Despite maintaining that the project is “on hold” and not “cancelled”, Related Group is cancelling the reservations and refunding deposits to the pre-construction buyers in Auberge Miami. Last April, the first of the three planned towers was reported to be 20% in reservation, contracts were to be delivered shortly and groundbreaking was scheduled for early 2017. When the sales screeched to a roaring halt, the project was officially put on hold until at least 2018.
“We are selling, and as soon as we get to our (desired) presales we will start construction. The sales center is open,” Related’s condo division president, Carlos Rosso told us in August as they delayed the project. Now that the reservations are cancelled and the deposits returned, I take that to mean that they are no longer selling. The developer’s website for the project has also gone dark and their social media accounts have been quiet since November.
It is possible that the formal cancellation has taken place so that Related can later sell the apartments at a higher price. The buyers we had in the project were given an amazing price, which is one of the reasons we are so disappointed to hear of the cancellation. When completed, Auberge was supposed to have 1,400 units in 3 towers on a 2.8 acre build site at 14th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. The first tower was the only one to open sales and had units priced between $350,000 to $3.9 million.
This isn’t the only project in the works that is “on hold.” Related’s other mega project, One Brickell is also on hold indefinitely. The website is down and the leases in the existing office building have been renewed without the kickout clauses that are used when a new tower is moving forward. If built, One Brickell will bring three new towers to the corner of 5th Street and Brickell Avenue. The first would be a 75 story hotel and condo tower, then a 57 story residential tower and an 82 story third tower that will likely be residential as well. Prices were reported to begin at $700,000 but sales did not officially start.
Elysee Reveals “Les Grandes Maisons” Collection & New Renderings
Builders typically wait until further into the sales cycle to release the larger, higher and more expensive apartments, but the time is now for Elysee. They have unveiled a collection of the larger, limited edition, full-floor residences on floors 46-56 of the 57 story tower. With the telescoping design, the building is able to offer deeper balconies and 3,891 square foot 5 bedroom plans with a sky-high vantage point. Les Grandes Maisons will bring together the atmosphere and proportions of an estate-like home, penthouse level upgrades and a suite of integrated health and wellness enhancements. The health and wellness enhancements include an aromatherapy infuser integrated into the HVAC system of each residence that continually cleanses the air and dispenses high-quality customizable fragrances; LEED-Certified Wellness Habitat interior paint with antibacterial, anti-mold and odor-eliminating properties; and a pre-installed water filtration system that effectively eliminates impurities.
Owners of Les Grandes Maisons also have the option to have their residences designed by Parisian designer Jean-Louis Deniot,one of the world’s preeminent talents in interior design. Prices for Elysee’s Les Grandes Maisons start at $2.8 million. Tres chic!
All residences will include floor-to-ceiling glass windows and sliding doors, private elevators and foyers, 10- to 12-foot ceiling heights, designer finishes and fixtures, premium appliances, top-of-the-line Italian cabinetry, as well as two expansive east/west-facing terraces with wide open sunrise and sunset views.
Building amenities will include two resort style pools, a health club featuring a fitness center, yoga studio and spa with sauna, steam and shower facilities and private massage rooms, a children’s playroom and a blow-dry bar. Residents will also have access to an exclusive Owners Sky Lounge which will encompass the tower’s entire 30th floor and feature a Great Room, Grand Salon entertainment area with a full bar and piano lounge, Grand Dining Room with seating for up to 30 guests, wine room, chef’s kitchen, library, private theater and gaming room. Elysee owners will also have the enviable advantage of Elysee Attaché – a premium concierge service that will be available to residents 24/7 for travel arrangements, dinner reservations, concert and event tickets, gift deliveries, and more. The project is currently 44% sold and expects to break ground shortly.
Paramount Miami Worldcenter Secures $285 Million Construction Loan
Despite the fact that the preconstruction market is cooling off and construction loans are notoriously difficult to obtain, the developers of Paramount Miami Worldcenter have secured a massive $285 million construction loan to fund their luxury project.
“Construction financing is definitely deteriorating,” said Aaron Kurlansky, a principal at FM Capital, a commercial real-estate investment firm told the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Kurlansky said that while at the peak, developers could finance up to 75% of the cost to build a project, now that is down to about 50%.
The construction cost of Paramount Miami Worldcenter is said to cost upwards of half a billion dollars, and the developers have contributed a lot of equity plus raised funds through the popular EB-5 Visa program, which offers an investor visa that transfers to a green card for those foreign investors who contribute $500,000 to a project that creates jobs.
According to the developer’s representatives, the residential tower is 60% sold and is continually selling at a rate of around 10 units per month. While this number is not as impressive as the 20 sales per month that they had become accustomed to during previous years, it is far better than many other developers are faring. In some less-popular projects, we have seen months pass with only a handful of sales. Paramount Miami Worldcenter will have 562 units priced at an average of $750/foot.
This construction loan is the second largest in the last two years, according to The Real Deal. The only loan secured that was larger was The Residences at Armani Casa, which was $305 million.
SLS Lux Reduces Prices On Final Inventory Of Penthouses
I have long said that the best time to buy in a new development is either in the very beginning or at the very end of the sales cycle. That is when the buyer gets the best deal.
In the beginning, the developer offers lower pricing in exchange for being among the first to participate in the project. You don’t receive a tour of the building and many times the sales center isn’t even completed yet. At the end of the project, the developer has a handful of units remaining and is eager to move on to their next project, so are less likely to hold on to top dollar for those last few purchase opportunities.
My personal favorite time to sell an apartment is at the very end of the sales cycle. At that point, the buyer can have a tour of the project, they know that it will actually happen because they can see it, and many times they can still choose their finishes. Some people think that the last few units remaining are the dog apartments of the building, but that is not what my experience has shown. It is typically penthouses because they are so unique.
So, here we are at SLS Lux. After opening sales in the summer of 2014, the partnership between Related Group and The Allen Morris Company is now on the home stretch to Sold Out status. They have five remaining units, all penthouses. In an effort to close out the building as quickly as possible and reflect the new market, they have repriced the last inventory. Here are the new prices:
Penthouse 04
This one has northern exposure, looking over Brickell City Centre to see Downtown Miami and the Biscayne Bay. It has 2,777 square feet and 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a den. There are three of these remaining.
Lower Penthouse 04 has been reduced to $2,599,900 from $2,999,900.
Middle Penthouse 04 has been reduced to $2,649,900 from $3,149,900.
Upper Penthouse 04 has been reduced to $2,699,900 from $3,199,900.
The 01 penthouses have 1,888 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and a den. They are on the northwest corner of the building, looking over Brickell City Centre into Downtown Miami. Two of these remain, both priced at $1,599,900. The previous price was $1,999,900.
In addition to the amenities and standard finishes in SLS Lux, the penthouses will have upgraded kitchens, 12 foot ceilings, summer kitchens on the terraces and 2 assigned parking spaces. Completion is expected late this year. Here is a preview of the views from the various penthouses.
Paraiso Construction & Sales Update
The folks over at Plaza Construction have been hard at work over the last few months, making big progress on the Paraiso Complex in Edgewater that is made up of Paraiso Bay, GranParaiso, One Paraiso, Paraiso Bayviews, Paraiso Bayhomes and the Paraiso Beach Club. That’s a lot of Paraisos! Here is how they are coming along, followed by construction photos:
Paraiso Bay is currently sold out. It has topped off and is now being finished out. They are scheduled to start closings in the early Summer 2017.
One Paraiso has reached the 37th floor of the 53 story tower. There are a handful of penthouses remaining, priced between $2 million – $3.5 million.
Paraiso Bayviews has reached the 33rd floor with 10 to go until topoff at 43 stories. This is the least expensive of the towers and Related Group is currently near close-out on the inventory. The last remaining opportunities range from $600k for a 1,460 square foot 2 bedroom/2 bath up to $1.6 million for a 2,522 square foot upper penthouse with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.
GranParaiso is the last of the 4 large towers to be completed. It has reached the 22nd floor and will top off at 53 stories. The last opportunities in this tower range from an $800k 1 bedroom, 2 bath with 1,000 square feet up to $3.2 million for a 3,200 square foot upper penthouse with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.
The Paraiso Bayhomes are a small enclave of townhome-style units along the base of the project. These are 4 stories tall and feel more like a single-family home than a condo. There are only 2 remaining of the 8 that are under construction. They are available at $2 million apiece. One has 3 bedrooms and the other has 4 bedrooms. They have topped out already and are receiving their glass panels.
The Paraiso Beach Club is a shared amenity for the four towers and Bayhomes. It is set to open alongside Paraiso Bay this summer and will feature a restaurant by Michael Schwartz as well as boat slips for the residents to enjoy. Update: The restaurant is called Amara at Paraiso.
Have a look at the photos here:
Paraiso Sales Gallery
Paraiso Beach Club – Paraiso Bay
Paraiso Beach Club
Paraiso Bayviews West Facade
Paraiso Bayviews West
Paraiso Bayviews & Paraiso Bay
Paraiso Bayviews Lower Levels
Paraiso Bayviews Construction Progress
Paraiso Bayviews and OneParaiso
Paraiso Bayviews
Paraiso Bayhomes Construction Progress
Paraiso Bayhomes and Gran Paraiso
Paraiso Bayhomes
Paraiso Bay Condos
Paraiso Bay and Gran Paraiso
Paraiso Bay
One Paraiso Facade
One Paraiso Facade
One Paraiso
One Paraiso
Gran Paraiso
Gran Paraiso
Aria on the Bay Lowers Deposit Requirement To 35% On All Units
Edgewater’s Aria on the Bay is slashing their minimum required down payment to 35%. Prior to the change, buyers were required to deposit at least 50% of their purchase price before closing.
The construction is currently on the 41st floor and will top off this summer at 53 floors. The 35% deposit schedule is: 20% of the purchase price is due within 2 weeks of the contract being signed and the remaining 15% is due at top-off. The final balance is due at closing in late 2017 or early 2018 although it is common for mortgages to be introduced for the final amount.
Aria on the Bay is Melo Group’s first luxury waterfront tower and is already a big success. They have sold 74% of the 647 units with an average price of $540/square foot. Remaining opportunities range from a $420,000 1 bedroom with 880 square feet and a south view up to the $1.6 million 3 bedroom residence with a den, 4 full bathrooms, private elevator and a 600 square foot terrace with north views.
Related Group’s One Brickell On Hold For 5+ Years
One Brickell, Related Group’s riverfront mega-project in Brickell, appears to be on hold until at least 2022. The 1,400 unit waterfront project was slated to be developed in 3 towers at 444 Brickell Avenue, where Capital Grille currently stands along with a 10 story office tower. Previously, it was scheduled to break ground in 2016.
Since the news broke in late 2014 that the towers were on their way, the developer had stopped pushing for new tenants in the office building. They were still signing new leases, yet requiring a 6-month kick out clause, allowing Related to have a vacant building when it came time to begin construction. Since the kick out clause isn’t an ideal situation for tenants, not many offices complied.
As of today, Related is heavily marketing the office tower to tenants. They are pushing for the property to be leased up within 6 months, offering incentives for deals up to 10 years. The lease terms offered are between 2-10 years, with higher incentives for longer leases. New leases signed with a term of up to 5 years also do not have the kick out clause, meaning that Related cannot develop the land until those leases expire.
There has not yet been an official announcement made, but this isn’t the first tower to be put on hold. Auberge in the arts district has also been effectively placed on hold. They are still offering units for sale but have stopped marketing the project. In September, Jorge Perez said at the “State of the Market Conference” in Wynwood that he expects a market slowdown and that his company will not bring a project out of the ground if it is not at least 70% pre-sold with 50% deposits. Since One Brickell had not yet released pre-sales, it seems we have a confirmation after all.
Paramount Miami Worldcenter Offers an EB-5 Program That Includes a Condo
With all the excitement surrounding Congress’s vote to extend the EB-5 Visa program through December, it is important to note that not every project that markets as an investor visa opportunity is in fact approved as such. Investors must choose wisely when going into any investment, but even more so with the EB-5.
I have seen agents advertising resale condos as an EB-5 opportunity. Going into this transaction will get you the condo, but since the necessary 10 jobs are not created through that purchase, no visa will be granted.
Aspiring developers will sometimes also collect EB-5 funds in order to raise capital to purchase the land for a project but have not yet obtained any of the permitting for the project or for the EB-5 offering. This is extremely risky as the project could never happen. The funds could be lost, time would be wasted and no visa would be granted.
Other opportunities will secure the visa, but not pay a return during the construction of the project.
I have only seen one EB-5 opportunity that will grant the investor a visa, a condo and a return. The Paramount Miami Worldcenter EB-5 offering seems to be the most beneficial and secure investment currently on the market.
Their program is a 5 year offering with 0.5% interest paid annually. Paramount Miami Worldcenter will be completed in 2.5 years, in which case the client could close with cash, finance the remainder of the balance or delay the closing and lease the apartment through the developer’s rental program. The initial visa arrives after the investor’s application is approved, and the investor can apply for citizenship after 5 years.
I like this project because it is already under construction and 55% sold. This is happening. Only 10% of the project financing is coming from EB-5, so over 40 jobs will be created per applicant. The condos are really amazing and the project is transforming the Downtown Miami area, so it is very exciting.
Of course, there are other EB-5 offerings available in the area… SkyRise Miami, Panorama Tower, a few restaurants (including Dunkin Donuts, Tap 42 and Meat Market) and I’ve heard One Thousand Museum has begun its application. Paramount Miami Worldcenter is still my favorite since they offer relative security, the return, the condo and the visa.
Here is more information from their presentation. Let us know if you would like a presentation as well.
New Video Released for Paramount Miami Worldcenter Showcasing the High Street Retail
A new video was released today for Paramount Miami Worldcenter and includes footage of what the high street retail will look like once finished. Well, the video isn’t exactly new. It’s an edited video with all references of the mall removed and, in its place, new footage showcasing the high street retail. Spoiler alert: It looks amazing!
