Miami Beach Real Estate Blog Postings have been few & far between and I plan to post a lot more in 2011. This year has been another record setting year for MiamiDreamRealty.com with more sales than in prior years and a Google dominance noted daily as the 4 niche websites and 4 blogs outperform others with customer inquiries growing by the month. I’ve started a large referral business in 2010 with very competent agents handling transactions and will be adding to this Miami Dream Team in 2011. I’ve added more great real estate information and new waterfront listings to the monthly e-Newsletter by MailChimp and encourage you to sign up for local monthly updates.

This annual report will be the 2010 year in review comparing this year’s condo sales to 2009 & 2008 for a 3-year snapshot on sales & trends.

As of December 31st 2010, there are 4,216 total Miami Beach condos for sale via MLS (S.E. Florida Multiple Listing Service) including all Miami-Dade oceanfront communities (plus North Bay Village). For general purposes, we’ll review all price ranges and in the coming weeks, I’ll post an updated pricing band analysis for select beachfront locations such as South Beach & Sunny Isles Beach condos.

MIAMI BEACH CONDO SALES

• 2010 – 3,066 condo sales (18% increase over 2009)
• 2009 – 2,522 condo sales (17% increase over 2008)
• 2008 – 2,099 condo sales (8% increase over 2007)

AVERAGE ASKING PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT

• 2010 – $310 sp/psf (6% decrease over 2009)
• 2009 – $329 sp/psf (26% decrease over 2008)
• 2008 – $442 sp/psf

AVERAGE SELLING PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT

• 2010 – $283 (3% decrease over 2009)
• 2009 – $292 (30% decrease over 2008)
• 2008 – $416

AVERAGE BUYER DISCOUNT & DAYS ON MARKET

• 2010 – 6% | 141 DOM
• 2009 – 9% | 148 DOM
• 2008 – 10% | 151 DOM

CLOSED BANK OWNED (REO) & SHORT SALE (SS) INVENTORY

• 2010 – 695 REO | 665 SS
• 2009 – 566 REO | 466 SS
• 2008 – 85 REO | 133 SS

Conflicting evidence with positive growth indicators showing condo sales increasing, inventory decreasing and buyer discounts decreasing. On the flipside of the equation, selling price per square foot of condos are also decreasing year over year. On a pricing band analysis, I suspect we may see a different story such as properties over $1M vs. properties under $250k. I find it interesting that with 4% of our Miami Beach condo inventory as bank owned and 17% of active inventory as short sales, that 2010 proved to be a very big year for bank owned (REO) sales now surpassing short sales! I’ll be reporting on new 2011 condo sales, statistics and trends so check back often for new updates on the local Miami Beach real estate market. For more information visit the many real estate websites or call toll free at 1.888.383.7326.

Just 10 hours left until 2011.. Have a happy & safe New Year!

Harbour House 10275 Collins Ave.

News came through South Florida Business Journal that the Related Group managed a bulk sale of 101 condo units at the desirable Harbour House. A package deal that came together for each party at a $27M ticket price and included a nice mix of 101 Bal Harbour oceanfront condos at the legendary Harbour House… This translates to ~$270 psf in 2009 values whereas in 2007 (only 1 sale at $849 psf) these condo conversion asking prices were at $601 psf  while in 2008 (only 4 sales), asking prices averaged $596 psf while closed sale prices averaged $464 psf or a 55% drop in market values since 07.

“Units in the beachfront condo conversion sold for an average of $268,000, or about half of what Related sold 276 units for in 2007. Related Group CEO Jorge Perez helped close another bulk deal in one of his buildings last year. He launched a buying fund that made two deals in the 528 unit 50 Biscayne, which Related built in partnership with Atlanta based Cousins Properties. That bulk deal sold out the project and closed out its loan.”

Today via MLS, there are 87 condos for sale out of 457 (19% inventory) in the new Harbour House condos with an average asking price at $600 psf with prices ranging from $250,000 (0/1 at 530 SqFt) to $1.125M (2/2.5 at 1462 SqFt.). Today, there is only 1 Harbour House condo under contract with an asking price at $550,000 (7th Floor 2/2). I would imagine the smart investor who made this bulk purchase will be placing these Harbour House condo units back on the market at an incredible prices based on “new” building values and location.  Whether it be for rent or for sale, we should see excellent pricing in one of my favorite condominiums of Bal Harbour. Please keep in mind this buyer had far more leverage with a bulk sale and even today Bal Harbour SOLD market values average $476 psf for the last 90 days!

If you don’t know the Harbour House of Bal Harbour, it was built in 1964 and converted in 2005 to an amazing redevelopment of an iconic building. The resort style amenities are endless with a movie theater, sports lounge, tiki bar, heated oceanside pool, beach service, billiards room, SPA (massage & steam), juice bar, restaurant, concierge, valet and an amazing fitness center with pilates, aerobics & personal trainers.

Harbour House Billiards Room

Let us know what you think?!?! South Beach to Sunny Isles Real Estate Consultant, Micro Economist. If you’re thinking of placing your luxury condo residence on the market, contact me for a marketing overview and pricing band analysis to determine the proper selling price and get started with marketing. If you’d like to receive the latest local real estate news via blog postings & updates, you can easily be notified by RSS feed (see upper left column) or by email above every time a new posting occurs. The new JADE Condos Sunny Isles.com website & Blog is now available! Have a great week and call any time toll free 1.888.383.7326 or view new condos here.

Miami has a New Vice of bottom fishing for Miami condo bargains. New condo buyers from the U.S. and abroad are descending on Florida to buy condos that have suffered from depreciation along with the excessive inventory, subprime mortgage crisis and credit crunch. Some are searching for investment properties, confident today’s prices will eventually rebound. Others are hunting for vacation or retirement homes along the Atlantic Ocean.

In heavy hit Miami Dade County (Downtown Miami), condos originally costing as much as $1.4 million at the peak of the market now sell in some cases for $840,000, a 40 percent drop while Oceanfront Condos have dropped approximately 25 percent since 2005. Such price drops have people like Bruce and Suzanne Bowen, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and fishing for deals. The Bowens have visited Miami three times since November to scout for properties, and recently bought a two bedroom, 1,200 square foot unit on a high floor with Biscayne Bay views in Miami’s fashionable Brickell district. Mr. Bowen made his move after prices in the building fell to $290 a square foot from nearly $400 in September.

Now, the couple is looking for a second condo.“We’ve been coming here for 10 or 12 years, and I know how much cheaper it is today,” says Mr. Bowen, a 46 year old banker. “I may miss the bottom by 10 percent or so, but five years from now, that will be irrelevant. The underlying fundamentals are still very strong here.”

Florida is a reflection of what’s happening across the country. As the price of condos which tend to be popular among investors, retirees and second home owners took a dive in many once hot markets, buyers are emerging to grab Miami properties very cheap. They’re finding plenty to choose from and driving hard bargaining power. Because of Florida’s perennial popularity among real estate investors and vacation and retirement home buyers and as young families have migrated there from other states many areas were flooded with great new projects in recent years. Now, amid the downturn, Florida condo sales are sharply down, off an average of 27 percent in 2007 from the year before, says Sean Snaith, an economist at Orlando’s University of Central Florida.Perhaps nowhere is the carnage as well as the opportunities and risks of condo bottom fishing more evident than in Downtown Miami real estate (Dade County), where about 2,391 condos are currently for sale, according to Multiple Listing Service statistics. Cranes line Downtown Miami’s skyline, and though several projects have been cancelled, new condo towers in various stages of completion rise up everywhere. By most estimates, 2,000 to 5,000 more condo units will become available over the next 18 to 24 months. Given that about 400 condos are sold in a typical year in the area, the supply overhang means prices may fall further. The result is apparent on Biscayne Boulevard, where four towers sidle against each other. Though the views, location and materials are all similar, two buildings Marina Blue and Ten Museum Park began construction prior to the hurricanes, and units there are priced today at roughly $400 a square foot. The other two 900 Biscayne Bay and the Marquis began going up after the hurricanes and are priced in the $600 per square foot range.

Another potential hazard for buyers is foreclosures. In some buildings, foreclosures represent as much as half the units, according to Florida’s Office of the Condominium Ombudsman. A high foreclosure rate means special assessments will likely be imposed on unit owners of remaining condos at some point to help pay for common maintenance costs. This will unexpectedly raise your cost of ownership. Moreover, foreclosed properties in South Florida tend to be priced near the mortgage amount. Given the run up in prices before the shakeout, that means foreclosure buyers could pay inflated prices at the auction block. A better approach is to simply wait for banks to reclaim property that doesn’t sell at the auction. You’re more likely to be able to negotiate a better bargain then as it hits the market at great pricing.

One crucial note buyer’s should be aware of are the differences in Miami Downtown vs. the Miami Beaches. With limited space and inventory along the Atlantic Ocean, there are not as many foreclosures as found on the mainland of Miami. Buyers with cash might expect 75 to 80 cents on the dollar on oceanfront condos in Sunny Isles and Miami Beach FL real estate. True, the inventory and selection on the ocean is excellent and there are plenty of deals to be had on oceanfront real estate, yet there is no blood bath found along the Beaches as we see in Downtown Miami. MLS Statistics show 2008 properties selling on average at 90 cents on the dollar. Notice the Bank United’s Black List did not contain one oceanfront property! My perspective is another 18 months of great Miami Oceanfront Deals. Take advantage of today’s low interest rates if you must finance, buy and hold as to time this market perfectly is a roll of the dice. To buy at the bottom and sell at the top is everyone’s desire but also an easy target to miss.

This article originated from the Wall Street Journal and the original article was written by Jeff Opdyke Sunday March 2, 2008. Feel free to add your insights and thoughts to this blog posting and make it a great day.