-sale and foreclosure units that are currently listed. For example, Vue at Brickell currently has 8 condos that are marked as either short-sale or foreclosures. The Club at Brickell Bay currently has only three but I suspect that many more will arise in upcoming months.

One bank-owned property at Vue at Brickell is listed at $325 per square foot while another is listed at $343 per square foot. These represent an almost $200 per square foot reduction compared to what has sold at Vue at Brickell over the last six months. That is a difference of over 35 percent. Keep in mind also that these are the list prices. They will ultimately sell for less. These transactions will bring the averages down to a more realistic figure. Anyone who purchased a condo in Vue at Brickell about a year ago won’t be able to refinance for many, many years. This will lead to more foreclosures which will bring down the average even more.

The best price per square foot currently offered of the foreclosure or short-sale units at The Club at Brickell Bay is $471. That is a difference of $252 per square foot when compared to what has sold in the past six months, or a little over 34 percent. I feel that there is a lot more room for this figure to drop. There are just too many other brand new non-waterfront units that will be coming onto the market in Brickell within the next 12 months that offer much better prices than those offered by some of the existing Brickell condo buildings that were riddled with mortgage fraud.

My prediction is that a year from now Vue at Brickell will have an average price per square foot of around $325 for units sold over the preceding six months while this figure for The Club at Brickell Bay will be around $375. Of course, this is just an average, so some will sell for less while some will sell for more. I don’t think this will be the bottom though for condos at The Club at Brickell Bay. They will likely plateau around $350 per square foot. The latest foreclosure and short-sale listings shed new light as to the fate of prices at Vue at Brickell and The Club at Brickell Bay.

I feel that other non-waterfront condo developments in Brickell are in jeopardy as well. A lot of people are talking about the thousands of new units that will be coming onto the market in Brickell within the next couple of years but many fail to mention that only two, Epic and Icon Brickell, are bayfront. The rest are either riverfront or non-waterfront buildings. The bayfront buildings will have a slight downward adjustment in prices but will fare well overall. Once those two developments are completed there will only be one bayfront parcel of land left for development.

Miami-Dade Foreclosure Filings Since 2002

A friend of mine passed along the following statistics that were disclosed by Miami-Dade County. I found the statistics to be quite compelling and felt that my readers might find these numbers to be of interest as well. It is worthy to note that these numbers indicate that we are on pace to surpass the highs in foreclosure filings in 2002. That isn’t a bit surprising given the state of the real estate market.

These numbers only represent a mid-half report for 2007. As a sizable amount of adjustable-rate mortgages are scheduled to reset in the following three months, I’m sure that we’ll surpass previous year foreclosure filings. Foreclosures usually take about 6 months, so I’m expecting that foreclosure filings will peak in 2008.

Two Brickell Condos up for Auction This Month

Two Brickell condos will hit the auction block later this month. The first is a 2 bedroom + den/2 bath loft residing on the 29th and 30th floors at Neo Vertika. The loft has 1,255 square feet of interior space on tw0-levels with 20-foot ceilings. Neo Vertika is located along the Miami River, west of Brickell Avenue at 690 SW 1 Ct. Neo Vertika is a recent addition to Miami. Closings began in August of 2006.

The loft will go up for auction at 11:30am on August 20, 2007 with an opening bid of $125,000. The July Brickell Condo Index revealed that the average price per square foot of units sold at Neo Vertika over the past six months was $375.53.

The second condo up for auction is a 2 bedroom/2 bath at Villa Regina. The condo has 1,895 square feet of interior space, three separate balconies and offers partial bay views from a low floor. Villa Regina had a recent special assessment to update the lobby, hallways, marina and landscaping. Villa Regina is located at the southern end of Brickell Avenue at 1581 Brickell Avenue.

The condo at Villa Regina will go up for auction at 4:45pm on August 21, 2007 with an opening bid of $100,000. According to the July Brickell Condo Index, condos sold over the previous six months at Villa Regina had an average price per square foot of $316.62.

Don’t miss out on either of these exciting auctions. Contact me today for more information!

Courvoisier Courts – 2 Bedroom/2 Bath Foreclosure – $449,900

There’s a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo foreclosure at Courvoisier Courts in Brickell Key that is listed for $449,900. The condo has 1,288 square feet of living space. It also comes with two assigned parking spaces.

I took a look at the unit tonight for an interested client. It is in tip-top condition. The living room has large tiled floors and the bedrooms have brand new carpeting.

The bank’s judgment against the previous owner was for $444,748.00. The condo was foreclosed on June 28, 2007.

The lowest that a 2/2 has sold for at Courvoisier Courts in the past six months is $475,000. That was for an 05 line on the 17th floor. There were also two other 2/2 units that closed within that time frame. Those closed for $540,000 and $555,000. An 06 line unit on the 24th floor sold for $555,000 on June 28, 2007.

The unit doesn’t have a water view though since it is only on the fifth floor. It is an 06 line. The other 06 lines have a partial water view at best though since they face northeast and have obstructed views by other developments. The balcony was pretty large and deeper than most units I’ve seen at Courvoisier Courts.

Brickell Key is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Miami. I think getting this condo for $419,000, or $325 per square foot is a solid buy. The July Brickell Key Condo Index revealed that the average price per square foot of condos listed at Courvoisier Courts was $482.45. The average price per square foot of condos sold in the past six months at Courvoisier Courts was $415.01. Most units at Courvoisier Courts come with carpeting throughout, as they were delivered when the building was converted into condos. As mentioned before, this unit has tiled floors in the living room and carpeting in the bedrooms.

Courvoisier Courts was built in 1997. Courvoisier Courts offers fantastic amenities which include: full-service concierge, 24-hour security, fully equipped business center, bi-level fitness center, racquetball/squash courts, bayside swimming pool and sundeck, club room with billiards table, theater room, and valet parking. Courvoisier Courts has a total of 272 condo units in the building.

This is a great opportunity to own a 2 bedroom at Courvoisier Courts for over 20% less than what 2 bedrooms have sold for at Courvoisier Courts in the past six months.

Foreclosure at Yacht Club at Portofino – 2 Bedroom/2 Bath – $669,900

There’s a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo foreclosure at Yacht Club at Portofino in South Beach. It has 1,090 square feet of interior space and faces west towards Biscayne Bay, Fisher Island and the Miami city skyline. The condo also has a view of the swimming pool deck at Yacht Club at Portofino. The unit is listed at $669,900, or $615 per square foot. The South Beach Condo Index for July revealed that Yacht Club at Portofino had an average price per square foot of $745.27 for units listed in the building. The average price per square foot of units sold over the preceding six months was $665.19. According to the Miami-Dade County website, the previous owner paid $780,000 for the unit in May of 2006. The list price is good but I think it has room to come down quite a bit.

The unit looks to be in great shape. Take a look at the picture slideshow below to view a variety of pictures that accompanied the MLS listing.

This is not a short sale. It is a bank owned property. From my experience, buying a bank owned property is much easier than buying a short sale. When you purchase a short sale the bank usually takes 4-6 weeks to respond to any offers received. Just because the seller signs the contract does not mean that the bank is going to accept the submitted offer. In the past two months I had two short sale deals fall apart because the bank was not willing to negotiate. They wanted market value for the unit and would take nothing less. I find it shocking, that with foreclosure rates soaring, that banks are so inflexible. It will end up costing them more in fees if they end up repossessing the property. Bank owned properties are much easier to deal with because you usually get an answer back from the bank regarding your offer within 2-3 business days.

Yacht Club at Portofino is a luxury high-rise condo building located in the South of Fifth neighborhood of South Beach. It is arguably the best and most luxurious neighborhood in South Beach.The address of Yacht Club at Portofino is 90 Alton Road. If you or anyone you know is interested in this 2 bedroom foreclosure then please feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Short-Sale at One Miami – 1 Bedroom/1Bath for $275K !!!

There’s a 1 bedroom/1 bath short-sale at One Miami that was reduced $44,900 today. It is now listed at $275,000 and has 846 square feet of living space. That’s a great deal! The unit is now listed at $325 per square foot. The Brickell condo index for July revealed that the average price per square foot of units sold at One Miami over the last six months is $453.66. There have been 8 one bedroom/one bath units that have closed at One Miami in the past six months. They have sold in the range of $349,000 to $430,000. Like I said, this is a great deal! Prices for one bedroom units at One Miami have come in significantly in recent months but this short-sale unit is the best priced of them all.

The unit comes with one assigned parking space and one complimentary valet space. Amenities at One Miami include: two swimming pools and hot tub, two clubs rooms, two fitness centers, business center, 24-hour security/concierge and valet parking. The maintenance fee is $389 per month. High-speed Internet, basic cable TV, water, sewer and garbage are included in the maintenance fee as well.

Take a look at the MLS listing for more information.

2 Bedroom Foreclosure at Carbonell in Brickell Key

There’s a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath foreclosure that just became available over the weekend at Carbonell in Brickell Key. Built in 2005, Carbonell is Brickell Key’s most recent addition. The foreclosure unit is the best priced 2 bedroom unit in the entire building by quite a lot. It is listed at $649,900. The next best priced 2 bedroom at Carbonell is listed at $799,000. It is a bank owned property. Tax records show that there was an original mortgage on the property in the amount of $700,000. At the time of repossession, the mortgage amount owed was $699,627.

The foreclosure unit has 1,558 square feet of interior space, which equates to about $417 per square foot. The next best priced 2 bedroom condo at Carbonell is listed at $544 per square foot, located on the sixth floor, or one floor above the foreclosure unit. Taking a look at the Miami Condo Index for Brickell Key in June 2007 will reveal that Carbonell had an average list price of $592.56 per square foot, while having an average sales price $473.04 per square foot over the preceding six months.

In my experience, I’ve seen banks willing to accept what might seem like a crazy offer just to get the property off of their books. This could be a great opportunity to own a 2 bedroom at Carbonell for under $600,000. This past March, a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath sold for $700,000. It was located in the same line as the foreclosure unit, exactly one floor above it.

Update: Price was reduced to $634,900 on July 26, 2007.