CNBC’s Diana Olick reported once again on the red hot Miami condo market. She points out that cash-ready foreign buyers are to thank for its swift and amazing turnaround. For those who missed the segment air on live television this afternoon, you can watch it in the video below.
As you have probably noticed by now, there have been a lot of changes made to my website and blog. This is probably the fourth or fifth version of the Miami Condo Investments website but by far the one of which I am most proud. This project started back in October and the number of hours that were put into it, by myself and my website developer’s team, is quite incredible. Coupled with everything else I have had on my plate over the past couple of months, it is surprising that I have been able to get any sleep at all. First and foremost, I want to say that this website is still a work in progress. Long-term, it always will be. In the short-term, there are some bugs/issues that we are working through and some planned enhancements that you will see rolled out over the next couple of months. Regardless, your input and feedback is greatly welcomed and appreciated! Please let me know if you encounter any bugs or issues while navigating your way through the website.
The old adage says that buying real estate is all about the three L’s – location, location, location. That may very well be true but I think the flip-side to that is the three P’s to selling real estate – presentation, presentation and price. As everyone knows, the right price will always sell real estate but when marketing luxury real estate, it is presentation that matters most. That was at the foundation of this new website. Presentation matters most! Any real estate agent can sell real estate at the right price. My goal is to sell real estate at the right price for my client – provided it is realistic. In a market like Miami’s, selling high-end real estate is about eyeballs. The more eyeballs you get on a piece of property, the greater the chance you have of selling it. Miami luxury real estate has an international audience and, in order to get the most eyeballs on it, it needs to be presented in a glamorous, yet profound way.
Gone are the days of 500 pixel pictures to sell real estate. If you want to try to pawn your used Xbox 360 to the world, then that 500 pixel picture might very well do the trick. For luxury real estate, however, 500 pixels just doesn’t cut it anymore. Luxury real estate deserves to bask in all its glory. When weighing out my options for my new website, there was no better choice, by advice of my website developer, than to incorporate a responsive website design. It is the future! Any website developer who tells you otherwise is either too lazy to learn how to implement it and/or hasn’t figured out the intricacies for doing so. It can be quite complicated. Did I mention that this project has taken almost six months?
You might be asking yourself – What is a responsive website design? In a nutshell, it allows someone to show an image/picture at full resolution while taking into account the viewer’s display orientation and size. Basically, the image/picture transforms itself to accommodate the viewer’s display and therefore allows itself to be presented in the best way possible. Allow me to demonstrate:
The above picture is from the balcony of a $14.5M condo listing that my broker recently acquired. As you can see, the front row view you would have of the Atlantic Ocean and the beach down below is exquisite, to say the least. As a seller, wouldn’t you want this view to be captured in all its splendor for everyone who might be interested in purchasing? Of course! That is where a responsive website display comes into play. If you’re sitting at a desktop computer, then take the bottom right-hand corner of your browser and move it up to the upper left-hand corner. You will see the image above begin to transforms itself to accommodate your display. In fact, this entire website will transform itself. It is sort of like a Transformer Decepticon in digital form. If you are viewing on a mobile device, then the picture above is likely already at full capacity. Not much you can do because we have already got you covered.
In the coming weeks, I will write more about responsive website design because I really feel that I, and my website developer, have left all other real estate agents in the dust with this one. As a seller, you should gather your troupes and make sure that you are aligned with someone who has the technology to present your luxury real estate in the most fashionable way.
To those not in the know, The Wall Street Journal article last week regarding One Thousand Museum helped to shed a lot of light on the closely guarded ultra-luxury pre-construction development before its formal unveiling later this month. Although an image taken from a cell phone of the proposed residential high-rise had recently surfaced, the renderings which accompanied the article were the first to be made public by way of the developer.
The Wall Street Journal article is a great read, and I highly recommend it, but for those who like to get right to the point, here’s a quick rundown of what was shared regarding One Thousand Museum in the article:
By the way, you can view the renderings which accompanied the article on my One Thousand Museum condos page. Check them out there!
Last week, while showing a unit on the southwest corner of Brickell on the River South, I was able to take this great shot of the pool deck at myBrickell. As you can see, the pool deck is currently under construction. I couldn’t help but notice that the shape of the pool looks different than what was proposed in the renderings below. Also, the view of Biscayne Bay to the east has somehow magically disappeared.
Not all is lost though. Residents of myBrickell will have a front row seat to the construction site of Brickell CityCentere – the $1B+ mixed-used development which will completely change the landscape of Miami forever. It takes an aerial view like the one below to appreciate how massive this development is going to be. It is so big that I wasn’t able to fit one or two of the lots to the north into the shot.
It seems just like yesterday that BrickellHouse was nothing more than an empty lot and a pile of dirt. Look at it now. A lot of progress has been made over the past couple of months as the construction crew keeps chugging right along. Completion of BrickellHouse is projected to take place in 2014.
Here is a unit that is perfect for a value-conscious investor looking to purchase a condo in Brickell. It is a beautifully remodeled 1 bedroom/1 bathroom condo at 500 Brickell with dark, wide-plank hardwood floors throughout, window treatments, light fixtures and a custom kitchen backsplash. The 738 square foot unit has stainless steel appliances, a stacked washer/dryer, two closets and a south-facing balcony which spans the entire length of the condo. The bathroom features a Jacuzzi tub and separate glass-enclosed shower. The unit is being sold fully furnished and already has a tenant in place until September 24, 2013. The tenant is paying $2,200 per month. The condo association fees are $494 per month. The current owner paid $2,607 in property taxes in 2012 which included a $25,000 Homestead exemption but it is important to note that the property taxes for a new buyer will be based on the newly assessed value determined by the city and whether the new buyer qualifies for any exemptions. Best of all, the asking price is just $349,000. If you find a better return on a condo in Brickell, then jump on it.
500 Brickell is walking distance to the shops, restaurants and bars at Mary Brickell Village and just a few short blocks from the upcoming $1.05B mixed-use development known as Brickell Citycentre. The fabulous amenities at 500 Brickell include: two swimming pools (one is a rooftop pool facing Biscayne Bay) two club rooms, a fitness center, 12-person theater, steam room, sauna, concierge and 24-hour valet parking. The development also has ground-floor retail which includes a number of popular restaurants and bars.
If you or someone you know has an interest in purchasing this fully furnished condo at 500 Brickell, please give me a call at 786-247-6332 or email me at [email protected]. Feel free to contact me with any questions as well.
The wait is almost over. The new Zaha Hadid development to be located at 1000 Biscayne Boulevard will be formally announced next week. It had been expected to be called 1000 Biscayne Tower but that is no longer the case. The developers have instead decided to call the luxury residential high-rise One Thousand Museum.
Over the past two months, there has been a lot of buzz and excitement surrounding this upcoming development. The internationally acclaimed architect, Zaha Hadid, has a huge cult-like following all around the world, and for good reason. Her resume is impeccable with a laundry list of achievements and award-winning past projects. As a result, I expect there to be a lot of interest for condos at 1000 Museum. This development, however, will not be for the average buyer. My sources tell me that this development will target the uber-rich who are looking to not only invest in a luxury residence in Miami but also buy into a work of art that will be known all around the world. It is expected to set a new bar for condo prices in Downtown Miami. I would not be surprised to see prices for condos at 1000 Mueum hit $1,000 per square foot out of the gate.
By the way, I did a little research to see if I could substantiate the news which was provided to me yesterday. I discovered that Louis Birdman, one of 1000 Museum’s two developers, registered the domain 1000museum.com on January 9, 2013. If that’s not enough proof then I don’t know what is. Stay tuned because I will have a lot to report on this exciting project in the weeks ahead.
