Landlords are getting 97% of asking price

Landlords are getting an average of 97% of list price for rentals in Miami-Dade, according to the latest data for 4th Quarter 2011.  Renters face an increasingly-competitive market in core neighborhoods, with rental listings commonly attracting multiple offers.  In the rental market above $1800 per month, almost half of that inventory is achieving rental rates in excess... Read More

Survey says driving in Miami is scary but the people are hot

Miami has about the hottest, most-stylish people in the country, and it doesn’t get much better if you’re looking for a hot singles scene or a wild weekend…..that’s assuming you survive the drive in from the airport.  That just about sums up the opinion of roughly 40,000 people who responded to Travel & Leisure’s annual survey of 35 U.S. cities. ... Read More

Foreign Tourists make Miami a hotspot

Consider the latest statistics from the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism: Miami ranks #3 among US cities for foreign tourism (behind NYC and LA) Miami gets 3x the number of foreign tourists that Chicago, IL gets annually Miami hosted about 3.1 million overseas tourists during 2010  Florida gets more overseas travelers than California  Read More

Miami’s housing-price bubble – in one easy chart

Home Appreciation Chart Miami South Florida

Recently released data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency shows that residential prices in South Florida shot up almost 300%, from early 2000 to the peak of the bubble.  The good news – housing prices in South Florida appear to have stablized to pre-bubble levels of 2003.  Rental prices in Miami continued to rise due to rising demand, and virtually no new inventory. ... Read More

Paola Figueiredo – Brickell Agent

Paola Figueiredo Paola Figueiredo has leased condos in every major building from Brickell to Midtown, specializing in unique rentals in Coral Gables / Coconut Grove, Brickell, Downtown Miami, and Midtown.  Paola, a native of Sao Paolo, Brazil started her real estate career in Miami selling luxury condos in Aventura, and later did condo conversions locally with Prodigy... Read More

Florida has highest number of foreign homebuyers in the U.S.

Florida Ranks #1 According to a recent study by Credit Sesame and the National Association of Realtors, Florida has the highest number of foreign homebuyers in the U.S.   A whopping 31% of all foreign homebuyers bought in Florida during 2009, which is notable given the populations of California and Texas.  Here are the top four states for foreign homebuyers in 2009, by percentage... Read More

Credit Reports and your rental history

Major property managers and apartment companies are beginning to report rental payment histories to the three largest credit agencies, according to an article in the New York Times.  Given that Miami’s rental market is dominated by private owners, it seems unlikely that local renters will see payment histories on their credit reports anytime soon, because private owners... Read More

Genting Development could raise the bar for new condo buildings

Aqua - Chicago The renderings for Genting’s proposed casino on the existing Miami Herald site show an organic, sculptural series of highrises that could raise the bar for new residential buildings in Miami.  The most recent building boom in Miami brought dozens of new residential highrises online, but surprisingly few of them showed great imagination in form and facade.  The Genting buildings... Read More

Better to Rent…or Buy in Miami?

Who would’ve thought just two short years ago that it might be prudent to revisit the question of renting-vs-buying this quickly.  With prices in a free fall, and rents on the rise, most residents simply looked for the best rental deal available, and signed a lease.  But with home prices beginning to stablize (in popular neighborhoods and newer buildings), it’s likely... Read More

Searching for Furnished Rentals

We’ve revised our Furnished Rental Search to make it easier for you to find furnished rentals in Miami, Miami Beach, Midtown, Downtown, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Surfside and Sunny Isles.  How to find furnished rentals: Click the big “For Rent” button on our homepage (upper left, orange, white and silver) Click the Neighborhood you’re interested in... Read More