Batting Practice, First Seat Installed in Florida Marlins’ New Stadium
It appears that construction of the Florida Marlins’ new stadium is still on schedule for a March 1, 2012 opening. For those who missed The Miami Herald article yesterday, Marlins players such as Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton, John Buck and Gaby Sanchez took batting practice and the first seat was installed in the new ballpark. The article also mentions that premium seating is selling fast and full season-ticket sales for 2012 already exceeds all season-ticket plans sold for 2011. I, for one, look forward to the day when Miami will have its own stadium and arriving at a ball game will take just 7 minutes rather than making the long commute to Broward County.
Dedication Ceremony Scheduled for Miami Circle Park
The end is almost near…for Miami Circle Park that is. According to a local news station, a dedication ceremony of Miami Circle Park is scheduled for 11:30am on February 23, 2011. As you can see from the picture above, the park has come a long way since construction began. Miami Circle Park, designated a National Historic Landmark to preserve a 2,000 year old archaeological find, is located at the mouth of the Miami River and Biscayne Bay. Residents of Brickell will now have a green space of which they can be proud.
Latest Report Shows Buying Property in Miami More Affordable Than Renting
It is more affordable in Miami to buy vs rent, according to the latest Rent vs Buy Index released by Trulia.com earlier this afternoon. Miami and Las Vegas topped the list of metropolitan cities where it is more affordable to buy rather than rent. The report compared the cost of leasing a 2 bedroom home with the cost of ownership. An increase in demand from renters along with a shrinking inventory has caused the pendulum to shift in the opposite direction.
In contrast, the above list shows the top 10 cities where it is still more affordable to rent vs buy along with their associated price-to-rent ratio.
Future Publix at 18th Street & Biscayne Boulevard
The above rendering was released by the South Florida Business Journal today in an article entitled “Stiles plans Publix in downtown Miami”. The rendering is of a 49,000 square foot Publix that is planned for the location at Northeast 18th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. That article mentions that the Publix will have a bakery, pharmacy, liquor store and cafe’.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Make Their Decision
In today’s Miami Real Estate Review episode, we discuss a report released by The Palm Beach Post stating that LeBron James of the Miami Heat has recently placed a tri-level home in Coconut Grove under contract. We also reveal inside information that was disclosed to us last week that Dwayne Wade has signed a one-year lease on a 59th floor penthouse at 900 Biscayne Bay. We close the show by highlighting a few housing statistics.
Museum Park Remediation Underway
Late last week, I was showing a condo at 900 Biscayne Bay and looked down at the Museum Park remediation work that is well underway. The remediation process should be completed this November. Construction of the Miami Art Museum building will then begin and delivery is scheduled for sometime in 2013. The Miami Science Museum building will break ground in 2011 and is projected to be completed in 2014. Once complete, Museum Park will be a great addition to the neighborhood and should have a positive impact on the values of Park West condos in the area.
The New Look of Miami Condo Investments
A few months ago, we decided to overhaul the Miami Condo Investments website. Our aim was to create a Miami real estate website with more content and functionality than its predecessor. Today, we’re pleased to present the new look of Miami Condo Investments. The website is still a work in progress but we hope to have all bugs fixed and new content published within the next 30 days. Below, you’ll find a list of a few of the features added to the new website:
Message Board – Many of you have asked for a forum to discuss various topics related and unrelated to real estate. Hopefully many of you will make good use of it.
Photo Blog – I introduced this feature last month. Here you’ll find real estate related pictures that we have taken in and around Miami and Miami Beach.
Client Resources – Clients often have the same questions regarding the rental or sales process or questions regarding financing or closing costs. We felt that this would be a good section of the website to provide the answers to these frequently asked questions.
Earlier this afternoon, we also submitted our updated iPhone app to iTunes for approval. We hope that it will be approved and available for everyone to download by the middle of next week.
It’s amazing when I look back at the original Miami Condo Investments blog and realize just how far the website has come in terms of size and quality since that time.
Information for International Buyers
We often work with buyers from all over the world who have questions regarding the buying process in the United States because it often varies from country to country. In today’s video, Michael discusses a few misconceptions or questions that foreign buyers sometimes have when shopping for real estate here.
Marina Blue Unit 5104 – $470,000
Last Thursday, we acquired a new listing at Marina Blue. It’s a beautiful 2 bedroom/2 bath condo on the 51st floor with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay, the Miami Beach skyline and Downtown Miami. The condo has 1,208 square feet of interior, 138 square feet of balcony, porcelain tiled floors throughout, Wenge California-style closets, window shades and 10-foot ceilings. The purchase price also includes two assigned parking spaces. As many of you know, it is rare for a 2 bedroom or even a 3 bedroom condo in Miami to include a second parking space. Additionally, the condo includes a 55 square foot storage room which is pictured below.
Marina Blue is located in Downtown Miami across the street from the American Airlines Arena at 888 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132. Please give us a call if you or someone you know has an interest in viewing this Marina Blue condo in person. 305-428-3860
