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1542 Drexel #205 – Perfect Miami Beach Pied-A-Terre
You know what they say about real estate, location, location, location, and boy does 1542 Drexel Avenue #205 have it. Location: 2 blocks from Lincoln Road. Location: 1 block from Espanola. Location: 3 blocks to the Ocean. In the heart of Miami Beach, yet on a quiet, low traffic street, this fully furnished unit is the perfect Miami Beach Pied-A-Terre. Rarely available one bedroom. The last one bedroom for sale in this boutique building was in 2011!
If you are looking for an investment property instead of a weekend get-a-way, the last fully furnished unit that rented in this building was a studio that rented for $1500 per month! Listed for sale, fully furnished (minus the art work) for $170,000.
Preservation vs Private Property Rights
Ceiling In Alfred Browning Parker designed home
Several recent articles have highlighted the issue of preservation vs private property rights. I want to clarify that I am for historic preservation of relevant buildings but I think if it is done retroactively, it infringes on private property rights.
Both the Miami Herald building, sold to Genting Malaysia, and a Robert Browning Parker home in Gables Estates, currently listed for sale by Helen Nicastri of Coldwell Banker, have come before preservation boards with different outcomes.
A home in north Gables on Minorca and another in Miami Beach on Star Island are further examples of preservation boards trying to designate properties as historic when new owners purchased the property and applied for demolition permits.
If a property is designated as historic, it cannot be torn down and there are restrictions on the amount and type of renovations that can be done. You can check with local preservation boards to see if the property you are purchasing is on their list prior to purchasing, but if it is not on the list should a local board be able to designate it when you apply for permits to demolish or refurbish? To protect your investment, if you are planning to purchase a property built in the 1920′s-1960′s (Old Spanish, Art Deco and MiMo architectural styles) and want to renovate or demolish it, contact the local historic preservation board during your due diligence/inspection period.
Considering An FHA Loan? Better Hurry…Cost Going Up
FHA loans are the largest source of low-down payment mortgages. A buyer with less than stellar credit can purchase a property with as little as 3.5% down. Starting April 1st, the FHA will institute it’s third increase since 2011 when it raises it’s premiums by 1/10 of a percent, or 10 basis points.
Then, on June 3, FHa loans will be harder to qualify for whenthe debt to income ratio is is increased to 43% for individuals with a credit score of 620 or less. In addition, a minimum of 5% down will be required on loans over $625,000 and borrowers will no longer be able to eliminate the PMI insurance when the balance reaches 78% of the loan value. Instead, an FHA borrower will pay PMI over the entire life of the loan. A recent analysis of the upcoming changes was conducted by Steven R. Maizes, with Mortgage Capital Partners Inc. in Los Angeles. He concluded that an FHA applicant with a 720 FICO score and 3.5% down payment would pay $144.66 more per month on a $250,000 fixed rate 30 year mortgage than if he took out a conventional mortgage with 5% down and paid PMI.
If you are a buyer with a lower credit store and a low down payment, you may want to jump into the market before April 1. And this isn’t an April Fools joke.
Christmas Came Early To EWM’s Coral Gables Office
Miami Real Estate In High Demand
All I can say is “wow”. Our Coral Gables EWM office had an AMAZING week, with a grand total of $39,733,888 in sales and leases. There were 25 sales, 8 of which sold at asking price and 3 of which sold over asking, and 21 leases. Still doubt that Miami is a place where people want to move and invest? Doubt no more. With all of the cultural activities, port expansion, addition of more cruise ships, technology start ups, and the relatively low prices, Miami real estate is in high demand.
What Is Going To Happen To The Miami Real Estate Market In January?
I have had several long-time customers ask me what I think is going to happen to the Miami real estate market come January. Although I don’t have a crystal ball, and the real estate market in Miami in general has been doing well with inventories down and prices up, with bidding wars happening as multiple offers come in, I decided to use a building that I am currently working on to throw a bit of a reality check into the current market euphoria.
2734 Bird Ave., Coconut Grove
In October of 2011, one bedroom units in this building were selling for between $45,000-$50,000. The last sale this year was for $90,000 and there are multiple offers on a foreclosure listed for $99,900. According to property tax rolls, nine out of the 39 total units in the building are in some stage of foreclosure. Whether or not any or all of them will go into foreclosure, short sale, or have a loan modification worked out, is yet to be seen, but if you look at the iMapp, Inc. snapshot of what is going on around this building, I have to believe that there are still going to be buying opportunities out there next year and that prices could go down. All of those little hammers are properties that are in the foreclosure process. Since the process takes over a year, where these all are in that process and how fast they come on the market will all come into play in the supply and demand cycle of 2013.
Foreclosure Around Bird Ave in the Grove
Not all markets look like this. Brickell has a lot less hammers. If you are a buyer, find out what the foreclosure map in the area you are considering purchasing looks like. Don’t be discouraged, just be realistic in your offer and your expectations as to where the market really is. If you are a seller, you also need to look at the map in your area. The map, along with relevant sales in your area, will help you set your list price in a range where your property will sell. Whether you are looking short term or long term, your perspective on where the real estate market is headed in 2013 depends on whether you are a glass half full or half empty person. Oh, and then there is the fiscal cliff…. Where do you think Miami’s real estate market is headed?
Which Is Better Transportation Mode: Rail or Express Toll Lanes on US 1?
Metrorail and US 1
The Village of Pinecrest is hosting a town hall meeting at Pinecrest Gardens to discuss the proposed MDX US 1 Express Toll Lane project. Anyone who travels on US 1 (also known as Useless 1) from Miami to communities south, has experienced the frustrating traffic and knows that relief is needed. As proposed, the current project would address traffic from Dadeland South to Florida City and would require overpasses the height of Metrorail be built at intersections along the route. If the goal is to move traffic off of US 1, wouldn’t a much more progressive plan be to build the 21 mile South Link extension from Dadeland South to Florida City?
Several studies have shown that commute times and access to public transportation are important factors in the home buying process. Millenials, individuals between the ages of 17 & 35, especially have shown a preference for communities that rely less on cars for transportation.
I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for a long time and they have an amazing public transportation system. Many who have moved from Boston, New York, the DC/Virginia area and Europe, often comment on the lack of public transportation. Do you think Miami should try to move away from the car and expand on it’s public transportation system?
EWM Is On The Technological Forefront Again
EWM is the only company in South Florida that has a rapid form of response for every online inquiry.
What does this mean if you are a seller? All inquires on your property are answered immediately by our EWM Customer Care Team. Since 90% of buyers start their home search online, having a quick response time when they are looking at your property on our website is vital to capturing their interest and getting them to visit your property.
If you are a buyer searching online for a new home, nothing is more frustrating than finding one that meets your criteria only to not have your request for further information ignored. EWM’s Customer Care Team ensures that you receive an immediate response.
This is the newest generation of online lead management and we are happy to be on the forefront!
Summer Is Almost Over, Will The Miami Real Estate Slow Down?
In most markets in the country, Labor Day is the official end of summer because children are back in school and the weather starts getting cooler. Along with students settling in their seats, the real estate market also starts to slow down since parents try to make their move to align with the start and end of school.
As anyone who lives here will tell you, Miami is not like most cities in the country about anything and real estate is no exception. We actually have two real estate markets, the “traditional” one that is from Spring to Summer and the “snowbird” market that is from Fall to Spring. So basically, year round!
With the huge number of sales we are posting in 2012 and the amount of cash that is still out there, I do not see the market slowing down.
If you are a seller that had been considering selling but were holding back until prices came up, now is a good time to list your home. Inventory is down, demand is up, and prices in many of our neighborhoods have increased. If most sellers wait until the “traditional” listing season, you will have more competition next Spring.
If you are a buyer, know that competition is tight. You are going to need to be prepared if you want your offer to be accepted. If you are not paying cash, be pre-approved for a mortgage. The more money you put down, the stronger your offer will be. Know the market and the listing history of the house you are putting an offer on. If the house is price well based on relevant sales in the neighborhood and the house has not been on the market long, don’t make a lowball offer. It isn’t the buyer’s market it was two years ago.
Miami-Dade Real Estate: Sales Are Still Going Up
EWM’s Coral Gables office had another amazing week in sales. Over $23,000,000 in sales and leases this week, the week before schools start. That follows last weeks’ $19,800,000+ in sales and leases. The fact that sales are so high the last two weeks of summer vacation is a sign that the real estate market in Miami-Dade County continues to recover. The number of sales (25) equaled the number of leases this week and were only slightly lower last week (21 sales and 25 leases). This week we had 14 new sales listings. Last week we had 8 new sales listings.
- The breakdown in price range for the sales for single family and condosin our office over the last two weeks was:
- 11 between $1,000,000 -$4,000,000
- 9 between $500,000 & $999,999
- 12 between $300,000 & $499,999
- 12 between $100,000 and $299,999
- 2 under $100,000
These numbers show that the luxury market is starting to recover, the lower priced inventory has significantly dropped as investors pick up properties, and demand in the middle price range is still strong. If you are in the market to buy or sell, give me a call to discuss prices in your specific area.
Latest Technology Is Paramount In Today’s Real Estate Market
Professional Forms From FAR
Gone are the days of having to receive paperwork via e-mail (or fax!), print it out, sign it, scan it, pray all of the pages scanned correctly and e-mail it to next party, who has to go through the same process, before the executed contract comes back completely illegible.
Not only does e-signing make for much neater contracts, it also expedites the offer-to-executed-contract process. As a buyer or seller, you no longer have to be waiting by a printer, fax machine, or scanner. You just open the file, acknowledge that the electronic signature is legally binding, choose your signature, and sign, initial and date where indicated with the click of a key stroke! As soon as you are done, the program automatically sends it to the next person for their signature.
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