Prices for Ocean Four Sunny Isles condos

are still down considerably since the all time high in 2007. However, with all the furor surrounding the current economic environment, it’s no wonder that people are a bit shy about buying something as large as a new home. This is especially true for vacation properties or any homes that might be considered a luxury and not a necessity. There is no denying that the condos in Ocean Four would fit the luxury description, and so it’s easy to see why sales may have been slow for the past year. All of that is changing as the shadow of the recession slowly slips away. Though there are still troubled times ahead, the worst is certainly over, and there are plenty of clues to support this fact.

Not Too Late to Get Great Prices in Ocean Four

What this means is that the prices for these apartments at Ocean Four will soon start to rise, but it’s not too late to get a new home before this happens. If you take a look at the 14 homes that sold in the Oceans Four community in the last year, you’ll see there is quite a difference between the asking price and the paid price, but that gap is closing quickly. It’s still a buyers’ market, to be sure, but that won’t remain the case for too much longer. The prices are still well over $500,000 for most units, depending on the size and layout, but some can bring in more than $2,000,000. As you might imagine, these prices will rise as people discover they’re ready to make luxury purchases again.

The number of Ocean 4 condos sold

in 2011

is drastically higher than those in the previous years. Since the mortgage crisis and the simultaneous recession, the prices for homes have lowered dramatically, and sales for these homes nearly came to a standstill. Of course, everyone needs a home, so there was some movement in the markets, but for the most part, people were only buying what they needed – not what they wanted. Ocean Four is certainly the type of home that everyone wants, and with the coming changes in the economy, people will be seeking it out. Don’t you want to get in before anyone else can?

More Elegance for the Money

When you live in Ocean 4 Sunny Isles

you’ll get the benefit of many great amenities. In fact, it’s very much like resort living, if that’s your cup of tea. You’ll be able to enjoy the pools and fitness centers, as well as private beach access. The home interiors are some of the most beautiful you’ll find in the Miami area. With designer touches throughout, upgraded lighting and countertops, and top-of-the-line appliances, Oceans Four brings you luxury on a more affordable level than some of the other complexes in the area. Though it’s more affordable, that’s no reason to believe it’s less elegant.

Let Us Help You

If you’re interested in learning more about the prices at Ocean Four and how you can take advantage of them, you can contact one of our qualified real estate agents at Sunny Realty. Please call toll free today – 1.877.368.2318 and we’ll be glad to show you the units that fit your wants and needs and then help you through the negotiation process.

Next year the Acqualina Condo in Sunny Isles Beach

will launch a residential spinoff of a new ultra-luxury 46-story luxury condo tower Mansions at Acqualina, set on 6.75 acres of beachfront lot in Sunny Isles, next to Acqualina Condo & Resort. The project will offer 79 exclusive oceanfront villas, all directly facing the ocean, topped by a $40 million, 16,000 square foot penthouse. This will be the first penthouse of a kind and size in Sunny Isles.

The Trump Group (not to be confused with Donald Trump) – a South Florida developer is proposing a new 46-story luxury condo tower immediately south of the existing Acqualina Ocean Residences & Resort condo at 17885 Collins Ave. and is slated to be constructed at 17749 Collins Ave. in Northeast Miami-Dade County, according to an application filed with the city of Sunny Isles Beach.

The proposed Mansion at Acqualina

with nearly 427,000 square feet of luxury residential condos is scheduled to be discussed at upcoming city of Sunny Isles Beach zoning hearing on Dec. 22, 2011, according to a public notice advertised in the Miami Herald.

Developed in 2006, the original Acqualina condo project is a 50-story tower with 247 residential units that sold out for more than $290 million in June 2009. The newly proposed Mansions at Acqualina is one of the four condo towers planned for Sunny Isles Beach, according to recent issues of the Market Intelligence Report.

Overall, developers are proposing 20 new towers with more than 4,000 units near the coast in the tricounty South Florida region. In addition to the four proposed towers in Sunny Isles Beach, developers are planning 10 new towers in Greater Downtown Miami, two new towers in Miami Beach, two new towers in Downtown West Palm Beach, one project in the Miami-Dade County city of Aventura, and one project on the sand in the city of Hollywood in Southeast Broward County.

Sunny Isles Beach is a 40-block stretch from the city of Golden Beach boundary south to Haulover Beach Park, Biscayne Bay east to the Atlantic Ocean. Sunny Isles Beach is divided up into three neighborhoods separated by causeways: North, Central, and South. As of Dec. 12, 2011, there are nearly 375 new Sunny Isles Beach units – created since 2003 – on the resale market at a median asking price of $515 per square foot, according to an analysis by the licensed Florida real estate brokerage Sunny Realtyâ„¢.

The new Porsche Design Tower condo in Sunny Isles Beach

will be all glass, soaring 57 stories technological wonder with a $650 million price tag. This development will be the product of Gil Dezer and German Porsche Design Group.

With the Jetsonesque idea for parking, this latest proposed condo development will have a new, one of a kind twist for your “designer parking space” where the owner will pull over into the designated parking space, turn the the engine off and the all glass elevator will take you to the front of your door while you’re still sitting in your car.

“You don’t have to leave your car until you are in front of your apartment,� said Juergen Gessler, CEO of Porsche Design Group.

Here is how it will work: After the resident pulls over and switches off the engine, a robotic arm that works much like an automatic plank will scoop up the car and put it into the elevator. Once at the desired floor, the same robotic arm will park the car, leaving the resident nearly in front of his front door.

The glass elevators will give residents and their guests unparalleled views of the city or of the ocean during their high-speed ride, expected to last 45 to 90 seconds.

“What this is really doing is taking two technologies that have existed for centuries and putting them together,� said Gil Dezer, president of Dezer Properties. “It’s taking the robotic arm and it’s putting it in an elevator.�

The building, to named Porsche Design Tower, was approved unanimously Thursday night (November 17th, 2011) by the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission. Before the meeting, Mayor Norman S. Edelcup said he had not heard any opposition to the plan.

The cylindrical building will be erected on 2.2 acres of land at 18555 Collins Avenue. The 57-story luxury tower will have 132 units. Smaller units will be allocated two parking spaces and larger ones will have four, with 284 robotic parking spaces in total. There will be three elevators.

Residents will be able to see their cars from their living rooms.

“So people with fancy cars and antiques, they will actually have a really nice view of them,’’ Dezer said.

Units will range from 3,800 to 9,500 square feet and could cost up to $9 million.

The car elevators are the latest twist on Miami Beach’s burgeoning passion for designer parking garages. The highly acclaimed 1111 Lincoln Road designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron opened in 2009; also planned are garages by London architect Zaha Hadid, Mexico’s Enrique Norten and Miami’s own Arquitechonica.

Dezer said his hopes are that many other buildings in the United States and the rest of the world will be constructed following the Porsche Design Tower Sunny Isles model.

But this will be the first and last one in South Florida, he said.

“We want to keep this really exclusive and not have this become a McDonald’s kind of style. The tower is going to change the skyline of Miami Beach,� Dezer said. “This is something Floridians should be proud to have in their state.�

Sunny Isles Condos Sales

jumped almost 70% (that’s right seventy percent) when comparing to last year’s 3rd quarter. There were 175 condos sold in Sunny Isles Beach within the 3 month period from July to September for a total of $114 million which is 105 transactions more for the same period last year.

Sunny Isles Beach

is projected to sell out of new condo inventory in the next 12 to 15 months according to the number of projected transaction reports in the first three quarters of 2011.

Developers Propose Construction Of Four New Condo Towers In Sunny Isles Beach

Recently major real estate development groups have proposed the construction of at least four oceanfront condos in Sunny Isles Beach

Developers of all four proposed towers have approached the city of Sunny Isles Beach with their respective plans, the city’s attorney Hans Ottinot said.

Each of the proposed projects – with a combined 648 units – is currently categorized as “planned,â€� “under construction,” or “planned / active” on the city of Sunny Isles Beach’s “Existing & Planned Developments” list, according to a February 2011 report posted on the city’s website as of Nov. 3.

At the current 2011 sales pace of nearly 45 new condo transactions per month, the unsold developer units in Sunny Isles Beach would be absorbed by the end of 2012, according to an analysis based on the Condo Buyers Guide To Sunny Isles Beach.

Given the shrinking inventory of developer units from the real estate boom, Sunny Isles Beach is poised to follow the emerging South Florida trend of new condo construction as 13 towers with nearly 3,500 units are already being proposed for the tricounty region of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach as of Oct. 31, 2011.

The new ultra-luxury Regalia condo tower is proposed as one unit per floor and will be one of the first new Sunny Isles Beach project to launch pre-construction sales since the recent downturn in the Florida real estate market. The 42 story Regalia building is projected to start selling at more than $1,000 per square foot which will be a test of the newly improved Sunny Isles Beach real estate market.

The are as many as six additional projects being proposed in Sunny Isles – five condo towers and one townhouse community, all in various stages of planning development and currently categorized as “planned / active,”.

The six new residential projects, as originally proposed, are slated to create more than 450 condo units and townhouses in Sunny Isles Beach, according to the government report.

Overall, the South Florida condo boom has generated nearly $4.1 billion in developer sales of newly created units in Sunny Isles Beach as of Sept. 30, 2011.

Between 2003 and the third quarter of 2011, developers have sold nearly 5,700 condos with more than 9.2 million square feet of space, according to the report.

Sunny Isles Beach is a 40-block stretch from the city of Golden Beach single family homes boundary south to Haulover Beach Park, Biscayne Bay east to the Atlantic Ocean. Sunny Isles Beach is divided up into three neighborhoods separated by causeways: North, Central, and South.

Developers created 27 projects with nearly 6,400 units in the Sunny Isles Beach market since 2003. Prior to the boom, developers had built nearly 60 projects with nearly 12,000 units in Sunny Isles Beach.

Being a broker of Sunny Realty and providing one of the most used resource for Miami real estate (http://www.sunnyislesmiamirealestate.com/) I’m often asked: “how’s (Miami) real estate these day?”. Unfortunately I can’t just answer this question simply – “good” or “great” or “better”. When I start to explain that Miami basically has the best and worst real estate in the country, people think I’ve gone nuts and trying to sell them a story. However, here is The New York Post recent article By ANDY WANG.

Summer was hardly a vacation for those in the business of selling Miami condos.

“I didnt go to St. Tropez because of this”, says developer Gil Dezer, whose Sunny Isles Beach condo projects include the 384-unit Trump Royale and the three-building, 813-unit Trump Towers.
Dezer reports that he sold more than $100 million in Trump units during June, July and August ($50 million alone in August, including a $29 million, 34-unit bulk deal). He has closed more than $1 billion in Trump condos overall and has only about 75 units left.

Recent Trump Towers Condos sales

have been priced at about $525 per square foot. Thats significantly less than the $1,000-per-square-foot contracts buyers walked away from in 2009 after the financial crisis hit, but Dezer, whos paid off the construction loans for all four buildings, seems satisfied. (Donald Trump participated in a ceremonial Trump Royale condo mortgage-burning ritual, lighting the document on fire himself, in January.) The downturn made the job challenging, Dezer says. Every day was a battle. But when youre winning, its fun.

Winning could also be used to describe the situation at Icon Brickell. That nearly 1,800-unit downtown colossus, built by the Related Group with designs by Philippe Starck, seemed to be in peril not long ago, and two of its three towers were deeded back to its lenders in May 2010. But Icon Brickell Condos now nearly sold out, with more than 1,500 units closing for a total of more than $700 million. When you factor in units in contract, only about 30 condos remain.

I think the market has consumed the inventory in a much more rapid way than I and probably everybody thought, says Related Group chairman and CEO Jorge Perez, who adds that most buyers have been foreign. The Latin American economy has been strong.

The forecast was that we would sell all the units in three years at an average price of $350 per square foot, says Edgardo Defortuna, president of Fortune International Realty, which started selling Icon Brickell apartments in June 2010.

Less than a year and half later, Fortune is almost done and seeing prices at about $400 per square foot.

Demand has been so strong that Perez is now building another downtown development. The 192-unit MyBrickell is a couple years away from completion, but Relateds received over 60 reservations for condos before officially launching sales. Unlike Icon Brickell, MyBrickell isnt on the water, and Perez is passing on the cheaper construction costs and the deal we got on the land to offer units, with interiors by Karim Rashid, for about $300 per square foot.

Defortuna, meanwhile, is now selling downtowns Paramount Bay, a 346-unit building resurrected out of foreclosure by owners iStar Residential and ST Residential. Musician Lenny Kravitzs Kravitz Design firm is working on the building, where prices are about $400 per square foot.

South Beach real estate

with significantly pricier properties, is seeing lots of action, too. The summer was uncharacteristically busy, says Lana Bell, president of Sunny Realty, which has an office in South Beach and Sunny Isles Beach. We certainly didnt take a vacation.

According to Sunny Realty latest Miami market report, South Beach condos sold for an average of $515 per square foot during the third quarter. But this factors in distressed properties, including units bought out of foreclosure.

At the markets top end, the W South Beach Hotel & Residences has closed about $260 million in condos at an average of $1,700-plus per square foot, developer David Edelstein says. The W South Beach sold more than $50 million during the summer. One penthouse went for $7.7 million, north of $3,000 per square foot, Edelstein says.

As with much of Miami, foreign buyers have been key at the W. (Douglas Elliman translated its market report into Spanish and Portuguese to spur international interest.) From May through September, about 65 percent of Edelsteins purchasers were foreign, and about half of those were from Brazil.

The allure of the W has helped nearby condo buildings lure in buyers, including those from New York.

Fashion designer Irina Shabayeva, who won season six of Project Runway, owns a one-bedroom with a balcony at the 52-unit Boulan South Beach development just south of the W, but on the other side of Collins Avenue.

I like the Boulan because it was so new, really fresh and modern, says Shabayeva, who primarily lives in the East Village. And its across the street from the beach and the W.

Shabayeva says she enjoys the New Yorker-friendly amenities at the W, which include a Warren Tricomi salon and a Mr. Chow restaurant. And Edelstein says that the Dutch, an outpost of Andrew Carmellinis SoHo restaurant, will open in the W by Thanksgiving.

Boulan, which has sold 22 condos and has one-bedrooms on the market for upward of $600 per square foot, is busy filling its own retail spaces, as well. An art gallery should open in time for Decembers Art Basel festival. A Mexican/Asian fusion restaurant and a nightclub are also in the works.

Neighborhoods all over Miami are getting big residential and retail makeovers. The 56-acre Midtown Miami developments second phase, which will start next year, will include a boutique hotel, a movie theater and 100,000 square feet of retail.

Well definitely have a fashion component, says developer Jack Cayre.

And the nearby Design District is getting a Louis Vuitton store.

There was probably a point in time here someone said, Whats Chelsea? or Whats Meatpacking? and eventually, they became a place because New York was ready to have another place, says Greg Masin, senior director at commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. When we look at the Design District and at Midtown, what we see is the evolution of the next place in Miami.

Plus, the downtown Metropolitan Miami developments third phase will include rental apartments and a Whole Foods Market. Plans for downtowns eight-block Miami Worldcenter site include residences, restaurants and retailers. And the Genting Group, an Asian casino operator, has unveiled plans for its $3.8 billion Resorts World Miami mixed-use complex. But the scope of the latter two projects will depend on approval for casino gaming, something thats the object of much speculation and uncertainty all over Miami.

Dezer says he has been talking to major Las Vegas casino operators about land he owns in Sunny Isles (13/ acres on the beach and 6/ acres directly across the street that hits the intracoastal waterway) that could accommodate a gaming resort with more than 2,000 rooms and 3 million square feet.

They’re both good real estate, Masin says of the Genting and Dezer sites. If they both had a casino, theyd both be successful.

Whatever happens, Dezer has options.

We originally bought [the land] to build condos, he says. We could build five condo buildings.

That idea would have seemed ridiculous in 2009, but now its more plausible.

Defortuna has sold out the 256-unit Jade Beach condo building in Sunny Isles Beach and has just three apartments left (for about $700 per square foot) at its 252-unit Jade Ocean sister property.

In terms of quality inventory, oceanfront, he says, you can make a strong argument that you need to start building now.

Originally published by ANDY WANG.

(c) 2011 The New York Post. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

How’s Miami real estate prices per square foot compare to the rest of world?

Some economists and journalists may still say that Miami real estate is overpriced, but the truth of the matter is that the prices for real estate in Miami are way less expensive that the rest of the world.

The chart above was compiled by credit management system Credit Sesame and shows price per square foot in major cities all over the world. At an average of $1,068 per square foot, Manhattan homes seems cheap compared to Paris, which costs an average of $3,287 per square foot for a residence, according to Credit Sesame’s data.

Also more expensive than Manhattan are cities such as Oslo, Luxembourg, London, Hong Kong and Beirut. Living in Houston, Texas is much more affordable than living in Al Kut, Iraq, $54 per square foot compared to $262 per square foot respectively.

Miami homes for sale

comes in at an average of $182 per square foot, which is really cheap in comparison to Europe, South Africa, Russia and even Poland.

What makes real estate in Miami more attractive?

Buyers have always been attracted to the properties in Miami and South Florida as a result of the natural beauty of living right on the shores of the ocean as well as the close proximity to so many prestigious shops and dining venues. Combine this with the 21st century modern ultra-luxury construction on the ocean and one of the most sophisticated metropolitan cultural living and you will have an idea of what Miami has to offer. The truth of the matter is that this season is going to be one of the best times in recent history to make a purchase in Miami Beach which is most sought after area as a result of the number of bargains coming onto the market.

This trend is also backed by the amount of individuals who have long enjoyed renting properties in Miami in order to escape the icy winters up north and European travelers will now have the opportunity to enjoy even more about living in Miami. Currently Miami offers wide variety of properties available for sale and rent to prospective buyers who are looking to improve their life style and enjoy the warm weather and vibrant night life that Miami has to offer.

Buyers who are looking for a bargain will find that they will be able to purchase a far more luxurious property than they can in their country or city. Miami style residences typically offer larger square footage, great amount of amenities, convenience and magnificent ocean or bay views. Whether you plan to bring family with you, you are enjoying the single life or it is just the two of you, you will certainly be able to find an opulent residence that will suit your needs superbly.

There has never been a better time to consider investing into some of the most prestigious and sought after real estate in world – a Miami residence. For lower prices than you might have ever dreamed, you can now own an opulent residence with top-notch amenities including your own gym, spa, pool, 24-hour concierge, valet parking, on-site cafe, and much more located right on the ocean.

For more information please contact Lana Bell – expert Miami investments realtor today – 1.954.336.1016

South Florida real estate

news has been pointing to positive trends over the past two quarters. But, which areas are ripe for investment or purchase? When is the right time to buy? And, what types of properties are likely to see the best return on investment? While no one can precisely predict the future for the real estate market in Miami, certain trends and predictors do point to when properties should be bought or sold.

While a number of areas show promise for future property values, recent interest has shifted to North Miami Beach and Palm Beach areas. A condominium project shelved by Kolter Group, LLC during the recent economic downturn has recently seen some revitalization. A competitor recently made a bold move, potentially influencing Kolter’s decision to counter with a bold move of their own.

Related Group recently announced plans to construct a 506 unit, dual tower condominium project in the north end of West Palm Beach. Shortly following the Related Group’s announcement was news from Kolter that their North Palm Beach condo project was back underway.

Currently, the Kolter project is estimated to break ground in the fall of 2012, offering additional condo units and reduced pricing than the original plans. Unit pricing is expected to fall between $600,000 and $1.5 million, reduced from the original layout, which called exclusively for luxury units each priced in excess of $1 million. To recapture some of the expected losses due to the pricing reduction, the developer has reconfigured the space to include more units than the original plans called for. The project’s completion date is currently estimated to fall within the 2014 calendar year.
Whether the recent positive trends in the real estate market, or the announcement of a competitor’s project prompted the response from Kolter to re-engage plans to construct these luxury condos, the surrounding areas are excited to see renewed interest in development in general. Not only will these two projects offer additional housing opportunities for residents and investors to capitalize upon, but they will create much needed jobs for the area, fueling other economic sectors in the South Florida marketplace.

Both the Kolter and Related Group projects will feature luxury amenities, great condo views and strong pricing opportunities in which can be taken advantage of. While pre-construction plans and pricing have yet to be announced, interested parties should follow the news associated with each property so they can get in at the best prices possible. This advice is particularly true, as the speed of the market’s recovery in terms of property values is still anyone’s guess.

Similarly, there are several project on the way in Sunny Isles Beach. One of those new projects will be called The Porsche, located in the heart of Sunny Isles Beach and will be the new ultra luxury high-rise with 1 unit per floor, allowing you to even park your own car in your apartment. Stay tuned for more information as we’ll be blogging about new projects all over South Florida.

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort & Residences

Construction Milestones

The construction for the most anticipated St. Regis Bal Harbour Condo Hotel continue to advance toward the scheduled completion date slated for this fall.

Among the highlights are the Center Tower pre-cast stonework on the west fa̤ade Рreminiscent of fine marble, the newly planted tropical landscaping along Collins Avenue, and the advanced state of the pool decks, surrounding masonry and accompanying esplanades.

More good new – world-renowned chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten will oversee the fine dining restaurant at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort.

With more than three decades of delectable experience, Mr. Vongerichten has directed numerous three and four star restaurants worldwide. The J&G Grill at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort promises to be an exciting new experience for Residents and guests to savor.

The menu will feature a unique presentation of the finest appetizers, signature side dishes and infused accompaniments. Each selection is prepared with the highest quality meats and freshest seafood and ingredients available from the local marketplace. It promises to be a dining experience unlike any other in South Florida.

Most popular floor plan in St. Regis Bal Harbour is Residence D:

Residence D at St Regis Bal Harbour is 2 Bedroom 2 ½ Baths Corner Residence, offering over 1900 sq.f.t plus almost 600 sq.ft. of terraces. This spacious 2 bedrooms residence features tranquil ocean views, 10ft. ceilings, and floor to ceiling walls of glass. Top of the line appliances and sleek Italian cabinetry enhance your state of the art kitchen. Enjoy all of the white glove services and amenities and convenient location across form the The Bal Harbour Shops. Prices starting at $1,775,000 *

* Please note that all prices and availability are subject to change without notice.

The drawings herein are conceptual only and are subject to change without notice at the discretion of the developer. The developer reserves the right to make additions, deletions, and modifications to the drawings as the developer may deem appropriate or desirable. Any furniture or decorator items herein are shown for artistic and illustrative purposes only and are not included in the purchase and sale of the residence. Dimensions and square footages are approximate and may vary with actual construction.

More St. Regis Hotel News – New York, Bahia Beach, Qatar & Polo

New York –The iconic St. Regis hotel in Manhattan just opened a newly redesigned Tiffany’s suite, it’s everything a girl could dream of, and it’s going for $8,500/night. Tour The Glamorous New Tiffany’s Hotel Suite

Bahia Beach – In November 2010, St. Regis Hotels and Resorts opened its 21st hotel, St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, the first St. Regis resort in the Caribbean. Luxury Puerto Rico Resorts | The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico

Qatar – The St. Regis is scheduled to open in Doha by the end of the 2011, and depending on the opening of another property in Abu Dhabi, will become the first hotel carrying the brand’s name in the Middle East. Hotel promises ‘a new luxury experience’ :

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Announces 2011 Global Polo Programming – St. Regis Hotels & Resorts continues to celebrate its commitment to the international sport of polo in new destinations around the world including Bangkok and returns to the United Kingdom and Singapore, where the brand will further establish its polo presence in partnership with American Express, the official card of St. Regis Polo. News & Events Global Polo Programming

Miami real estate

as well as sales of existing condos in the Miami metropolitan area rose 46 percent in May, 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, according to data from the Miami Association of Realtors. There were a total of 1,420 condo sales last month, up from 972 in May 2010. Miami single family home sales also showed an increase, jumping 20 percent to a total of 875 sales last month.

Most of Miami condos

are purchased by International buyers who continued to dominate the Miami real estate market, with 60 percent of closed residential resales last month transacted by foreign buyers, who also bought a staggering 90 percent of new construction sales. “The current performance of the Miami market is exceeding expectations,” said Jack Levine, Chairman of the Board of the Miami Association of Realtors.

In fact, the volume of Miami home sales rose, continuing a record-setting pace. However prices are still on the decline, although there are signs of stabilization. This logic-defying housing market phenomenon continued to embrace interesting trend lines in May of 2011 — Miami condo sales soared, slashing down the inventory even further, but overall prices fell once again. Furthermore, local sales are increasing while the national market slumps, but local prices are falling faster than the national average.

Here is a full story from Miami Herald – http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/21/2277801_p2/south-florida-real-estate-paradox.html or you can read it below:

The region’s real estate narrative is also at odds with traditional market economics. The coexistence of shrinking supply, rising demand and falling prices has left analysts with a number of questions: How long can this frenzied sales pace —fueled by Latin American and cash investors’ appetite for discounted real estate — continue? With inventory shrinking rapidly, when will the strong sales activity translate into price stability and appreciation, as market economics dictate? How large is the “shadow inventory,� and how will those unlisted bank-owned homes affect the recovery?

In Miami-Dade, there were 875 sales of existing single-family homes and 1,420 condo sales, increases of 20 percent and 46 percent from last May, respectively. Compared to April, home sales were up 5.4 percent and condo sales were up 1.1 percent.

In Broward County, 1,142 single-family sales and 1,537 condo sales represented increases of 6 percent and 14 percent over last May, respectively.

In the first five months of the year, more than 23,000 homes and condos have traded hands in South Florida, one of the strongest five-month runs on record. Nationally, 2011 has been a poor year for sales, with double-digit declines nearly each month.

South Florida’s rapid sales pace has helped reduce the region’s housing inventory, which has gone from severely bloated to suddenly lean over the last couple of years.

There are now 31,659 homes and condos for sale in Miami area, down from 61,755 in May 2009.

The crucial “months-of-inventory� figure has slimmed to 7.2 months in Miami-Dade and 5.5 months in Broward, both down to a fraction of their peaks. Economists say that six months of housing inventory is indicative of a healthy market.

So why hasn’t the shrinking supply of homes led to price stabilization?

“We have a whole bunch of pent-up supply,� said William Hardin, professor of real estate and finance at Florida International University . “There’s a squeeze play going on because no one is going to sell a house in today’s market unless they have to.�

The majority of homes that are selling are under distressed circumstances —either a Miami foreclosure sale, or a short sale that doesn’t cover the cost of the mortgage. Those properties — popular among cash investors and foreign buyers — sell at deep discounts, dragging down overall prices in the market.

In the single-family market, May 2011 median prices fell 8 percent to $180,200 in Miami-Dade. Broward suffered a particularly large decrease, with single-family prices falling 17 percent to $188,500.

There are some signs that prices may be beginning to stabilize, specifically in the condo market, where sales have been the most rapid.

In Miami-Dade, median condo prices slipped just 1 percent, to $124,300. In Broward County’s condo market, there was a 9 percent year-over-year increase, with median prices reaching $80,400.

Year-to-date, median prices are up across the market: Miami-Dade condos (36.2 percent), Miami-Dade single-family homes (19.4 percent), Broward condos (16.5 percent) and Broward single-family homes (14.2 percent). While prices are up since January, the year-over-year figures provide a more reliable barometer of values, since they compare the same time periods in the region’s seasonally driven market. It’s too soon to say if sustained appreciation is here to stay, although industry insiders are pitching that message.

But even as South Florida’s market looks to rebound from its worst bust in history, a number of troubling issues threaten to drag out the recovery.

However, two of the factors that normally support a healthy housing industry — a strong job market and significant home equity — are painfully absent in South Florida. In Miami-Dade County, unemployment sits at record high 13.4 percent. Nearly half of all South Florida homeowners with mortgages owe more on their homes than the current value, one of the highest underwater rates in the country.

Stricter lending standards have made it difficult for many potential buyers to obtain a mortgage. In May 2011, 60 percent of home sales were completed without a mortgage as all-cash investors.

As of June 3rd, 2011, the number of foreclosed condos and homes in South Florida year-to-date is 11,551, down from 30,635 at the same time last year, based on the most recent data available from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Please see the graph above which shows foreclosure activity in these three counties.

South Florida real estate

is known for its boom and bust cycles. The current bust cycle, one of the worst in history, seems to have bottomed out and now on it’s way to recovery in a big way, judging by recent statistics. A rise in employment in the state and a great deal of foreign buyers are among the factors playing into what seems to be a quick climb in the desirability and the value of Miami real estate.

Of course, this is not a new phenomenon for Florida real estate. The state’s real estate market has historically gone through cycles such as this, when the value of homes declined and when it became a buyer’s market. The sales of homes have also gone up in much bigger ways than employment has gone down. Compared to 2010 figures, condo sales were up over 130%. The increase has also impacted single family homes, with an over 50% increase in those sales figures over last year.

Miami’s high-end rentals are also booming, led by Miami Beach rentals, which has seen its inventory practically vanish, led by New Yorkers looking to establish residency in South Florida. It seems right now people are establishing residency out of New York City and into South Florida, whether they’re buying or renting. We’re back to 2003 or 2004, where we have pocket listings, and things don’t need to go on the MLS to be rented. The high-end market follows the trend from downtown Miami and Brickell, which had a rental occupancy as high as 85 percent in February, according to the most recent report from the Downtown Development Authority. That was a 31% increase from 2009.

The US is slated for another round of quantitative easing, which will likely drop the value of the dollar further and which may make this market even more attractive to international buyers than it is already. Combined with an increasing rate of visitors and tourists in Miami where every year is a new record, it’s possible that the decline cycle has finally ended.

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