The information resource for Luxury Oceanfront Condominiums and Homes in Miami, Sunny Isles, Bal Harbour, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Palm Beach. (954) 632 3266

As reported by the Miami Herald, Dezer Properties has taken over the Related Groups stake in Trump Towers and is assuming the remaining debt on the property. Condominium prices are being cut by at least 30 percent at the newly built Trump Towers.  Prices now rank below competing new oceanfront properties.

Trump Towers offer several different spacious floor plans with ocean and intracoastal views.  The units are delivered “decorator ready”.  The direct ocean unit is approximately 3000 sq.ft. 3 bedroom 3 1/2 baths with direct spectacular ocean views. This is a great spacious floor plan with unobstructed views.  Prices are quite attractive for this type of space and location.

Tower One is pretty much sold out, Tower Two sales are underway and Tower Three, completed but sales have not begun as of yet.

The Plaza at Oceanside in Pompano Beach is an outstanding luxury building that was built by WCI and hit by the worst possible economic conditions in 2007-2008.  WCI had its share of troubles, and the building sat unsold for about a year post completion.  In South Florida, several of these wonderful buildings, that remained unsold and unoccupied have been bought up by “Bulk Buyers” stepping in and buying either the entire building or a large number of units.  This has happened at the Caribbean in Miami Beach, Harbour House in Bal Harbour and other buildings as well.   As reported, WCI Communities has sold The Plaza at Oceanside in Pompano Beach to Hollywood developer Ari Pearl and his partner, New York-based The Chetrit Group , for $38.5 million.  While WCI was under Chapter 11, potential buyer’s were of course concerned about the future of the project and so the building sat primarily empty.  With new owners, great location, attractive pricing and outstanding amenities, this project presents a very attractive buying opportunity.

I have been watching and keeping tabs on this building, and I am delighted to hear that it now has the stability it deserves.

The Plaza at Oceanside is across the street from the ocean directly on the intracoastal.  There are units available with intracoastal views and units available with ocean views as well.  All units are either 2 bedroom, 2 bedrooms plus a den or 3 bedrooms and they run from 1441 square feet to over 4900 for the penthouse.  I have the original price list when sales were first offered. At that time prices per square foot were around $800.   Today, opportunities are at a fraction of the original asking prices.

The building has a total of 186 units and they are already about 27% sold.  Maintenance fees have been reduced to $0.45 per square foot as well.

The lobby and common areas are adorned with modern art everywhere.  The interiors were designed by Steven G.

An outstanding feature about this building is the incredible amenities offered.  They have many rooms for the residents to appeal to a variety of past times.    There is a wine room with wine lockers for the owners, news room with a  stock market ticker, theatre room, golf simulator,  fully equipped gym, internet room set up with lap top tables and private rooms, teen room, infant room and much more.

Floor plans are spacious and kitchens and baths are nicely appointed. Contact me for floor plans, prices and further details.

Susan Reiter (954) 632 3266

susan@blogsouthflorida.com

Intracoastal and Pool

Full appointed kitchens with fine appliances

News Room-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Theatre-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Fully Equipped Gym-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Expansive Pool-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Game Room and Residents Lounge-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Wine Lockers-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Indoor Golf Simulator -The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Teen Room-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

On-Line Internet Room-The Plaza at Oceanside Pompano Beach

Hollywood and Hallandale Beach host several new oceanfront condos that are highly desirable and sought after.  Beach Club, Diplomat Residence, Ocean Palms, and the Villas of Positano

Of those condos, there are 57 units on the market that exceed $ 1million.  There have been 6 closed sales for units over $1million in the past 6 months.  There is a tremendous demand for this area and there are buyers at that price point, although not many in this market.   The average price per square foot of closed sales average under $400 per square foot except at the Villas of Positano where the closed sales are closer to $500 per sq. ft. or higher.

These new condos are about to be joined by the brand new Trump Hollywood, closings will begin next week. Timing for this project could not have been worse.  Prices start at $1.3 million.   The concerns about this Related Group project were identified in the  Sun-Sentinel.  Donald Trump Jr. was on property Friday.  They are stating that they have 140 buyers lined up.

I will be watching this property carefully in the comings weeks and months and certainly hope to see it succeed.

The Mei, Miami Beach, is a  new oceanfront condo building in a great location.  Constructions was just recently completed and closings are underway.  Because of current market conditions,  some original buyers are unable to close and the developer is taking back some inventory.

I am always analyzing the market looking for opportunities for my clients.  As I have written before, in my opinion, developer units are where the real buying opportunities lie.  Especially in these economic times, in most cases developers are very motivated to sell their inventory.  I find the opportunities are greater than short sales, foreclosures or bank owned properties.  

The Mei presents some very attractive units with a good amount of square footage and very aggressive pricing.  The Mei is considered a “boutique” building with on 134 residences in 21 stories.  The Mei is situated at the north end on Millionaires’ Row, 10 minutes form South Beach, 10 minutes from Bal Harbour, 20 minutes to international airports.

(one of the lobby seating areas)

The units offer unobstructed views of the ocean and the intracoastal, the golf course La Gorce, Biscayne Bay and spectacular views of downtown Miami.  Designed by Hirsch Bedner, known for award wining projects around the world such as the Oriental Hotels. The building design hosts flowing water, crafted in limestone, teak and exotic fabrics from the east.

Mei will provide each resident Five Star Resort Services including:  

o Breathtaking lobby with 24 hour concierge and valet parking services 

o Tea Lounge

o  Zen library

o  Asian inspired spa, Yoga studio

o State of the art fitness facility with private massage rooms, steam room, lockers

o  An ocean view stunning pool deck where lagoon pools and tropical gardens create a hideaway on the ocean with an infinity         edge pool and a misting pool to delight all your senses. 

o  Mei will offer the most advanced cutting edge technology system included in each residence as standard:

o  21st century technology with Pre-wired and pre-installed fiber optic connections for: Satellite TV, Email boxes, Local and international telephone, voice mail service, wireless hi speed Internet, music and video library.

An outstanding feature of the units offered are the expansive wrap around balconies.  Even if you are situated on the west side of the building, the wrap around balcony offers you direct ocean views as well.

The units start at 1,148 square feet and  range up to 1,817 square feet.  I do receive many inquiries for spacious 2 bedroom oceanfront units in Miami Beach.  The developer is offering at the Mei today a 2 bedroom unit 1,374 square feet with another 664 square feet of balcony for around $580 square foot.  Prices not too long ago were around $1000 square foot.  How is that for an opportunity ! 

For those that are looking to buy an oceanfront condo in Miami Beach, the Mei is worth taking a look at.  

The expansive west views are spectacular…especially at night !

The library carries through the zen like design….

The pool has a gentle waterfall with with in pool seating overlooking the ocean….

The balconies wrap around the corner so direct oceanfront units will also appreciate the interesting west views.

The kitchen has wood paneling and top of the line appliances.

Baths have dual sinks and modern fixturing…..

Here are pictures of the finished model unit….

I was invited to a private party at One Thousand Ocean in Boca Raton .  Construction is moving along on schedule and the Boca Raton Resort Beach Club is expected to open in January.

The Boca Raton Resort has some outstanding restaurants including Morimotos.  Famous Chef Morimoto was at the party and I certainly enjoyed the sushi ! 

It is so exciting to see the progess on this luxury oceanfront condo. There are very few oceanfront condos in South Florida that have a footprint right at the inlet.  This location is exceptionally appealing because it offers continual viewing interest as all the boats coming in and going out to sea ride past your window.  

One Thousand Ocean is exceptional in many ways.  In addition to its outstanding location,  this oceanfront condo offers ultra luxury quality coupled with access to all the amenities of the Boca Raton Resort and Beach Club. All these assets makes this an outstanding luxury oceanfront condo.

There are only 52 one and two story Residences.  The smallest unit starts at 3,072 square feet and the largest unit exceeds 5,800 square feet.  There have been buyers that have bought several units. One buyer purchased 3 units and will have a residence exceeding 10,000 square feet. 

Construction is progressing on schedule as the Penthouse floor has just been completed at One Thousand Ocean in Boca Raton.  It is expected that work will begin on the interiors as well as the exterior facade in the upcoming week.

One Thousand Ocean is built on the most coveted inlet in Boca Raton on South Ocean Boulevard.  It is situated across the bay from the Boca Resort & Beach Club which in January will join the Waldorf-Astoria Collection.  The Beach Club is undergoing a $120 million renovation which will offer a completely renovated facility including the three oceanfront pools, guest residences, oceanfront dining, children’s play area and stuning oceanfront bar.

The Boca Raton Resort is truly an all inclusive destination offering all the amenities you could think of.  Residents at One Thousand Ocean will be a stones throw away from it all.  The Boca Resort & Beach Club has recently added some great dining options including The Old Homestead, Morimoto, Lucca and one of my old New York favorites Serendipity for frozen hot chocolates.    

This is one of the truly unique ultra luxury properties available in South Florida. There will be only 52 one and two story Residences.   Residences start at 2,835 square feet.  The Beach Penthouse is 5837 square feet with an outdoor living area of 3,665 square feet.

As reported in the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel, The Related Group announced plans to build a luxury hotel and condominium complex in South Beach with the Orient Express hotel company.

The $150 million South Beach project will have 100 hotel rooms and 28 condos priced from $2 million and is expected to open in three years. The South Beach hotel will bring the number of Orient Express U.S. properties to eight.

This addition will be in good company. The Cipriani, Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, and Canyon Ranch are just some of the luxury hotel condo projects underway. The demand for luxury South Florida Properties continue to be supported by visitors world wide.

In the last 6 months there were 10 reported closed sales in the ultra luxury condo market, over $5 million. The most expensive reported sale was at Fisher Island. A 5 bedroom 8900 square foot trophy property sold for $12,360,000. The asking price was $15,500,000. That is a 21% price reduction! As we have written before, there are buying opportunities in this market in all price ranges.

In the ultra luxury market, prices are well over $1000 a square foot and can easily step into the $2000 per square foot range.

There are a few ultra luxury oceanfront condos in pre-construction stages that are also selling in this market. The St. Regis in Bal Harbour, for example, offers a magnificent direct oceanfront 3 bedroom plus media room totaling 3,884 square feet. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Residences, offers the unique Bal Harbour location, all the outstanding amenities and services the St. Regis has to offer, and direct magnificent South Florida Oceanfront views. Asking prices offered for these premier units run around $1,800 square foot. Developers are also somewhat negotiable as well. The St. Regis Bal Harour will be a total of 268 Residences and 36 condominium hotel suites, as well as 183 hotel rooms. The condo-hotel units are sold out. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Information.

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The Ritz Carlton Residences in South Beach, another luxury property offers several floor plans ranging from under 1000 square feet to over 2000 square feet. The penthouse recently sold for $17 million. This is a much smaller project with only 86 private residences. Prices are well over $1000 a square foot. At the Ritz Carlton Residences buyers will enjoy the unprecedented services the Ritz Carlton is known for worldwide as well as the direct ocean South Beach location. Ritz Carlton South Beach Information.

There are other ultra luxury pre-construction projects underway in Miami and South Florida and they are selling to buyers from all over the world.

We receive a constant stream of phone calls from buyers from all over the world that are interested in purchasing oceanfront condos. There are buyers who are seizing the moment so to speak, and stepping in to take advantage of the great opportunities out there right now.

Are there opportunities? You bet there are and I have been in situations, where once we identified a great unit at a great price, other buyers were also putting offers in on the same units.

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There are varying degrees of motivation by sellers in all price ranges. There are some units in building less than 2 years old that the original developer still owns that now are very motivated to sell. There are units that are being sold by investors that are several hundred thousand dollars less than what they paid for it. Each situation is different but the opportunities are there. The units that are available under these circumstances include the most desirable oceanfront floor plans in premier buildings.

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All I can say is that if there is a desire to own an oceanfront condo in South Florida, at this point in time, you can get the best of the best at deeply discounted prices. When the media says…”We are now at the bottom and the market is going to turn around”… the best units in the A rated luxury buildings will be long gone!!!

As our readership knows, we specialize in luxury oceanfront condos in South Florida. In our opinion very few properties qualify for an ultra luxury classification. One Thousand Ocean in Boca Raton is a new oceanfront ultra luxury condo that has earned that distinction.

This seven story building is a mixture of 52 one and two story Residences with Beach Villa and Penthouse choices. Built on the most coveted inlet on South Ocean Boulevard, residences feature spectacular views of the ocean, the shoreline, and westerly city and lake views. One Thousand Ocean is under construction with occupancy expected spring 2009. According to the developer it is already 50% sold out. Prices for this ultra-luxury property begin at over $4 million.

The team behind One Thousand Ocean is LXR Luxury Resort, owned by an affiliate of the Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, Garcia Stromberg, RTKL, and EDSA .

The residences are all spacious starting at around 4000 square feet with 10 foot ceilings. Villas feature 20 foot double height spaces. Penthouse units exceed 12,000 square feet. All the units have floor to ceiling window and are finished out with tasteful color choices and the finest materials. Everything about this property has been given the utmost attention to detail.

The images below will provide you with a preview of One Thousand Ocean.

The residences are pre wired to accommodate the state of the art technology. Kitchens are finished with custom designed cabinetry and the finest appliances including Wolf 36 inch five burner gas stove.

Close up of stone and glass materials used in the kitchen.

Stone fireplaces are in the master Bedroom and main living area.

Master baths have stone vanity countertops with glass mosaic accents, frameless glass shower enclosures, Roman Therapy Whirlpool tubs and custom designed Italian Cabinetry.

His and her dressing rooms are custom designed with built ins and a free standing vanity dresser. A Sub-zero midnight snack refrigerator drawer is included.

Terraces are oversized and include a private plunge pool with massaging jets, and outdoor kitchen, and exposed wood ceilings.

One Thousand Ocean is a mere water taxi to the Boca Raton Resort and Club. The Boca Raton Resort and Club has outstanding first class amenities including two championship golf courses, 30 award-winning clay tennis courts, Spa Palazzo, 32-slip marina, Half-mile private beach, beach club, three state-of-the-art fitness centers, and an extensive schedule of social activities available for all ages. Boca Raton Resort has world-class restaurants including Old Homestead from New York. Gordon Ramsey is opening a restaurant as well as Serendipity, one of New Yorkers favorite dessert destinations.

One Thousand Ocean in Boca Raton is a most unique modern designed ultra luxury residence.