As some of you may recall, an investment group acquired 539 units at Midtown Miami last October in a bulk transaction. Over 300 of those units are located in the 32-story Midtown 4 tower, 172 units reside in the rental building called Midblock and 61 of those units are located in the 29-story Midtown 2 tower. The investment group recently announced the re-release of the 61 units at Midtown 2 with prices starting at $184,900. Below, you will find the price ranges for the various types of units that are available for sale at Midtown 2. The monthly maintenance fee is 72 cents per square foot. The pricing for units at Midtown 4 is expected to be higher so this will likely be your best opportunity to acquire a unit in one of the towers. Contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment to tour Midtown 2 and/or learn more about the units available for sale. Feel free to download the Midtown 2 fact sheet for an overview of building.
Miami Ranked 4th Priciest City to Rent in the U.S.
As pointed out by Diana Olick in yesterday’s CNBC segment about Miami’s booming real estate market, the rental market in Miami has also been particularly robust. Rental prices have increased significantly over the past 3 years fueled by strong demand and shrinking rental inventory. So much so, in fact, that Miami now ranks as the fourth priciest city to rent in the U.S., according to a data team at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. The team looked at the rent-to-income ratios in 40 major U.S. cities to determine the rankings. In Miami, where the median household income is $45,219, the rent-to-income ratio was 29%. Only San Francisco with 33%, Los Angeles with 36% and New York City with 52% had higher rent-to-income ratios than Miami.
CNBC Reports on the Booming Miami Real Estate Market
For those who missed it, two segments aired on CNBC this afternoon in which Diana Olick reported on the booming real estate market in Miami. She attributes the latest boom to cash buyers from South America, Europe, Russia and China. The surge in demand has prompted developers to start building once again. This time around, however, there is less fear in the marketplace than was present in the last boom. Easy credit is no longer available and the majority of purchases for South Florida real estate are made with cash.
Paramount Bay and Brickell House Hit 60%
I discovered yesterday afternoon that Paramount Bay now has 60% of its total units either sold or under contract. That’s quite an accomplishment seeing that it was only four months ago that sales were launched. The penthouse units at Paramount Bay have all been sold. The next most popular unit has been the 02 line which is a 3 bedroom/3.5 bath condo with 2,353 interior square feet. That’s the largest non-penthouse floor plan at Paramount Bay. Only 3 of those units remain.
For those unfamiliar with the development, Paramount Bay is an all-glass, luxury, waterfront condo development located at 2066 North Bayshore Drive in the Arts District of Miami. The vast majority of the condos at Paramount Bay have a direct water view. A number of great units still remain so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have an interest in touring the building and viewing any current availability that interests you. Paramount Bay is a very high-end, exclusive building and will be a perennial favorite for years to come.
Brickell House, which began accepting pre-construction reservations in October, has 60% of its 374 total units under contract as of last week. The 46-story, luxury condo development will be located at 1300 Brickell Bay Drive across the street from Jade. Sieger Suerez was contracted to serve as the development’s design architect while Yabu Pushelberg and Artefacto will oversee interior design components. To learn more about this pre-construction development, please download the Brickell House brochure or feel free to contact us with any questions that you might have.
These type of success stories demonstrate the current level of demand for new condos in Miami. It’s no wonder that new condo developments are expected to soon be announced.
93% of All Newly Completed Condos in Downtown Miami Now Occupied
The Miami Downtown Development Authority recently released a study showing that of the 22,785 newly completed units in Downtown Miami, 93% of them were occupied as of December 2011. That number is up 7 percentage points from December 2010 in which 86% of the units were occupied. The study focused on those units completed after 2003 located within the Downtown Development Authority District and adjacent areas of influence as shown in the above map. A total of 77 newly completed condominium developments, as defined by the study, are located within these boundaries.
I read through the entire study and wanted to share a few highlights that I found to be rather enlightening:
84% of the newly completed units have closed. (The overall 93% occupancy rate in downtown area condominiums substantially exceeds the number of units sold as a result of developers’ rental of unsold units.)
In 2011, approximately 45% of total sales were first-time new unit sales in new buildings. On average about 140 sales per month were in new buildings in 2011.
Renters account for approximately 56% of occupied units. ( I figured that this would have been slightly higher.)
From 2010 to 2011, the average sales price of new units increased approximately 11.7% to about $420,000
The average price per square foot of new unit sales increased approximately 12.6% from 2010 to about $365 per square foot in 2011.
Additional Renderings of 1100 Millecento Residences
I came across two additional renderings of 1100 Millecento Residences while surfing the Internet which I decided to share. The one above is a nighttime shot of 1100 Millecento Residences as seen from the intersection of Southeast 9 Street and South Miami Avenue at Mary Brickell Village. I’m quite pleased with the amount of air space that resides between 1100 Millecento Residences and the north tower of Axis. I was concerned that the 19 and 20 lines at Axis would be looking directly into the west side of 1100 Millecento Residences and have their view completely obstructed. That doesn’t seem to be the case if the rendering above is accurate.
The second rendering is of an east facing unit at 1100 Millecento Residences which would provide you with an amazing view of the Brickell skyline as well as an obstructed view of Biscayne Bay. The rendering indicates that the kitchens will be outfitted with Italian wood cabinetry, limestone counter tops and a Subzero refrigerator. Unit details have to be released, however.
I also learned that 1100 Millecento Residences will have a 9th floor elevated pool deck with a club room, a state-of-the-art fitness center, private theater and 42nd floor rooftop infinity edge pool with private cabanas. To put into perspective the type of view one might get from the 42nd floor, think 500 Brickell. 500 Brickell also has a 42nd floor rooftop pool.
Pre-construction sales for 1100 Millecento Residences have not yet begun but prices are expected to start at $350 per square foot.
1100 Millecento Residences – A First Look
If all goes according to plan, Related Group will follow pre-construction sales of myBrickell with the launch of 1100 Millecento Residences, a proposed 382-unit condo development to be located directly east of the north tower of Axis at 1100 S Miami Avenue in Brickell. Designed by world-renowned architect Carlos Ott, the development formerly known as myBrickell 2 will rise 42 stories and include street-level retail space.
Pre-construction sales information has yet to released for 1100 Millencento Residences but expect an announcement soon given the level of demand for Miami condos at this time and the fact that Related Group is close to selling out myBrickell.
Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat Purchases 5 Bedroom Condo at Marquis Residences from Drake
Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers will now have a short commute to work. The Miami Herald reported on Friday that he recently purchased a 5 bedroom/6 bath condo at Marquis Residences in Downtown Miami for $2.6M. Marquis Residences is located at 1100 Biscayne Blvd, just 5 short blocks away from the American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat. The condo was previously owned by hip-hop/rap artist Drake who placed two side-by-side units at Marquis Residences under contract last September then later combined them.
The Mark on Brickell 3 Bedroom – $365,000
If you are in the market for a 3 bedroom condo in Brickell but on a limited budget, you might want to consider this property at The Mark on Brickell. I came across it while conducting a search on the MLS on behalf of a client and was surprised at the price. It’s a 3 bedroom/2 bath condo with 1,470 interior square feet and travertine and wood flooring throughout. The asking price is $365,000, or $248 per square foot, which is an exceptional value to be in a waterfront building in Brickell. The unit does not have a water view but one should not be expected at this price point. Expect to pay at least $100,000 more for a 3 bedroom in Brickell if you require a water view. This condo is located on the 6th floor with direct access to the pool deck which does offer panoramic views of Biscayne Bay. The unit is currently tenant-occupied but the lease ends next month.
