Skip to main content
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices | EWM Realty
954-661-8871

Tag Archives: Aventura Real Estate

Affordability on South Florida Real Estate Market is Breaking Records

access_time

I recently read a rather interesting article in The Palm Beach Post that discussed the record-breaking affordability on South Florida homes for sale.

Evidently, affordability on Palm Beach County homes for sale reached a new high during the first quarter of 2011.

Palm Beach County isn’t the only county that’s enjoying this record-breaking affordability.  Broward County as well as Miami-Dade County are also experiencing fantastic affordability on their homes for sale.

Purchasing A South Florida Home for Sale

There is a lot of data on the South Florida real estate market that illustrate just how affordable South Florida homes are right now:

  • A median-income family in South Florida could have purchased 77.5 percent of all the homes sold in the first quarter of 2011.
  • According to the National Association of Home Builders, the last time homes were this affordable in Palm Beach County was in early 1999, when a median-income family in South Florida could have purchased 77.4 percent of all the homes sold that year.
  • In comparison, a median-income family in South Florida could have only afforded about 30 percent of Palm Beach County homes during the real estate boom.

So what exactly is causing this great affordability in South Florida? A few factors are at play right now, including:

  • Low home prices
  • Steady incomes
  • Low mortgage rates

And even though home sales have picked up in recent months, it hasn’t caused prices to rise like they did during the housing boom a couple of years ago.

This is great news for South Florida home buyers looking for a deal on the South Florida real estate market.

Navigating the South Florida Real Estate Market

There’s never been a better time to be a South Florida home buyer.   With record low interest rates and low South Florida list prices, there’s a good chance that you’ll find an amazing deal on a South Florida home for sale.

As a South Florida real estate expert, I am experienced working in several of the area real estate markets, including:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Real Estate Market Update

access_time

Last time I discussed with you a trend on the South Florida real estate market in which home prices are dropping and South Florida home buyer interest is rising.

Today I’d like to discuss with you a recent report by Zillow.com that further breaks down the drop in South Florida home prices.

Zillow.com is a Seattle-based company that studies real estate trends all across the country.

South Florida Homes for Sale

According to the recent report by Zillow.com, South Florida home values decreased by 12.8 percent during the first quarter of 2011 when compared to the first quarter of 2010.

Compared with the 25 largest metropolitan areas, the South Florida area (which includes Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County) ranked number five for steepest drops in home values.

Detroit and Atlanta tied for the largest annual decline in home values at 17.3 percent.

Here’s what else the real estate website reported about our South Florida real estate market:

  • South Florida home values have dropped to 2002 levels.
  • Miami-Dade and Broward County home values are less than half of what they were five years ago.

And although Zillow.com previously predicted that the national housing market would bottom out by late 2011, experts are now saying that the housing market won’t bottom out until 2012.

Since Florida’s housing market crashed before much of the rest of the country, my prediction is that our housing market will bottom out earlier than that.

Purchasing a South Florida Home for Sale

The news from Zillow.com is likely grim news for South Florida home sellers looking to get a great price for their South Florida home for sale.

But for South Florida home buyers, conditions are just right to enter the South Florida real estate market.

For more information contact me today to further discuss your options on the South Florida real estate market as a South Florida home buyer.

Feel free to browse some of our amazing residential communities in South Florida online.  These include:

Until next time,

Scott

National & International Exposure of South Florida’s Premiere Island on Fox News

access_time

Island Estates Fox News Shepard Smith / Phil Keating

It’s been a good year for one of my listings in Aventura, Florida.  Matter of fact, it’s been a great year!

Considered the last developable island in South Florida, the 8-acre island is located between Miami Dade and Broward counties.  It offers potential buyers scenic views of the Intracoastal waterway, not to mention unbeatable privacy.

It’s listed for $49.5 million on the South Florida real estate market.

Since we put the island on the market, we’ve received plenty of coverage in the media – from a front page article in the Miami Herald to an extended feature segment on Fox News.

South Florida Real Estate

Thinking about entering the South Florida real estate market as a South Florida home buyer? Then contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll help make your South Florida home buying experience easier with such South Florida real estate resources as:

Until next time,

Scott

 

 

 

Island Estates Fox News Shepard Smith / Phil Keating from Scott Patterson on Vimeo.

South Florida Real Estate Market Update for First Quarter, 2011

access_time

Our South Florida real estate company is expected to sell more total South Florida properties this year than ever before , according to Ron Shuffield, president of our company, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, Inc. Realtors

Here’s some of the  South Florida real estate market news Ron recently shared with us:

  • Miami home and condo sales in the first quarter are up by 38 percent year over year.
  • Broward County home and condo sales in the first quarter are up by 9 percent year over year!
  • There is 55 percent less South Florida property inventory than three years ago.

All of this is great news for both South Florida home buyers and South Florida home sellers.

For South Florida home buyers, it means that they can find great deals on homes on the South Florida real estate market. After all, the median sales price has been steadily dropping over the last four to five years.

For South Florida home sellers, it means that the market will soon begin shifting in their favor.  Think about it:  the more home sales there are, the less inventory there is on the South Florida real estate market.

That scarcity of homes for sale, coupled with the demand for South Florida real estate, means that home prices will start to climb once again.

Learn more about the current state of the South Florida real estate market by watching the below video from our company’s president.

Entering the South Florida Real Estate Market

If you’re thinking about entering the South Florida real estate market as a home buyer or home seller, contact me, Scott Patterson, your South Florida real estate expert, today.

I’ll provide you with a number of invaluable South Florida real estate resources and help make navigating the South Florida real estate market easier for you and your family.

Until next time,

Scott

Brazilians Play a Major Role in the South Florida Real Estate Market, Reports Show

access_time

Brazilians are playing an increasingly important role on the South Florida real estate market, according to recent South Florida real estate market data.

Although Brazilians have been investing in Miami real estate since at least the 1990s, there seems to have been an increase in recent years.

This trend is partly because of the favorable currency conversion rate as well as increased Brazilian spending power, experts say.

Here are some more recent findings as they relate to Brazilian home buyers on the South Florida real estate market:

  • According to a recent Franklin Templeton survey of foreign investors,  70 percent of  Brazilians surveyed said they plan to invest money overseas this year.
  • Miami is ranked 8th for foreign investment in real estate in the United States.  New York, Washington, DC, Boston and San Francisco are the top places for foreign investment.

Investing in South Florida Real Estate

In addition to a favorable conversion rate, there are plenty of reasons to explain why so many Brazilians are choosing to invest in South Florida real estate:

Purchasing a South Florida Home or Condo for Sale

Have you recently been considering relocating to South Florida? If so, you’ll want an experience South Florida REALTOR to guide you through the process.

Contact me, Scott Patterson, today to learn more about all of the South Florida home buyer resources we offer to South Florida home buyers, including:

Until next time,

Scott

Scott Patterson featured on Fox News Today On South Florida Real Estate Story

access_time

When the last developable island goes on the market, it’s big news here in South Florida.

My listings of the 8-acre island in Aventura, FL was recently a cover story in the Miami Herald.

Now, a national cable news program is covering this amazing opportunity on the South Florida real estate market as well!

Fox News Broadcasting Live from North Island in Aventura, Florida All Day Today

I’m thrilled to announce that Phil Keating of Fox News will be broadcasting a story on South Florida Real Estate live from North Island at Island Estates all day today.  This coverage will also feature interviews with yours truly as well as aerial views of North Island.

The program will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.  Fox news will be doing Liveshots every few hours.

Tune in at approx. 11 a.m. every few hours until 8pm to  see one of the best pieces of property available on the South Florida real estate market today.

South Florida Real Estate

Thinking about selling your South Florida home?  I can help!  Not only do I have experience selling single-family homes and condominiums in South Florida, I can also say I have experience marketing entire islands on the South Florida real estate market!

Contact me, Scott Patterson, your South Florida REALTOR,  to learn more about all of the amazing South Florida home seller services I provide, including:

Until next time,

Scott

 

Last Developable Island For Sale in Aventura Florida Now

access_time

Not many people can say they own their own island.  That rare opportunity is available  in Miami-Dade County, Florida now.

I was overjoyed to learn that The Miami Herald wrote and featured a front page story on my 8 acres island listing.

For just $49.5 million, you can own your own eight-acre island, the most exclusive private piece of real estate in South Florida.  The private island is located in Aventura and linked to the mainland by a private bridge.

Owner Gary Cohen, who represents the Cohen Family Trust, certainly has quite the asset on his hands: the waters surrounding the island are deep enough for a potential buyer to dock their 150 foot yacht.  Plus, the island is connected to the beautiful city of Aventura.

Additionally, Mr. Cohen couldn’t have picked a better time to enter the South Florida real estate market: sales of Miami-Dade single-family homes in excess of $1 million are up 18 percent!

Learn more about this stellar piece of Aventura real estate by checking out today’s article in the Miami Herald.

Investing in Aventura Florida Real Estate

Thinking about entering the South Florida real estate market as a South Florida home buyer? I can help!

As your South Florida real estate expert, I’ll provide you with invaluable home buying tools to help you make an educated decision on the South Florida real estate market, including:

Until next time,

Scott

More South Florida Home Buyers Are Using Cash to Purchase South Florida Homes for Sale

access_time

As it has become increasingly difficult to get a South Florida mortgage in recent years, more South Florida home buyers are using cash to purchase homes, according to recent real estate market data.

According to the National Association of Realtors, about 28 percent of 2010 home sales involved all-cash transactions.  This trend appears to be an increasing,  especially when one considers that in 2008, 14 percent of all real estate transactions were cash only.

In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, the prevalence of all-cash transactions is even more apparent.  In 2010, more than half of all transactions in the area involved cash buyers.

South Florida Home Buyers Find Getting a Mortgage Difficult

Some experts have suggested that the sluggish housing market has caused the increase in cash-only real estate transactions. Here’s why.

After the housing market bubble burst, many lenders tightened their belts and made it more difficult to get a mortgage.  According to a national survey by MortgageMatch.com:

  • 70.6 percent of Americans feel like the difficulty of getting a mortgage is a serious problem.
  • 32.3 percent of Americans found that understanding the mortgage process and meeting lender requirements is more difficult than getting the mortgage itself.
  • 79 percent of recent home buyers said that getting a mortgage was as difficult or more difficult than they expected.
  • 20.9 percent of home buyers said that it stressed them out more to wait for approval on a mortgage than to wait to hear back on a job opportunity.
  • 10.8 percent of borrowers said their lender charged them a higher interest rate than they were originally quoted or expected.
  • 20.7 percent of borrowers said that finding a lender that was easy to work with was a challenge.

All Cash South Florida Real Estate Deals Seen as a More Attractive Option

The recent data released on home buyers’ perceptions of getting a mortgage suggests that  the process is stressful, frustrating and upsetting.

Meanwhile, those home buyers who are opting to use cash on their real estate purchase are finding that the process is easy and even advantageous.

Home buyers who use cash only usually get 5 to 10 percent  off the asking price of a home as compared to those buyers who use a mortgage.

Many South Florida real estate experts agree that sellers prefer cash real estate transactions because they tend to be quicker.  In addition, the seller doesn’t have to worry about a bank rescinding  a mortgage deal.

Homes for Sale Available Now

Are you interested in checking out some of the properties available now in Aventura, Florida and other nearby communities such as Golden Beach and Hallandale? Then contact me, Scott Patterson, your South Florida real estate expert.

As your South Florida REALTOR, I’ll keep you up to date on more trends like this one in the Aventura real estate market as well as let you know of any Aventura homes that enter the Aventura real estate market.

Nationally Acclaimed Asset Management Company Invests in Aventura, Launches South Florida Portfolio

access_time

The South Florida luxury condominium real estate market might never look the same again.  ST Residential, a renowned asset management company with $4.5  billion worth of real estate investments nationwide, recently announced that it would be adding to its portfolio several South Florida condominiums , one of which is in Aventura.

According to a recent press release, ST Residential takes “a fresh look at the real estate market by rethinking everything from the ground up.”

The company manages a public-private partnership between the FDIC and several private equity investors, including Starwood Capital and Perry Capital.

In the South Florida real estate market, ST Residential recently added the following communities to its portfolio:

  • ARTECH, a gorgeous community in Aventura
  • Jade Ocean, a stellar condominium community in Sunny Isles
  • Tao, a high-end community in suburban Sunrise
  • Infinity, which is located in downtown Brickell
  • Mint, which features luxury residences in the heart of  Miami
  • Paramount Bay, which is coming soon

Luxury Condominiums in Aventura, Florida and Surrounding Areas

Built in 2008, ARTECH is a beautiful community in Aventura Florida that features studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences.  Square footage in this waterfront community ranges from 913 to 2,814 square feet.  So whatever size family you have, you’re sure to find a home that suits your needs at ARTECH.

As a resident of ARTECH, you’ll have access to such amenities as:

  • Waterfront infinity edge pool
  • Two tennis courts
  • Fully equipped fitness center and spa
  • Yoga terrace
  • Business Center
  • 24-hour security
  • Concierge
  • And more!

This community is already an amazing place to live.  Thus, with ST Residential’s recent investment in this Aventura condominium community, life should only get better for ARTECH residents.

Learn More About the Aventura Real Estate Market Today!

In addition to ARTECH, there are plenty of luxury condominiums in Aventura Florida, including Hamptons South, Hidden Bay, The Point and Williams Island.

In addition to resort-style amenities, these communities offer you easy access to some of the best attractions that Aventura has to offer, including:

  • Aventura Mall
  • Amazing shopping, dining and entertainment options in the downtown
  • Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
  • Some of South Florida’s most beautiful beaches
  • And much more!

If you would like to learn more about living in this amazing South Florida community, then contact me, Scott Patterson, your South Florida Real Estate Expert.

I’ll let you know about any available listings in Aventura’s wonderful condominium communities and will also answer any questions you might have.

To help make entering the Aventura real estate market easier, I recommend you check out my Buyer FAQs as well as my FREE Buying South Florida Real Estate Ebook.

High End Real Estate Sales Making a Comeback in the Aventura Florida Real Estate Market

access_time

A new record was recently broken in the South Florida real estate market when I closed on 3903 Island Estates Drive in Aventura in December, it became the highest priced sale on an Aventura single family home since 2006 and the 2nd highest priced sale for a single family home ever.

This gorgeous 6 bedroom, 8.5 bathroom new construction home sold for $4,350,000 in December, it was a cash transaction.

Luxury Home Sales Picking Up in South Florida

Our recent closing on 3903 Island Estates Drive illustrates a larger trend in the Aventura real estate market.  Wealthy home buyers are returning to the luxury housing market en masse.  Why? Because this is the perfect environment for buying a luxury South Florida property:

  • A stronger stock market has boosted home buyer confidence
  • Low interest rates have created a buyer’s market in Aventura, Florida
  • Signs abound that prices for luxury properties have bottomed out , giving South Florida home buyers yet another reason to enter the market.

All of this has led to an increase in home and condo sales in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.  In December, there were at least 5 condo sales in Palm Beach County that sold for more than $2 million.  Twenty-five houses also sold for more than $2 million in Palm Beach County.

In Miami-Dade County, at least 10 homes and 15 condos sold for more than $2 million in December.

The spike in real estate activity can be largely attributed to foreign buyers such as Canadians and Brazilians wanting to take advantage of the low prices on condos, said Ron Shuffield, president of our company, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, Inc. Realtors. That factor definitely played a role in the recent sale of 3903 Island Estates Drive: the buyer was Brazillian.

Buying an Aventura, Florida Property For Sale

Given the allure of buying a high-end property in Aventura, it’s easy to understand why the inventory of luxury properties for sale is falling.  Contact me, Scott Patterson, today to learn about available listings in Aventura, as well as our other beautiful South Forida communities, such as Hallandale and Golden Beach.