Photo Tour of 900 Biscayne Bay
This past week, I had the opportunity to take a very extensive tour of 900 Biscayne Bay. I couldn’t wait to see if 900 Biscayne Bay held up to its high expectations. I took a ton of pictures that day and wanted to share them with everyone. Above, you see the nice water feature that greets you as you drive into the valet area at 900 Biscayne Bay.
The lobby at 900 Biscayne Bay is two stories. The first story is for guests entering off the street while the second story welcomes those entering through the valet area. The grand spiral staircase at 900 Biscayne Bay, in the photo above, takes you to the second level.
The Infinity-edge, resort-style pool at 900 Biscayne Bay was beautiful. I’m sure residents will make full use of the large bar behind the pool while sunning themselves as well. There’s also a fire pit and hot tub available on the same level.
The lap pool was closed, so unfortunately I wasn’t able to get some laps in while my clients were talking about the great amenities that 900 Biscayne Bay has to offer.
Another great water feature pictured above. This is the entry-way to the amenities found at 900 Biscayne Bay shown in the pictures below.
Here we have the theater room at 900 Biscayne Bay. It’s the best theater room that I’ve ever seen in a condo building in Miami. It has a 153 inch screen and seating for 35 people. I doubt many people will actually make use of this room but it’s still quite impressive to have in your building.
Many of the rooms found on this level at 900 Biscayne Bay come equipped with the above technology. Mount your iPod and enjoy the sounds of your own tunes throughout the room.
The club room at 900 Biscayne Bay with a grand piano and kitchen.
The conference room at 900 Biscayne Bay.
The entry-way into the men’s and women’s spa at 900 Biscayne Bay which is each equipped with a steam room, sauna and hot tub.
Tell me that it doesn’t look inviting. This is the hot tub in the women’s spa at 900 Biscayne Bay. I’m hoping that this isn’t the last time that I get invited into the women’s spa at 900 Biscayne Bay. In my mind, I already had my shoes and socks off, but unfortunately the tour wasn’t over.
Another shot of the women’s spa.
The fitness center at 900 Biscayne Bay was a nice size. It wasn’t overly impressive but it had plenty of free weights, machines and cardio equipment. I would have preferred a view of the bay to the east, however.
I took a look at about 3 condos at 900 Biscayne Bay that day. Here’s a shot of one of the kitchens with dark cabinetry. Another kitchen I saw that day had beige colored cabinets.
Here’s an east view from one of the condos I saw at 900 Biscayne Bay. I think this was a shot from the 34th floor.
Overall, I felt that 900 Biscayne Bay exceeded my expectations. I think Pedro Martin and Terra Group delivered an outstanding condo development. Of all the new condo buildings that I’ve been in that have been completed within the past three years in Miami, 900 Biscayne Bay is on an entirely different level. The quality of the building is unsurpassed of the new condo buildings that I’ve seen. I haven’t been in Asia yet but I think that will be the only other recently finished condo building in Miami that may be able to measure up to 900 Biscayne Bay. The quality does come at a price, however. Expect to pay more than you’ll find at Marina Blue or Ten Museum Park, but like I said, the quality is unsurpassed.
900 Biscayne Bay condos for sale
900 Biscayne Bay condos for rent
Beautiful 5 Bedroom Condo at Villa Regina with 4,100 Square Feet – $1,499,900
Five-bedroom condos in Brickell are very rare. In fact, at this time, there are only two other condos in Brickell that are listed on the MLS with that many bedrooms. Just last week, I listed the best priced 5 bedroom condo in Brickell in a building called Villa Regina. The new listing is attractively priced at $1,499,900. The next best priced 5 bedroom residence is listed for over $1M more.
If size, quality, and location are what you need, then look no further. The 5 bedroom listing at Villa Regina spans 4,100 square feet (380.9 square meters), has a total of 15 rooms, 5 full bathrooms, comes with 3 parking spaces, has 4 terraces with gorgeous bay and city views and has been tastefully remodeled. The kitchen has new granite countertops and stainless steel appliances with custom cabinetry. The air conditioning system was also replaced 3 months ago and the condo has impact resistance windows and shutters.
The amenities at Villa Regina include: 24-hour full-service concierge and security, swimming pool, fitness center, his and her spas, barbecue area and 4 grand party rooms. Villa Regina is located directly on Biscayne Bay and is one of the few condo buildings in Brickell with its own private marina.
Contact me today if you’d like to take a look at this 5 bedroom condo at Villa Regina.
Closings at Asia Have Begun
I received word today that closings at Asia began late last week. The outside of the building looks spectacular. I fully expect that the common areas and units will be just as impressive, if not more so. I’m hoping to get inside to view Asia for myself within the next couple of weeks.
For those not familiar with Asia, it is a very high-end condo development located on the northern end of Brickell Key, along the Miami River. With just 123 residences, each with 12-foot ceilings and private elevators, Asia is now regarded as the most exclusive address on Brickell Key.
I think Asia is going to do a good job in closing out its units. I haven’t received one phone call or email from a concerned contract holder of Asia. That’s saying something. In fact, it’s the only major new condo development where this is the case.
Breathtaking Views From a Condo at One Bal Harbour
It was a perfectly gorgeous afternoon in South Florida today. I thought I’d share with everyone a few pictures that I shot from a condo on the 12th floor at One Bal Harbour this afternoon.
If you’re a boat lover then you’ll have plenty of opportunities to gaze at beautiful boats zipping by through the Bal Harbour inlet.
Two Multi-Million Dollar Condos Recently Go Pending in Brickell
Two multi-million dollar condos in Brickell recently went pending within the past 30 days. The first was a 5 bedroom/6.5 bath Penthouse condo at Santa Maria with 6,300 square feet that went pending on March 3, 2008. The list price was $5.29M, or $840 per square foot. The views from this Penthouse condo at Santa Maria are simply amazing, as you can see from the above picture. The MLS listing description and photos of this Penthouse condo at Santa Maria will show you just how amazing this condo truly is.
What’s interesting to note is that the current owner purchased this Penthouse condo at Santa Maria for $3.9M in the latter half of 2005, when many would say the Miami condo market peaked. This just goes to show that the ultra-luxury condo market in Miami has continued to hold up well. Despite the potential profit that the current owner makes, anything under $840 per square foot for this unit is a freakin’ bargain. In my opinion, Santa Maria is the best condo building in Brickell and is in a complete league of their own. No foreclosures or short-sales that I’ve ever come across, and a comparatively very low maintenance fee, despite the world-class amenities that Santa Maria has to offer.
The second multi-million dollar condo in Brickell to go pending within the past 30 days is the Penthouse condo at Epic located on the Miami River near the inlet into Biscayne Bay which went pending on Febuary 27, 2008. It’s a 4 bedroom/5.5 bath two-story Penthouse with 4,522 interior square feet and an amazing 7,488 total square feet, including balconies. The list price on this bad boy is $5M. Epic is currently still under construction but should be completed by the end of this year.
What is not a coincidence is that the developer behind both condo buildings is Ugo Columbo. He is well-known for delivering some of the most high-quality condo products to Miami. His reputation definitely supersedes him. I can’t wait to get inside Epic to see how it compares to his previous condo developments such as Santa Maria, Bristol Tower and Grovenor House.
Here are some multi-million dollar condos in Dade County that have actually resold and closed in 2008:
- Villa del Mare #7274 – $12,360,000
- Porto Vita #1104 – $3,600,000
- Continuum #TH-7 – $3,100,000
- Bellini Condo #1102 – $2,900,000
- Santa Maria #3005 – $2,680,000
- The Setai #3106 – $2,600,000
- One Bal Harbour #707E – $2,550,000
- Grovernor House #1902 – $2,525,000
- Continuum #TH-9 – $2,350,000
The Regent Bal Harbour Hotel & Residences Celebrates its Grand Opening
Yesterday afternoon, the Regent Bal Harbour Hotel & Residences (currently the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour) held its grand opening celebration. The Regent Bal Harbour is a 5-star hotel with world-class amenities, a 5-star restaurant and gorgeous water views from every hotel room. It will likely be a favorite amongst affluent South Florida vacationers. Prices range from $750 to $8,500 per night.
Take a look at the CBS4 video of the Regent Bal Harbour inaugeration yesterday.
Foreign Buyers Finding Deals in the Miami Condo Market
On February 20, 2008, Reutors published an article entitled “Miami Condos are ‘for sale’ for Foreign Buyers“. The article discusses how foreign buyers are stepping in to buy condos at a discount in Florida, where prices have dropped “20 to 30 percent”. The appreciation of their currency is another motivating factor in their decision to buy Miami condos. The story particularly focuses on Canadian buyers, who have a particular interest in buying within the United States, because the Canadian Dollar “has gained 25 percent against the greenback in the last two years”. The article also discusses that these buyers are willing to pay for these condos with cash.
I, for one, have met with a large influx of foreign buyers within the past six months from countries such as Ukraine, China, Russia, Canada, England, Italy, Germany, various countries in South America and territories of the United States, such as Puerto Rico. Many of these buyers came prepared to pay for South Florida condos with cash. In fact, two of the three pending sales that I have scheduled to close in March are cash deals, with no financing contingencies. Great deals in beachfront condo buildings are exactly what these foreign buyers have in mind.
The Reuters article also revealed the following which I found very interesting:
In a study by the National Association of Realtors last year, Florida was the top destination for foreign buyers, accounting for 26 percent of all transactions, ahead of California at 16, Texas at 10 and Arizona at 6 percent.
More than 7 percent of all Florida homes were sold to foreigners, the study found, and 65 percent of Realtors said they had brokered at least one foreign deal.
I would think that Miami homes sold accounted for much higher than 7 percent since Miami should have a much larger percentage of foreign buyers than the rest of Florida.
I’d also like to note that new buyers for Miami condos aren’t only coming from countries abroad. I’ve also found buyers from New Jersey, New York, California, Illinois and Texas. I will admit that local buyers remain a very small percentage of my overall business. In a nutshell, if I had never started this blog I’d probably be out of business. This blog allows me the opportunity to reach people all across the world (including the two people in Ethiopia and Afghanistan who found my site within the past week, according to Google Analytics). The Miami condo market is not a local market…it is a global market. It may not seem cheap to local buyers, but to foreign buyers Miami and Miami Beach condos are bargains to them.
Apogee South Beach – Now That’s a Master Bathroom!!!
Yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to visit a few condo units at Apogee South Beach located at 800 South Pointe Drive in South Beach. The word “sensational” doesn’t even come close to fully encompassing the quality that has gone into this condo development. Apogee South Beach is in a league of its own, with quality that is unmatched by any condo development in South Florida.
The following are a few shots of the master bathroom that I took yesterday inside one of the two condos at Apogee South Beach. Trust me, the kitchens are equally as impressive, if not more so. I’ll likely share the photos of the kitchen at Apogee with everyone in a future post.
Say It Aint So “O”
Yahoo News! reported earlier today that there are rumors that Shaquille O’Neal will be traded to the Phoenix Suns. I hope these rumors don’t prove to be true but it does sound like the Miami Heat will part ways with Shaq in the near future. I think everyone will agree that Shaquille O’Neal has been a great addition to the Miami community. He will definitely be missed.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Miami luxury home on Star Island, is currently on the market for $32M. There were rumors on November 1, 2007, from the South Beach Real Estate Blog that Alex Rodriguez was looking to buy Shaq’s humble abode. I heard from other sources that the deal fell apart because Alex Rodriguez’s wife wanted to be closer to her family in Coral Gables.
I haven’t fully thought this out yet, but I may, (still need to think about this one), consider stepping outside of my own personal boundaries of only listing condos and consider listing a Star Island luxury home like Shaq’s if his listing agreement expires before his home gets sold. Don’t hold me to this though because I am only contemplating it. I’m a very niche-oriented person so if I don’t return your phone calls Shaq, don’t hold it against me. I need a few days to think this one through.
