Article: The White House Wouldn’t Be Miami’s Most Expensive Home
Image via Decoration Channel
If the Huffington Post & Movato are to be believed, THE White House wouldn’t be the most expensive home in Miami if it were transported here. A member of the Koitz Group (a luxury brokerage in DC) performed an analysis and determined that in Washington DC the property would be worth $110 million whereas in Miami it would be worth a comparatively scant $39 million. It’s an election year and the article was likely written with tongue planted firmly in cheek but that valuation still seems hard to believe. At $39 million The White House would still be valued much less than the most expensive listing in Miami, a mega estate in Indian Creek offered at $60m (shown below)
Image via HauteLiving
Just Listed: A Kings Bay Masterpiece
This beautiful home located at 6235 Marlin Drive is our newest listing and it just hit the market today! The property is located in the Kings Bay community, one of the best kept secrets in Miami real estate. Although the home has a Gables address, its location further south places it in Pinecrest’s school zone (Howard Dr. Palmetto Middle, Palmetto High). This home is a wonderful value for the wealth of features it provides: it has a signature Gables luxury feel, great schools, desirable location in a pristine gated community, quiet streets, and the boat ramp provides convenience for boaters. For more information visit 6235marlin.com or Contact Us for more details!
How Well Do You Know Miami: where is this condo?
We have a rental listing hitting the market soon. Before you get the details, lets play a game: How well do you know Miami? Heres one picture, name the building!
P.S. This is the fist entry in a new category of posts we’ll be adding to the blog. As we get new listings we’ll be putting up more content highlighting great views, interesting features and more.
Coral Gables Votes to Change Pickup Truck Rules
Coral Gables city officials are voting to change rules regarding pickup trucks being parked in residential areas. A city rule ratified in the 1970s bans pickup truck owners from parking on street or in residential driveways in Coral Gables after 7pm. This longstanding rule was put in place to keep up appearances in the Gables, barring work trucks (some of which often have equipment loaded in the back) from taking up street space. As times have changed, many people drive trucks daily most commonly citing practicality reasons (the Ford F150 is the highest selling vehicle in the US another year in a row). It seems that Gables officials have taken notice and are voting to change the regulations to give truck owners a bit more freedom. Here are the proposed changes:
• Only the front of the truck can face the street. The truck would have to be backed-in toward the property and no portion of the vehicle could block the swale, sidewalk or other right-of-way.
• The truck has a covered bed made of standard equipment — not a hunk of plywood, for example.
• The truck has no commercial markings, advertising or added appendages.
• The truck has no more than two axles and four wheels.
The very same Gables Homepage article has two comments as of this writing expressing outrage that the City of Coral Gables would consider changing this rule (and no comments defending the decision). Are you a Gables resident? How do you feel about the changes?
Source: Gables Homepage
Highest Recorded Sales in April
As a regular feature on the blog we’ll show you the highest recorded single family home sales in the past month. For the inaugural post in this series, we picked three communities: Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Pinecrest. Lets take a look at the most expensive property sold in each of the neighborhoods:
Coral Gables:
360 Casuarina Concourse
320 Casuarina Concourse
This home at 360 Casuarina Concourse sold last month for 12 million. For that money, you get a 6 bedroom 8 bathroom waterfront palace located in the prestigious Gables Estates community.
Interesting fact: the average price for homes in Gables Estates hovers right around $10M
Pinecrest:
9500 SW 68th Avenue
This home, aptly described as a “Mediterranean Masterpiece” by listing agent Josie Wang, is the highest recorded closed sale in Pinecrest for April. The final sale price was $2M. The home is far more spectacular than that thumbnail would have you believe…
Interesting Fact: The home was sold at approximately $274 per square foot, which is higher than the Pinecrest average price per square foot values for February ($222) and March ($196)
Coconut Grove:
3015 Emathla Street
3015 Emathla Street
Emaltha is a quiet street off of Tigertail and Bayshore, close to Ransom Everglades School. The home at 3015 Emaltha was not only the most expensive home closed in the Grove last month, it also sold at an above average $362 per square foot.
Interesting Fact: This home was one of only two homes to sell for over $1M in Coconut Grove last month
Leave a comment if you’d like to see a different community featured next month. Additionally, if you’re in the market for a luxury home in any of these communities, we’d be glad to help you find the perfect property. Due to an uptick in sales activity and a strengthening market, inventory is low. We have access to some great listings that arent even on the market! Call us today – 305.520.5420
Summer Camp Ideas in Coral Gables, Pinecrest and South Miami
It’s that time of year again and parents like me are trying to figure out what activities to sign their kids up for this summer. Here is a list of some of my favorites in the area:
- Beaux Arts Art Camp at the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami: This fantastic camp has been my daughter’s favorite for a few years running. The camp is located at the Lowe Museum, so the kids can’t help but get their creative juices flowing! Ceramics, painting, sculpture – they touch of many art forms in just a few short weeks. The counselors also make sure they have time to run around and get some playtime during the day too. They also offer spring break and winter break camps in case you want to send your kids then as well.
- South Miami Gymnastics Summer Camp: There are two 3 week sessions at this action packed camp: June 11-29th and July 3-25th. My oldest daughter participated a few years ago and loved it. There is usually a wide range of activities including gymnastics in their fantastic and huge gym, ceramics, tennis, swimming and more. This is an old-school camp – no website, no email, just a phone number to call for more information (305-662-2736) or stop by for details or to register at their facility (Also the Mandelstam School). Click here for the location and for pictures of the facilities via the Mandelstam’s school website.
- Miami Childrens Theater My Little Star Camp at Pinecrest Community Center. The highly regarded Miami Childrens Theater has quite a few offerings for summer camp for a wide range of ages. Just announced, however, is a the My Little Star camp at Pinecrest Community Center for kids 4-6 years old. In this great camp the kids will learn the basics of the craft of drama in a fun and playful environment. The Miami Children’s Theater has won many awards for having the best camps around, so I’m sure this will be a great option.
- Fairchild Tropical Garden’s Junior Naturalist Summer Camp: Fairchild is one of my favorite places on earth and they’re finally offering a summer camp! There are two sessions both with only 25 students, so it will fill up fast. Environmental science and art are the focus for the kids who will be on their way to becoming certified Fairchild Gardens Junior Naturalists!
- Hurricane Aquatics Summer Camp: This fantastic swimming and diving summer camp is located at the University of Miami. The University is home to a wide range of summer camps, but this one my daughter participated in last year and loved it. They learn strokes, work on their diving form via trampolines and also have the sunniest afternoon hours blocked off for indoor activities. My daughter was definitely exhausted and happy after a day at this camp.
- St Thomas Episcopal School Summer Camps: This superb private elementary school offers a variety of summer camps. Some of the most popular are the Fine Arts Camp, Mind Movers, and Creative Kids (For 3 & 4 year olds). Many of the academic year teachers work at and run the summer camp, so it is sure to be a fantastic program.
Where are the “Green” Homes?
2020 Alton Road Render (from http://www.bobvila.com & The Florida Green Home Design Group)
Inspired by Earth Day this past weekend, I started looking up “green” homes in Miami to showcase on the blog. After a few minutes of searching I found that eco-friendly homes are still a relative rarity in South Florida. When the housing market stalled, so did many construction projects including green developments. If you search a bit you can find examples of homes or buildings remodeled to be more efficient but in general the Miami market is lacking in LEED or Energy Star certified homes.
The US Green Building Council established the LEED standard to measure and rank sustainable buildings. LEED is the most popular sustainability standard in use today. There are 4 levels, of which Platinum is the highest. Platinum certified homes and buildings are the gold standard of sustainability and can approach “net-zero” energy utilization, meaning that the buildings produce as much energy as they consume.
Interesting fact: There are only two LEED Platinum certified homes in Miami – one on Miami Beach and the other is in South Miami. As the sustainability movement gains momentum the number of LEED certified homes in Miami should surely increase.
If you’re looking for a sustainable luxury home in South Florida, we can help you find eco-friendly options. Give us a call at 305.520.5420 to get started!
What Does $2.5M Buy You in Miami?
Two and a half million dollars is a significant amount of money. With that kind of money in Miami you could buy all manner of luxury property ranging from a condo in a 5 star high-rise building to beautiful home in Coral Gables or Pinecrest. If you had $2.5 million dollars you could also buy this:
If you’re a Marlins fan, you know exactly what that is but I’ll fill everyone in anyway. What you’re looking at is the Miami Marlins’ new HomeRun dispay. Every time a Marlin knocks one out of the park, the stadium is treated to this festive show. Reports recently surfaced that this colorful and over the top set-piece cost the Marlins organization $2.5 million dollars.
If you’re not interested in erecting something like this in your backyard, here are a few luxury homes you could spend that money on instead:
Coral Gables:
5621 Orduna Drive
This waterfront home is a blend of modern and classic style. Its beautifully updated and the interior is spotless. If you’re a boater, wait until you see the waterway out back…
4301 Monserrate Street
4301 Monserrate has gotten lots of coverage from us because its one of our listings! This beautiful and historic home is wrapped in walled gardens and flanked by perfectly manicured trees and greenery. The homeowners recently won an award from the City of Coral Gables for the upkeep. Unlike the previous home this property isnt on water, but theres tons of unique charm here and this home is designated historic.
Pinecrest:
10050 SW 62 AV
This 5 bedroom home sits on 1.68 acres of land in Pinecrest! If you like having abundant outdoor space this is an amazing home in northern Pinecrest.
8800 SW 57 AV
If abundant land isn’t a primary concern, theres this home for sale in Pinecrest. The home is on a lot half the size as the previous home (.86 acres) but the home itself has more living space for a larger family at 7 bedrooms.
Coconut Grove:
1866 Tigertail Avenue
Coconut Grove is known for its eclectic mix of property and here are two different options. If you prefer a single family home, heres one 5 bedroom 6 bath property. Its almost at the end of Tigertail avenue, close to Mercy Hospital in the North Grove. Inside, there are modern finishes, a beautiful kitchen and well lit living spaces.
2843 Bayshore Drive #P3
On the other end of the spectrum is this condo in the Grove described as a “mansion in the sky.” If you prefer a more urban setting vs a single family home, this luxury unit could be a good buy. One of the highlight features: 280 degree unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay.
If you’d like information on other luxury homes in these three communities give us a call! We can prepare market reports and show you inventory at many price points. That being said, if you’ve made up your mind that you HAVE to own a replica of the Marlins home run display, we understand.
Two Fantastic New Homes For Sale in High Pines
A Charming New Listing in High Pines
Sure to sell quickly…
The first home recently went back on the market at a lower price in High Pines – one of my favorite neighborhoods around. It’s small, around 1500 sq. ft, but is nicely updated, has a smart layout and is ready for you to move right in! It was listed last year at $485,000 but was taken off the market and reintroduced at $450,000. Highlights include a great backyard, a gas stove in the updated kitchen and lovely wood floors in the main living areas. This home is listed by Jennifer Wollman with EWM.
The second home just listed in High Pines by Evan and Hazel Goldman of ReMax is larger (almost 2,500 sq ft) and listed at $769,000. This 3 bedroom 2 bath home is located on a beautiful lush lot. It has an exquisite master bathroom, gleaming wood floors in the living areas, and a lovely backyard with a pool. This is certainly one of the nicest of the original homes in High Pines – a very rare find. I have no doubt it will sell quickly.
I used to live just a few blocks from here and love this neighborhood – both the location and the people. It’s one of the few areas in Miami that is truly a walkable community. You can walk to my favorite french bakery, the movies, and even our offices!
Feel free to call me any time to set up an appointment to see this or other homes for sale in High Pines. I’ll make sure you get to try the best guava and cheese coissant and the best ice cream iin Miami – both located just a few blocks away
Tasty Tuesdays: A Food Revolution at Palmetto Elementary School
My youngest starts the VPK program next year at Palmetto Elementary School in Pinecrest. We happened to be at the school for an orientation last week and experienced this school’s version of a bake sale – ‘Tasty Tuesdays’. I snapped a few pictures of the delicious looking offerings. The only things I didn’t get a photo of were the kale chips and baked sweet potato fries because they were sold out! (yes, really…).
Palmetto Elementary, with a lot of help from the parents, have banned sugary treats at school and are introducing a whole new way of eating to the children there. Kudos to their forward thinking pricipal and others at the school who allowed these changes to take place. So far the excellent private schools my girls have attended have not been so progressive when it comes to rethinking the fuel they feed their students.
Recently there was an excellent segment on 60 minutes talking about the effects of the amount of sugar we’re currently consuming. Click here if you haven’t seen it yet – and then take a cue from Palmetto and try one of these healthy snacks!
[Pinecrest has long been known for it's excellent schools. This initiative is yet one more way Pinecrest differentiates itself. Pinecrest is an amazing community for children and parents alike! Click over to our Pinecrest Community Information page for more information or contact us for an in depth look at the Pinecrest housing market]
For more neighborhood and real estate posts by Carrie, visit her website: South of Miami Real Estate
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