A 1 bedroom pre-foreclosure unit at Flamingo South Beach has recently been listed in the MLS. I think this is going to be the first of many pre-foreclosures and foreclosures that we’ll be seeing at Flamingo South Beach in the next 12 months. In my opinion, Flamingo South Beach will turn out to be a solid investment in the long-term, but with 1,688 total units in the three towers that comprise Flamingo South Beach and current real estate market conditions, it is going to take a long while for the demand to catch up with the supply.
Flamingo South Beach is the largest condo-conversion ever to occur in the United States. MCZ Development Corp has completed the conversion of the south tower, which total 562 units, and has recently begun the sale of the 614 units in the north tower. MCZ Development Corp will likely begin the sale of the remaining 512 units in the center tower early next year, if they choose to exercise their option to purchase that tower.
Unfortunately, the recently listed 1 bedroom pre-foreclosure at Flaming South Beach is grossly overpriced. At a list price of $369,000, and an average price per square foot of over $500, it isn’t even close to being the best priced resale in the south tower. With minimal views from the third floor facing the open courtyard, I think we’ll see this unit move once the owner becomes truly motivated to avoid foreclosure.
Prediction…a list price of under $300K will get it sold. View all South Beach condos.
The video below will show you a typical 2 bedroom at Flamingo South Beach to give you an idea of how the interior of the units look. This is NOT the pre-foreclosure unit. The unit in the video is much larger and has fantastic views of Biscayne Bay, Star Island and the Miami skyline from a much higher floor.
One of best amenities at Flamingo South Beach is the 15,000 square foot, state-of-the-art fitness center. It has recently become the newest addition to the David Barton Gym chain and has been renamed accordingly. The video below will show you the fitness before the transition was made from being called the Flamingo Athletic Club to David Barton Gym.
Update: 2 Bedroom Foreclosure @ The Cosmopolitan in South Beach
The 2 bedroom foreclosure at The Cosmopolitan in South Beach that I blogged about two days ago is under contract. However, there is a second 2 bedroom foreclosure in the building that is currently listed at $520,000. The previous owner of this South Beach condo paid $590,000 in September 2006, according to the Miami-Dade property search. This one has a balcony and a partial view of the ocean. The pictures below are from the MLS listing for that unit.
2 Bedroom Foreclosure @ The Cosmopolitan in South Beach is Prime for the Picking
There’s a 2 bedroom foreclosure at The Cosmopolitan in South Beach that is prime for the picking. Located on the corner of 1st Street and Washington Avenue, The Cosmopolitan is two blocks from Ocean Drive and the beach. Having been built in 2004, The Cosmopolitan is one of the more recent additions to the South Beach neighborhood known as South of Fifth, commonly referred to by locals as SoFi. South of Fifth is arguably the best neighborhood in South Beach, and with a few exceptions, such as The Setai, has the most expensive real estate in South Beach. The neighborhood is also home to some of the hottest nightlife spots in South Beach, such as Nikki Beach, Pearl, Prive, and Opium Garden, and has top restaurants, such as the world-famous Joe’s Stone Crab, Monty’s Raw Bar, China Grill and Smith & Wollensky.
Earlier this year, the bank took possession of this 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo unit, with 1,010 square feet, and has recently listed it with a traditional real estate agent. On May 1, 2007 it was listed at $560,000. At that price, it was the second best priced 2 bedroom unit at The Cosmopolitan but still far from being considered a true bargain. The owner of this unit paid $545,000 in July 2006. Two days later, on May 3, 2007, the price of the property was reduced $40,000 to $520,000 which, according to closed sales figures in the MLS, is the lowest that a 2 bedroom unit at The Cosmopolitan has ever been resold. Still no takers. On May 15, 2007, the bank once again dropped the price to $485,000. In the past six months, only one 2 bedroom/2 bathroom unit with the same square footage has sold in The Cosmopolitan. It closed in January 2007 for $587,500. Another 2 bedroom/2 bathroom unit that was 186 square feet larger sold for $668,000 in April 2007.
In my opinion, this is one price drop away from being considered an excellent deal. The only problem is that if another price drop should occur, several South Beach real estate investors, with their money on the sidelines, will likely submit offers on this property. The better option is to make an offer now, below the current list price, to avoid being in a multiple-offer situation. I don’t know about you, but anything under $450,000 sounds pretty juicy to me.
I’m going to try to take pictures and video footage of this unit tomorrow and post them here if I can. It may take a few days since it says that the unit is currently tenant-occupied.
Judgment Day Just Around the Corner for the Miami Condo Market
There are a number of premier condo buildings that are scheduled for completion in the next six months throughout Miami. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
It will be interesting to see, in the coming months, where prices will go from here. The number of distressed properties has been climbing throughout Miami-Dade County and that number should escalate as these new units hit the market. A year ago properties in Miami were selling like hotcakes. 12 months later the market has cooled considerably in Miami, as has the overall national real estate market. Vulture capitalists have been circling the skies of Miami for over two years, waiting for the right moment to swoop in and scavenge the real estate market here in Miami. 12 months ago vulture capitalists were told that their moment would never come as some real estate markets, throughout the United States, turned in double-digit growth. However, the next six months might be just the moment that they have been waiting for as national foreclosure filings has increased 35 percent over the previous year, according to RealtyTrac. Coupled with the increasing number of new properties that will come on board in the coming months, Miami may be ripe for the picking. The question is “Will the vulture capitalists provide a cushioned bottom for the inevitable judgment day that awaits the condo market?”. “Can their deep pockets provide the support that this market needs or will we find out just how deep the rabbit-hole goes?”
As the day of judgment comes we, here at Miami Condo Investments, will be ready to seek out the best opportunities and pass them along to our faithful blog subscribers. We plan to provide a complete analysis on all condo investment opportunities that meet our criteria, along with a comparative market analysis, pictures of the properties and, in some cases, video so our subscribers can fully grasp the opportunity.
