Welcome to Miamism.com - A Miami Beach Real Estate Resource and Lifestyle Blog - If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Miami rides and Miami pads….they are everywhere you look, it’s like candy for the soul. But this image gets mojito points from us – The Versace Mansion and a gorgeous Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster! Phenomenal shot by Jason Thorgalben from VOD Cars (wait until you see the rest of his pics).
….another Miamism !!
** Share your MIAMISMS and we will feature them!! send them to us via email (info@miamism.com), Facebook, Twitter (@ines), or post them on Flickr in the Miamism Group **
This month’s edition is on North Bay Road (Sunset Lake subdivision). This is definitely a WOW type of home but location is a bit disappointing, right behind the Sunset Islands with more of a canal front location than bay. At least you don’t have any fixed bridges to the bay and you do have protection from the elements, but this house would almost be perfect with open bay water frontage.
Miami Beach Mod Home at 2040 N Bay Road
listed for $16,500,000
The massing and volumes of this North Bay Road home make me smile from ear to ear. Straight angles, not over designed, sultry, sexy and functional….doesn’t get better than that. This home is 11,857 square feet! and the lot is unusually long with 308 feet in-depth compared to its 100 feet of width – hence the long and narrow construction. The homes on this portion of North Bay Road seem to be on top of each other because they take advantage of every inch of “buildable” land on their properties. But in reality, they do keep a comfortable distance from each other.
I am sure that when the current owners decided to build this beauty, they knew that the location and unusual direction of the lot would be a struggle for any future buyer. So they decided to make up for any of those objections by really building an amazing house. Take a look at an aerial of the property showing the skewed lot on the water. The positive aspect of the angle is that it gives them 135 feet of water frontage instead of the 100′ you expect.
The house has double gourmet kitchens as well as summer kitchen equipped with pizza oven. We can certainly assume that these people love to entertain and cook. I love the fact that the “caterer’s kitchen” is something that is becoming popular in Miami Beach within the mega luxury real estate realm. Nothing like keeping your kitchen clean and untouched while caterers make a mess of their own kitchen.
I wish I knew who the architect and interior designers were in this property – the use of materials in the secondary spaces are not what I would expect, but they work and the minimalist feel is never jeopardized.
I think the master suite is my favorite part of this home. It seems to float above the rest of the space with perfectly framed views and private terrace that completes the exterior facade – solemn, dignified and perfect.
The exteriors are all perfectly orchestrated. From the approach to the house with a play of window proportions and water element, to the use of every flat roof as a roof terrace and finally with a lap pool and spa that mimic the proportions and extended house foot print. When you start scrutinizing the elements used throughout the house, you notice that nothing is there by chance, but instead you will find a well throughout out approach to architecture that is refreshing.
As for the wood finish in the back terrace, not even if it was IPE wood from Brazil would I have that as a choice, the maintenance can be brutal. I would be more apt to selecting a raw limestone or concrete finish to avoid the constant treatment of the wood.
As for that small triangular patch of grass between the dock and the pool deck – it just seems it is wasted space when in reality it has not yet been designed. Any lucky owner of this North Bay Road modern mansion will be able to complete the space as a transitional element between their vessel and their home.
The property was bought in 2007 for $4.1 Million, completely demolished and built from scratch. The $16.5 Million price tag may be a far reach considering the location, but only time will tell.
If you are not in awe of the talent evident in murals around Miami, it’s time to check for a pulse. Take this Miami Heat mural, for example, by Serge Toussaint, one of the thousands left for us to devour around town. Lucky enough to be captured by WALLYG. And the theme is one we happen to love – GO HEAT!
** Share your MIAMISMS and we will feature them!! send them to us via email (info@miamism.com), Facebook, Twitter (@ines), or post them on Flickr in the Miamism Group **
Realtor.com’s Top 10 Turnaround Town Report, based on third quarter 2011 data, includes six Florida markets: Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota-Bradenton, and Lakeland-Winter Haven.
And out of those 6 Florida markets, Miami is number one!
Miami, FL: The number one town on the report, Miami has gone from being one of the first victims of the subprime crash to having a healthy inventory that is only half the size from a year ago. Today, Miami is only reporting one foreclosure for every 407 homes, compared to the national rate of one per every 213. And, condo sales have increased 79 percent in the first five months of this year, largely due to an influx of foreign investors.
We do expect you to be suspicious about these stats, after years of hearing the worst about Florida, why would you not question our market? All we can ask is that you request proof from us. We have been providing evidence here on a regular basis, to show that desirable areas in Miami are not just seeing a price increase already, many areas don’t even have distressed inventory available, and in many cases we are seeing proof of a seller’s market.
Every neighborhood is different and has its quirks, so depending on the type of property you are selling or buying, its condition and location within the neighborhood, things can vary quite a bit. Don’t be afraid to ask us, that’s what we’re here for.
Realtor.com’s Top Ten Turnaround Town Report is compiled using a formula based on price appreciation, changes in inventory, median age of inventory, searches by Realtor.com visitors, and unemployment data.
December 2011 real estate search results are in and Miami, FL was the #18 most searched market in the country in December 2011, based on data released today by Realtor.com
Median list prices for homes in Miami, FL hit $265,000 in December 2011, a 32.50% increase from one year ago this month, and 2.32% increase from November 2011. The national median list price in December 2011 was $188,000, a 5.03% increase compared to December 2010.
Each month, Realtor.com surveys up to 250 Metro Service Areas (MSA) throughout the nation and monitors real estate trends including consumer search behavior, median list prices on for sale homes, active inventory counts and median age of inventory. The information is released to local markets to help consumers and real estate professionals as they work together to successfully navigate their local market.
If you are buying a Miami Beach waterfront home, you are likely to have a boat or will be considering a boat in the near future. We are constantly asked a number of questions regarding waterfront purchases and Rick and I decided to write a list of 7 important factors to consider when buying a waterfront home in Miami.
Condition of Sea wall -
It is important for anyone buying a waterfront property to get a seawall inspection by a structural engineer or a seawall specialist. Inspections should include not only the actual seawall but also settling cracks within the main house, patios and pool as well as dock areas. Because most canal systems in Miami and Miami Beach are artificially made or made with landfills, the integrity of the seawall could ultimately determine the integrity of the structure of the home. Doing a visual inspection of seawalls of adjacent properties is also recommended in order to avoid future settling.
Type of waterfront property
- If you look at an aerial view of Miami and Miami Beach, you will notice that there are numerous types of waterfront properties: lakes, rivers, canals with direct ocean access, canals with fixed bridges, canals with no ocean access, non-navigable canals, and bayfront homes, to name a few. Depending on the type of boat you have, you will need to consider fixed bridges (clearance heights), depth of canals, and proximity to bay and or ocean access. There are several waterfront communities in Miami and Miami Beach that have direct ocean access but you have to navigate at idle speed for miles which can mean being on your boat for a couple of hours before you can really do some boating.
Boat Dock
- it is important to inspect not only the condition of an existing dock, but also if the type of dock can accommodate your boat. There are a lot of canals in Miami with natural coral sea walls and no docks – you may not want to dock your boat next to natural coral. If there is no dock on the property, it may be a good idea to contact DERM (Department of Environmental Resources Management) about what kind of dock they will allow in a particular canal. DERM may even send an inspector out to the property in order to make recommendations.
Davits and/or Boat Lift
- depending on the size of the boat, most boat owners will not keep the vessel inside the water and use davits and/or boat lifts to raise the boat out of the water while not in use. Whichever your choice, make sure to inspect existing davits or make sure the existing seawall can accommodate a boat lift of your choice.
Protection from the elements
Bayfront homes are obviously the most desired type of waterfront property but can also leave your property very exposed to the elements (weather and hurricanes). Canal front properties are said to protect not only your house, but boats as well in case of increment weather. This doesn’t mean that you should not purchase a bayfront home, it means you should consider location when purchasing.
Location of home within a canal
- because of the intricate design of canals in Miami and Miami Beach, some canals may be comparable to dead-end streets. These canals, depending on currents and wind may accumulate debris and garbage that can become a nuisance. If a property is located at the end of a dead-end canal, make sure you ask about accumulation of debris throughout the year.
Insurance Costs
- just keep in mind that property insurance costs will be higher for waterfront homes, especially open bay properties.
There is nothing like owning a Miami Beach waterfront home. To be able to enjoy our beautiful weather as well as the views is priceless and it is what makes Miami Waterfront Real Estate so unique.
Condition of Sea wall 
Type of waterfront property
Boat Dock
Davits and/or Boat Lift
Protection from the elements
Location of home within a canal
Insurance Costs
