The Miami Condo Market

The Miami condo market is very diverse and offers a large number of different solutions for those interested in purchasing or renting a condo. People from all over the world are attracted to the vibrant Miami area and its supreme climate for relocation. Miami condos are also popular among vacationers as well as investors. The recent decrease of the dollar value on the international market has made Miami condos an even more interesting option for many Europeans looking for a home away from home, a place in which to retire or just a good investment.

Location, location, location – is the mantra of the real estate business. This is naturally true for Miami real estate as well. The beach front condos are the most popular ones and consequently the most expensive ones to obtain. Just by choosing a condo a few blocks away from the beach you can save huge amounts of money. A Miami ocean view is astonishing, but certainly not for free when we’re talking real estate. South Beach is one of the most popular areas of the Miami condo market, not only due to its proximity to the ocean but to its famous nightlife and gastronomic scene as well. 

Another highly esteemed part of Miami is the Brickell neighborhood. The Brickell region is commonly referred to as “the Wall Street of the South” and the condominium towers share the space with over 60 commercial banks. This area is typically marketed as a more strict and upscale alternative to South Beach; a neighborhood ideal for those who prefer a downtown environment instead of a sandy beach. The Brickell community is inhabited by people who want to avoid long hours of commuting.

In Brickell it is possible to be close to work as well as to downtown entertainment, but still live in a relaxed area suitable for recreation. The fact that popular South Beach restaurants are beginning to setup finials in Brickell is only one of the signs that predicts how Brickell will turn into an even more sought for area in the future. Three years ago it was possible to buy one of the smaller condos in Brickell for $115,000. Today you must be prepared to pay at least $200,000 for the same condo. The condos in Brickell are however still very reasonably priced compared to the condos located at Miami Beach. A Miami Beach condo of the same type as the $200,000 Brickell condo would cost you at least $500,000.

In such a popular area as Miami there will naturally be a shortage of suitable lots for new condo developments, and the Miami condo market is now stretching into the older neighborhoods and has even reached the suburbs. Downtown Miami has seen a lot of new development recently. Further expansion down Miami Beach is naturally another extremely lucrative business for Miami real estate developers since the Miami real estate market shows no signs of cooling down, particularly not when we’re talking ocean front properties.

If you visit Wynwood, a neighborhood located not to far from the very popular South Beach district, the recent expansion of the Miami condo market will be very evident. What used to be large warehouses and grocery stores are currently being turned into condos, lofts and smaller apartments. Wynwood is also witnessing a huge change of the cultural scene as more and more galleries and private museums find their way into this new and exciting neighborhood. Wynwood is only one example of how condo development is taking place in almost all the not to remotely located neighborhoods in the Miami area.

The Miami condo developers are now turning their eyes towards the Miami working class neighborhoods. Former blue collar neighborhoods such as Little Haiti, Liberty City and Overtown are already overflowing with condos. These neighborhoods have become very popular for those who wish to own a Miami condo but can’t afford to pay for ocean front properties at Miami Beach or get luxury condos such as the Four Season Residences.  

Those who are still willing to pay for an ocean front condo should take a look at the South Pointe region. This used to be quite a shady area with a high crime rate and the median family income in 1995 was below $ 8,000. Today, this has changed and condos in South Pointe are already worth several hundred thousand dollars. Two new larger developing projects have been launched that will add 67 and 199 units respectively to the South Point housing market. The largest project of the two is the Continuum North Tower, a 199 unit property located at the end of South Pointe Drive. Continuum North Tower includes properties ranging in size from 1500 to 4000 square feet.

The penthouse apartments are even larger: 7000 square feet. Continuum North Tower will not be finished until late 2006 or early 2007, but prospective buyers are already lining up for the chance to own a Miami ocean front property. The other project, Apogee, is a smaller complex and will include 67 condos in the 3100 to 6900 feet range. Apogee will be 22 stories high when finished and asking price will most likely be in the $ 2.5 million range. For this price your will not only get an ocean view, but high ceilings, modern design, indoor and outdoor grills etcetera. The Penthouses in Apogee will probably go for at least $ 15 million each.   

According to some analysts, a shortage of available Miami condos can be expected in the near future, but it is always hard to know for sure. The increased surge for Miami condos has launched a multitude of development projects. There are currently a large amount of projects on the verge of completion, aiming to provide the Miami condo market with everything from comparatively inexpensive studio-style condos to super exclusive condos with ocean views and all imaginable amenities. When the price began to rise even for the smallest condos, the Miami condo market consequently opened up for the development of a large number of more exclusive luxury condos.

When buyers are forced to pay ever increasing amounts of money for a tiny ocean front condo, they want to feel that they are getting supreme quality for their money in terms of style and amenities. Installing exclusive features, such as a Jacuzzi, will still only have a marginal affect on the price of the condo. On Miami Beach the largest part of the price is defined by the much sought after location of the property. Some of the most expensive condos on the Miami condo market can today be found in The Miami Four Season Residences. In the year 2005, this condominium complex offered condos priced from slightly below $ 700,000 and up to above $ 6 million. A lot of these condos are fashioned in a chic Euro style manner and have access to wine and cigar lounges, a health Spa, exclusive gyms and other selected services.   

Florida is a popular state to live in, but no other city in Florida experienced the same remarkable surge for condos during the last few years as Miami. Some prospective buyers hope that the prices will drop when all the projects have finally settled. Estimations show that more than 50,000 condos will be added to the Miami condo market within the next 10 years. In downtown Miami a 35 story condominium tower named the Avenue is planned to be completed in 2007, and will add 570 condos to the Miami condo market.

The Avenue is accompanied by more than 70 other condo developments in the area. One of the larger projects in Brickell, the Mary Brickell Village, is believed to be completed by the end of 2006 and will then provide the Brickell neighborhood with a large number of new luxury condos. This could cause the prices to stabilize in Brickell, but don’t count on it. The completion of two other major condo projects in the Brickell region, the Plaza and Neo Lofts, did not cause the prices to plummet – quite the contrary.

Metropolitan Brokers is the publisher of this article and is a brokerage firm offering full listings of miami condos for sale.  They also provide full brokerage services for both residential and commercial real estate in the Miami area.  Permission is granted to reprint this article, either online or in written publications, as long as this resource box and the link to www.metropolitanbrokers.com are attached at the end of the article.

Las Vacaciones son la Mejor Solución Para Relajarte

Si te sientes un poco estresado con el trabajo, con tu pareja o con la familia y necesitas tomar decisiones, ver a los problemas con otra perspectiva siempre ayuda. Aquí te recomiendo tomar unas pequeñas vacaciones en donde tu decidas.

Puede ser el lugar mas inesperado el que te puede hacer mejor. Debes buscar en diferentes sitios que lugares están disponibles por el fin de semana o una semana entera (si te la puedes tomar).

Los lugares mas ideales deben ir de acuerdo a tu gusto. Por ejemplo si disfrutas del sol algún lugar de veraneo con el mar y la playa van a ser perfectos. Si no te gusta la playa, busca algún lugar en las montañas tranquilo que te traiga paz y serenidad.

No necesitas gastar mucho dinero para tener un buen resultado, ya que solo unos días es suficiente sin tener que perder mucho tiempo en el viaje de ida y vuelta. Puedes optar de ir en auto que es más económico o en avión depende de los precios.

Si vives en Europa, un fin de semana en Barcelona no te costara demasiado y sin duda te abrirá la mente y dejara atrás los problemas que parecían tan grandes que no te dejaban pensar.

Tomarte unas vacaciones es algo positivo que solo traerá buenos resultados. Lo sitios desde ya dependen de tu poder económico. Si tu disposición no tiene limites, St Tropez en la costa de Francia es un lugar vacacional ideal. Fiestas desde las 3 de la tarde en la playa, mercado en el centro del pueblo, las playas mas increíbles y mucho mas.

Si tu poder adquisitivo es un poco limitado, puedes ir a palma de Mallorca en España, a Ibiza o elegir entre muchos de los puertos de la zona.

Si vives en Sudamérica o centro América, uno de mis lugares favoritos es Punta del Este en Uruguay. Aunque un poco caro, siempre saldrás de ahí con una sonrisa. Las playas más inolvidables, junto con los bares de moda, y actividades entretenidas las 24 horas del día te esperan ahí.

Si no optas por ir a Punta del Este, Brasil es otro de los lugares mas increíbles. Ahí puedes ir a Buzios disfrutar de los camarones con palito, las playas los cocos, los helados, y mucho más.

En Argentina también puedes encontrar lugares vacacionales, como Miramar, Pinamar, Mar del Plata, y otros.

Si buscas lugares sin playa durante el invierno puedes ir a Bariloche, Villa La angostura, Las Leñas en donde puedes esquiar.

Sin duda, cualquier lugar que elijas un poco alejado de tu trabajo, o deberes diarios te ayudara a relajarte y pensar mas tranquilamente como solucionar o seguir adelante en tus decisiones.

A Clothing Optional Vacation - Give A Unique Father's Day Gift

If your husband is like most men, he is the hardest person to buy gifts for. How many new ties, power tools, or bottles of liquor does he really need? Here's a great idea for a gift this Father's Day - a vacation at a clothing optional resort.

Sound far fetched? Not really. Nude recreation is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. It is a booming travel niche with over $400 million in annual revenues reported by USA Today newspaper. In a recent Roper poll, 25% of Americans have gone skinny dipping in mixed company. You may have already done this when you were young. Now is the time to recapture that lost freedom of your youth.

Traditionally, Americans had to go to Europe or the Caribbean to find upscale topless, nudist, or naturist resorts. In the U.S., most nude places were just rustic campgrounds, the old style "nudist colonies" that movies like the Pink Panther showed. But, in the last decade, the U.S. has now surpassed the rest of the world and has some of the finest clothing optional resorts around.

American clothing optional resorts cater to different customers. Many are still the rustic campgrounds where families with their kids go on the weekends. However, in Florida and Palm Springs, California, you will now find nudist resorts that are able to compete with the best regular 4 and 5 star resorts. Nudism in America has now grown up and some of these new resorts are considered the best in the world.

One of the most popular of these new upscale nude resorts is The Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa. It is very popular as it was the first upscale boutique clothing optional resort to cater just to couples. So, leave the kids with the grandparents or baby sitter an be prepared to be spoiled and pampered. The press reports it is the most mainstream nudist resort in the U.S. It is truly clothing optional. Although, repeat guests go there to go nude sunbathing, sometimes "first timers" are nervous and need some time to ease into nude sunbathing. The Terra Cotta Inn is perfect for couples trying nude sunbathing for the first time. There is never any pressure. Guests go nude as soon as they feel comfortable. And everyone always feels comfortable as 99% of the guests go nude sunbathing. The Terra Cotta Inn is located in sunny Palm Springs, California. http://palmsprings.com This beautiful resort community averages 340 days of sunshine a year and is the sunniest city in America. It has world championship golf, casinos, shopping, theater, and more. Everything anyone could ask for on their vacation.

Who takes clothing optional vacations? Everyone! People have been nude sunbathing for centuries. Even one of our founding fathers, Ben Franklin was a major advocate of nude sunbathing. Now that some nude resorts have gone upscale, more and more people are discovering the fun of nude recreation. Nude sunbathers range from their 20's to 70's in age. They are teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, police, firefighters, movie stars, Democrats and Republicans, etc. They are everyone. What they all have in common is they wanted to try something new. They were tired of the same old boring, stuffy vacations at chain hotels, They wanted to experience something different. Nude recreation is perfect. It is a great way to add excitement to a marriage or relationship. It is very romantic. Everyone feels comfortable at clothing optional resorts because guests are screened first and everyone knows that they are not wild, orgy places. Romantic? Absolutely! But, everyone always behaves themselves around others. So it is a very safe environment for couples. And once you have stayed at a clothing optional resort, you are hooked for life. For instance, a recent TV Travel show called "Ultimate Hotels" just reported that one clothing optional resort averages just over 75% repeat guests which is one the highest repeat guest rates in the travel industry.

Why go to a clothing optional resort? You go to relax and have fun. Marie Claire Magazine in an article about nudity and body image sent a reporter to a clothing optional resort. She reported, "After a hours of lounging and chatting, I started to feel totally relaxed with both myself and my new environment... As the weekend progressed, I became more and more comfortable being naked and I sure didn't miss the pressure of picking out something to wear every morning! But most of all, I found myself feeling less critical about my body. In fact, since it was clear nobody there cared about body size, I found myself being less self-critical overall- and naturally more health-conscious." And you will have so much fun. At many of the best clothing optional resorts, you get to meet vacationers from around the world. Many life long friendships are started up from guests chatting with each other. Without wearing clothes, people are just naturally more free and friendly.

So this Father's Day, or any day for that matter, if you are looking for a new vacation experience, contact a clothing optional resort and make your next vacation a fun, nude vacation