Miami people: single family home purchase questions

Well your budget makes a big difference. I too am from Texas but have lived here for the last 6 years, personally I live in south of fifth in a condo and would never go back to a single family home again. Lifestyle is important to me and being able to walk a block or 2 to all the best restaurants in miami: milos,prime 112,stubborn seed,joes,upland,prime italian,cibo, and now planta all within 2 blocks of my condo is a huge plus. With that said if you want a home, right now is the tail end before prices drastically come down, we're entering a rising rate environment and lots of these homes have been for sale a long long time and sellers are beginning to realize they either have to lower prices or it wont sell. Miami is littered with very wealthy people so they don't have to sell. If I had to but a home right now, it would have to be super prime like star island,palm island,hibiscus those will hold their values. Lagorce is such a horrible area, I dont care how expensive the homes are, 71st street is a dumpster and I don't want to be anywhere near that landfill or all the crappy businesses in that area. Pine tree drive is nice, lots of speed bumps which sucks if you have an exotic but that area just sucks to me. If I had to get a single family home and wanted a decent value, which seemingly doesn't exist today, morningside has big lots that are fairly good values for an up and coming area.

How big of a home do you have to have? What are you looking to spend? If you're really in that $20m range, I dont think life can be any better than a condo at the continuum or apogee. Ocean house is another favorite building of mine all right there at the end of the island in the best part of south of fifth.

 

Honestly to me south of fifth although it goes all the way to 5th street, I do not cross 2nd street really. Murano grande is too far away imo if you're married for your wife to walk to say milos or prime 112 in heels. Like I said Apogee is the best of the best but no beach service, the continuum is easily #2 but it has beach service so to some its better, and ocean house is the best imo bc its small, sub 30 units, and its ocean front, and its right there on 1st and ocean. So to me if money was no option, which it sounds like it isn't for you, then I would say Ocean House or The Apogee if you value your privacy. The continuum is probably the single best property in Miami in terms of property but its an enormous place with 2 huge towers.

Trust me you will never even think about a single family home if you have a 3k sq ft foot condo, that doesn't sound like much but with a home you don't use most of it. My parents have a 13,000 sq ft home in houston and they use I'd say 2000 sq ft of it on a regular basis. So unless you've got an army of kids I'd say condo. You know I sometimes don't even leave the neighborhood for weeks? Im not kidding we have a starbucks down here and then Milos is not only the best restaurant in Miami but they have a $29 3 course lunch special which is a $100 meal at night, and Im not kidding I have lunch there 3-5x a week. Then with Prime 112,Prime italian, prime fish,upland,joes stone crab,milos,il mulino,call me gaby,mira, forte dei marmi all within those 2 blocks?!?! I mean my god I used to pay $100/night to valet my cars coming down here before I moved. I swear I save $1500/mo in parking just living down here and walking to all these restaurants. It sounds funny but when you drive a Ferrari its a pain in the ass parking it everywhere, $60 here or $100 there, F that.

Apogee is hands down the best, but like I said its in that $7-20m range but lacks beach service. Ocean House is even smaller and has that beach service which I feel you should have at that price point.Here's a condo at ocean house over 4000 sq ft, the most expensive one for sale now at almost $11m, to me thats as good as it gets in life. Privacy, ocean, luxury. I live right next door, wish I could afford $11m but right now im 32 and that is not in the cards, down the road, hopefully it is! Best of luck and if you move down here shoot me a message we can grab a drink one night!

http://www.thejills.com/miami-beach-mls-listing/A10213307.htm

 

You look at Gables Estates or Cocoplum? Start on Old Cutler Rd & 88th St and head up north through Ingraham Hwy and Main Hwy. Good amount of bay front houses currently available in the area. Proximity to private schools (Ransom Everglades, Carrollton, Gulliver), restaurants/shopping in Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, 25-30 min drive to south beach.

Agree on all points with F355. I was going to say Continuum is your best bet on the beach but I had not heard of Ocean House. Either one you are walking distance to top restaurants, direct beach access, south pointe park for running, and you could walk to Miami beach marina if you get a slip there. You will not leave that area if you don't have to.

Bal Harbour area could work too. Very close to Miami country day school.