James Beard Award-Winning Chef Opens Caribbean Restaurant in Miami
Photo Credit: La Cañita
You may have heard of chef, Michelle Bernstein. If you haven’t, it’s time to get her on your radar. She is a Miami native who was awarded the James Beard Award, which recognizes culinary professionals in the United States.
Not only is she known for this outstanding achievement, but she is also an expert in Latin American cooking and is responsible for Café La Trova, and Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company.
Just last week, Bernstein opened up a new restaurant located at the Bayside Marketplace called La Cañita. Bernstein partnered with her husband, David Martinez, as well as David Borgia and Orestes Pajon on this Latin American and Caribbean-infused restaurant.
She has incorporated cuisines from Tobago, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Cuba as well as other South American recipes. Her signatures include chicken fricassee, custom sandwiches, and empanadas. One of the most popular desserts is the 305 rum cake. La Cañita also offers an expansive rum-centered cocktail menu.
La Cañita plays on an indoor and outdoor design emphasizing the waterfront views. The tropical painted foliage, wood-grain tones throughout, and painted copper pipes create the perfect distillery vibe.
Although Bernstein isn’t the chef of La Cañita, she created the menu as well as trained the current staff. According to her husband, Martinez, “We are so fortunate to have this melting pot of cultural and culinary influences in this city, and we hope to put them front-and-center with our new concept-driven restaurant.”
Photo Credit: La Cañita
Former Linebacker for the Miami Dolphins Sells Miami Beach Home for $6.25 Million
Photo Credit: Julian Cohen
Orlandus Andre Branch III is a former outside linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, who played from 2016 until his retirement in 2019. Branch recently sold his mansion for $6.25 million after purchases in 2019 for $2.8 million. What an investment!
Located just a couple blocks from Biscayne Bay in the Nautilus neighborhood at 4535 Nautilus Court in Miami Beach. The modern mansion features 6,000 square feet of professionally designed living space.
The 6 bedroom, 6.5 bathroom new construction home features European oak and marble floors throughout and high-end kitchen appliances. The home is completely finished with a steam room, media area, and tall ceilings throughout.
Photo Credit: Julian Cohen
The exterior is perfect for entertaining with an expansive backyard with lush Florida landscaping featuring an outdoor kitchen, oversized terraces, pool, and jacuzzi. The mansion is perfectly located near South Beach, Bal Harbour, and the Design District.
According to Miami-Dade tax records, the home closed on September 3rd, to buyers Bryant M. Yunker Jr. and wife Nancy. Bryant is a retired Wall Street Broker. The Yunker’s also own Sway Lounge, located in Naples, Florida.
This property is the highest-priced sale for a non-waterfront home in the Nautilus neighborhood. This record-breaking sale is just one of the many that have occurred in Miami in 2021.
In July, a waterfront mansion sold as the highest-priced home sale ever in all of Miami-Dade. Bay Harbor Islands also had a record-breaking sale of $12.75 million on a recent waterfront home, making it the highest-priced sale in all of Bay Harbor. Our very own, Lucas Lechuga, also sold one of the highest-priced condo sales for the month of August 2021 at Setai South Beach for $12.3 million.
$12.3 Million Setai Sale Leads Miami Condo Weekly Sales
Sales for Miami-Dade once again surged this past week with the most expensive condo sale closing at Setai Miami Beach. According to the MLS, residential sales totaled $2.7 billion for all of July 2021, reaching 67 percent higher than the previous year.
Condo sales totaled a staggering $148 million compared to last week’s $131 million. The previous week’s volume rose from 208 to a total of 226. The average condo sales price also rose from $632,000 to $640,500.
The most expensive condo sale that occurred was a luxury condo at Setai, which sold for $12.3 million. After 39 days on the market, the unit sold for close to $3,391 per square foot. Our very own, Lucas Lechuga brought in the buyer for this property.
The second-highest and fewest days on the market condo sale occurred at One Thousand Museum for $5.6 million at $1,212 per square foot. This property was on the market for 1 day.
July Sales
Residential sales rose 58% in July with 3,632 closings, which consist of mostly condominium transactions. Single-family sales increased by 15% to 1,373 and condo sales increased by 104% to 2,259 sales.
The luxury market also experienced a leap in sales rising 110% for single-family homes compared to July 2020. For luxury condo sales, an increase of 323% compared to last July.
Waterfront Mansion in Coconut Grove Breaks Record at $65 Million
Photo Credit: Pacheco-Martinez & Associates
A new record is in the books for Miami-Dade home sales. A waterfront spec mansion just sold for $65 million. Located in Coconut Grove, this home is the highest price sold residential home in Miami-Dade County history.
According to tax records, the property was traded for $50 million but multiple sources stated the home actually sold for $65 million which included the cost of completing construction on the home.
The home is located at 3488 Saint Gaudens Road and was sold by a company that is managed by Isaac Perez. According to the Real Deal and Tampa Bay Times, Isaac Perez is a longtime Key Biscayne resident who is an heir to a Venezuelan oil fortune.
The buyer is unknown but does have a Delaware LLC. Perez’s sister is also listed as the manager of the company.
The estate features 3 parcels totaling 4.3 acres with a pool deck, jacuzzi, boat dock, and outdoor entertaining space with a waterfall.
The lots were originally a part of a larger property that Perez purchased for $18 million in 2013. The 4th lot that a new mansion was built on was separated and sold a year ago for $6.2 million.
The transaction was financed with a $20 million loan from the Maxim Credit Group. This record sale passed the $50 million 2019 sale of the estate at 3 Indian Creek Island Road.
Own this Multi-Million Dollar Home in Miami for Free
Photo Credit: Omaze
A for-profit fundraising website, Omaze has partnered with the Charities Aid Foundation, and Make-A-Wish Foundation to raffle off a 7 bedroom, 6 bathroom home in Kendall, just south of downtown Miami.
The property last sold in April 2021 and is currently valued at $2.6 million and you can own it for free. According to the Omaze website, it doesn’t cost anything to enter but if you would like additional entries and a greater chance to win, then the entrant can purchase additional entries.
Five additional entries equal $5 but $150 can get you 2,000 entries. The more you pay, the more you play. The amount of entries is limited to 6,000 per person. The proceeds from the purchase go towards the Charities Aid Foundation who will then distribute the funds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
This specific raffle will go towards helping 9-year-old Khushi who is currently battling cancer in her dream to become a princess. In a statement, Omaze stated they will only keep 15% of the contest revenue for operating costs.
The home is located at 8100 SW 96th Street and features 6,060 square feet of living space. Photos of the home show a gated property opening to the modern-style home with vaulted wood ceilings and a covered patio.
Photo Credit: Omaze
Home Amenities:
Greeting room with wet bar
Designer kitchen with a Wolf gas range, double ovens, subzero refrigerator, Miele coffee maker, Neff cabinets, Silestone countertops, and a large island
Luxurious master suite with a sitting area, private terrace overlooking a pool, two walk-in closets, and an “amazing” master bathroom
Office
Private upstairs studio apartment
Heated pool and spa area with a kids’ wading area
Outdoor kitchen with grill area
Elevator
Savant smart home automation system
Metal roofing
Porcelain floors throughout
Generator-ready electrical system
Two-car garage
The deadline to enter the Omaze raffle is December 18, 2021, and the winner will be announced in early January 2022. If the winner decides to forgo accepting the prize, a cash option of $1.8 million is available which will be paid in installments of $150,000 for 12 months.
The Next Steps: After the Champlain South Tower Collapse
In the wake of the condo collapse at Champlain Towers South, we are starting to see a shift in homeowner association infrastructure reporting as well as maintenance. Towns and local governments ordered immediate inspections and updated reports on older towers.
Miami/Dade County ordered inspections on towers older than 40 years of age. Miami Beach ordered an additional and immediate building inspection on all of their towers since the collapse.
Aventura, Florida is one of the only cities in Florida to pass an ordinance requiring condo associations to provide the officials with engineering and architectural reports within 24 hours, when requested. These reports will include concerns electrical, structural, or life safety concerns and on an annual basis.
According to the city press release, associations that do not comply with the new guidelines will be fined up to $500 a day and up to 60 days in prison.
This new ordinance was passed on Thursday and was sponsored by the Mayor of Aventura, Enid Weisman. The ordinance will become law once it receives a second approval.
Mayor Weisman stated, “There is nothing more important than ensuring the safety of the residents of Aventura. Requiring that reports indicating potential dangers to our residents are provided to the city will create transparency and help us to ensure the structural and electrical integrity of our residents’ homes.”
A second meeting is scheduled on August 10, 2021, to officially vote on the new ordinance.
We are encouraged by the actions of Aventura Florida and we hope to see the same ordinances and guidelines for all of Florida.
Miami will be the First Test Market for Lyft’s Self-Driving Cars
Lyft has been competing with Uber since it first launched its services in 2012. Now Lyft has the upper hand in the market because for the first time ever, Lyft will be launching a self-driving ‘robotaxi’ services in Miami.
Lyft has partnered with Argo AI, an AV startup that is backed by Volkswagen and Ford to bring artificial intelligence into ride-sharing. Launching in Miami later this year and Austin, Texas next year.
According to the press release today surrounding the partnership and ride-sharing initiative. Ford has promised to bring full-scale autonomous vehicles for the public that could make more reliable predictions than other self-driving cars on the market. For this self-driving car, Ford has built a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, but there are currently no renderings or photos available.
During the transition, Ford along with Argo will be inviting members of the general public to ride in autonomous vehicles for consumer testing. The first fleet of cars to start in Miami will feature less than 100 cars. According to Argo, they expect to have more than 1,000 vehicles across several markets in the U.S in the next 5 years.
The technology itself has been tested in Miami for several years prior to this announcement. According to the press release, these vehicles will be available on the Lyft platform in Miami by the end of the year. The vehicles will include 2 ‘safety drivers’ in the front and passenger seats.
Argo is also is preparing to launch an autonomous delivery service with Volkswagon in Germany by 2025.
Waldorf Astoria Hosts its Official Sales Gallery Grand Opening
The long awaited sales gallery launch for Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami has officially arrived and we couldn’t be more excited! Last night Waldorf Astoria hosted their official sales gallery grand opening located at 400 Biscayne Blvd across the street from Waldorf Astoria’s official pre-construction tower site.
PMG developers Ryan Shear and Kevin Maloney were in attendance as well as Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences architects Carlos Ott and Charles Sieger (of Sieger-Suarez Architects). Mayor Suarez stated, “we are so proud of this iconic project that is going to help redefine who we are as a city.”
Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami will rise 100 stories at 1,049 feet tall making it the “highest skyscraper south of Manhattan.” It will also be the first Waldorf Astoria development in South Florida. Featuring 360 condos, 205 hotel rooms and suites, this incredible tower will truly be one of a kind. Tower amenities include a Peacock Alley lounge, signature restaurant, resort-style pool with cabanas, spa and fitness center.
Designed by Carlos Ott and architecture by Sieger Suarez, the design will feature 9 glass cubes offset from the next. This design will truly be the first of its kind in South Florida.
PMG developers, led by Ryan Shear, Kevin Maloney, and Dan Kaplan are the brains of the project and have stated that they have been working on the development project since 2014 and originally announced the launch in 2018.
Property Markets Group, Greybrook, and Hilton are also partnering on the project. The hotel portion of the Warldorf will be the first 3 cubes and Hilton will be managing that portion of the tower.
The residential units will begin at $656,000 and will increase depending on the location in the building as well as the size
STUDIOS
CUBE 4 – above level 40 From 516 sq ft. to 653 sq ft / Starting at $656,000
ONE BEDROOM
CUBE 5 – above level 50 From 873 sq ft. to 950 sq ft / Starting at $997,500
TWO BEDROOMS
CUBE 5 – above level 50 From 1491 sq ft. to 1951 sq ft / Starting at $1,701,000
THREE BEDROOMS
CUBE 5 – above level 50 2659 sq ft. / Starting at $4,111,000
FOUR BEDROOMS
CUBE 6 – above level 60 3,256 sq ft / Starting at $4,987,000
Sales for Waldorf Astoria launched in March 2021 with an estimated ground breaking in Q4 of 2021. The completion date is currently set for 2025. If you or someone you know have interest in purchasing one of the units at Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at (786)247-6332.
Arch Investors and Infinity Developers are Teaming Up for a 20 Story Project in Edgewater
New York-based Arch Cos. Investors and Miami-based Infinity Collective developers have previously worked on a 19-story Edgewater project located at 2500 Biscayne Blvd. Within the past few years, they have started the process of working on a residential project directly across the street at 2501 Biscayne Blvd.
The developers purchased the 1.5 acre sited in 2017 for a combined $32.18 million. The financial terms are unknown but they have jointly taken ownership of the property. This site was the previous home for the Latin Café 2000 Biscayne restaurant.
Plans haven’t been officially released to the public but 2501 Biscayne will rise 20 stories featuring 250 apartments, and some exclusive commercial space on the main floor of the tower. The name of the project is TBD.
According to the managing partner of Arch Cos., Jeffrey Simpson, “We believe in the long-term potential of 2501 Biscayne for our partnership, as well as in the continued growth of Edgewater as employers increasingly seek out space in Miami.”
Arch Cos. is a New York-based real estate and financial investment firm that currently services 9 states. They currently have $630 million in their real estate portfolio and have assisted with more than 3,000 multi-family units.
Infinity Collective, located in Miami has been in business since 2002 and are currently working on projects 2500 Biscayne Blvd and Esme Hotel in Miami Beach.
