SkyFive Properties Blog

Marea Miami Beach is one of the newest condo developments in the highly prestigious and sought-after South of Fifth area of South Beach. The project is making great progress along the path to completion.  In early 2014, an affiliate of the project developer, the Related Group, obtained a $18.5mil construction load from Regions Bank. Construction is now moving along steadily and is on track for delivery in the third quarter of 2015.

Remaining prices for condos within the ultra-luxurious boutique building are coming in at approximately $2,700 per square foot and range between $7.5 and $8.0 million.  The high price tag has by no means dissuaded interested buyers; the project is over 90% sold out. Residents of Marea Miami Beach will get plenty of bang for their buck. The building offers an extremely high-end, boutique feel with only 30 residences situated throughout 7 floors. This intimate setting is on par with the new trend of using less than the absolute maximum amount of density allowed by the city.  (See Glass as an extreme example of this trend).

Glass Miami Beach is that latest addition to the magnificent string of new condo developments in the South of Fifth neighborhood. The name chosen for these ultra-luxurious residences is quite appropriate because they feel more like glass homes in the sky rather than condominiums. The famous local developer, Terra Group, has swung for the fences with this plan. They have no doubt calculated that the incredible popularity of the neighborhood will support their bold designs.

While most condominium developments on South Beach have many condos per floor, Glass Miami Beach has taken a different approach.  Incredibly, Glass Miami Beach has only 10 residences for 18 stories. What a ratio! This incredibly low density runs polar-opposite to the countless commodity-like developments that are being launched in downtown Miami and Brickell – where the majority developers are fighting to get approvals for as many units as they can possibly build. Glass Miami Beach is certainly unique. The developers could have easily developer three times the volume of units.

The Yacht Club at Portofino is located in the incredible South of Fifth neighborhood of South Beach. Sitting next to the exclusive neighbors of Murano at Portofino and Murano Grande makes for an amazing location within the ‘marina row’ of luxury, high-end condo developments. The marina lifestyle at the Yacht Club at Portofino is appealing for any sailor, yachtsmen or simply anyone wanting to enjoy the magnificent active lifestyle of South Beach.

For many, it’s hard to imagine a more convenient spot than the Alton Road stretch of bayfront condo buildings.  As the geography of South Beach narrows to its southernmost point within the South of Fifth area, the buildings located along the bay benefit for either magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean or incredible views of the marina and Bay of Biscayne.

321 Ocean, the new boutique oceanfront condo development in the South of Fifth neighborhood of Miami Beach, has recently been topped off. Developer, Aria Development Group, has hired the renowned luxury builder, Coastal Construction, to build their project, and for all intents and purposes, it appears that this partnership is going quite well.  Personally, I am a big fan of Coastal Construction; the Murphy Family not only excels at building with the absolute highest quality construction, they deliver as promised – time and time again.

The topping off of the building is great news for the buyers of 321 Ocean condos. The development has been scheduled for delivery for the first quarter of 2015. At first, I thought that the date might be a bit overly ambitious, but now I do believe that they are on track.  Consequently, 321 Ocean should now be the first new South of Fifth pre-construction condo developments out of the Big Four (Marea, One Ocean, Glass, 321 Ocean) to be ready for occupancy. 

My latest market study of the ultra-prestigious South of Fifth neighborhood reveals that Apogee South Beach is the King. With its condominium units selling for over $2,500 per square foot, it is the market leader in dollar per square foot pricing. This comes as no surprise due to the location and highly exclusive nature of the building. The development plan for Apogee South Beach was to create a uniform building of extremely large condo units.  The units are so large that they really don’t feel like condos are all – many feel like they are more like homes in the sky…with insanely beautiful views. There are plenty of other South Beach condos that fall within that range (3,101 to 4,145 sqft), but there are not any other entire buildings in the area that have every unit fall within the extra large (and extra expensive) range. This gives the building a very high barrier to entry.  You simply can not own at Apogee unless you are able to pay several million dollars for the real estate.

The high barrier to entry for Apogee South Beach means that upon acquiring your condominium unit, you’ll be in a select group of company.  The average walk around the pool or trip to the gym can be a great opportunity to meet new friends with like-minded interests.  These psychological factors mixed in with incredible, five star resort-like amenities make Apogee Miami Beach condos a prime choice for those looking for the best of the best. It’s a beacon for affluence and celebrities.  My favorite celeb encounter at Apogee South Beach was meeting the amazing Hall of Fame coach and now President of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley.

The luxury high-rise condominium Murano at Portofino is fun, sexy and exclusive. The name is appropriate because the building draws off of some of the best features from the highly popular neighboring towers of Murano Grande and Portofino Tower. It’s relatively equidistant between the other buildings with a location that many feel trumps the others.  The corner 4.5 acre site connects two famous South Beach landmarks – the Miami Beach Marina and South Pointe Park.

Its fantastic location in the ultra-trendy South of Fifth neighborhood offers views of the Biscayne Bay, Fisher Island, downtown Miami, the Port of Miami, the Atlantic Ocean and more. Without question, the Murano at Portofino is one of the most sought-after properties on South Beach. The Murano at Portofino is just mere steps away from all of the eclectic shopping, nightlife and fine dining options of South Beach. The expansive property has an excellent, proportionately low density – giving a feel of a boutique building with the amenities and grounds of a magnificent resort.

Murano Grande South Beach is quite popular for models, DJs and rappers alike. Don’t get me wrong, this prestigious Miami Beach luxury tower isn’t known as a big stomping grounds for partiers like the Flamingo or other South Beach party buildings.  It’s an amazing waterfront development that has a stunning lobby, private elevators and other amenities that are absolutely first-class. It just so happens that the uber-talented music producer Timbaland, the notorious rapper Lil Wayne and the superstar electronic dance music DJ, Ron Seikaly (pictured above) have all called the Murano Grande South Beach home.

Icon Miami Beach has long been an outstanding condo development within the South of Fifth area of Miami Beach.  The exemplary design and location make this development extremely desirable to those looking to invest in South Beach real estate.  In viewing the Icon South Beach condos for sale, it’s easy to see tremendous value due to a number of factors.  Philippe Starck, the world-famous designer of the classic masterpiece Delano Hotel, designed this building with the Related Group in 2005. Icon Miami Beach was the first of what is now three Icon-branded condo developments in Miami.  Icon Brickell is also a work of art and doing quite well.  And Icon Bay is a new building that has been making fast construction progress in the hot Edgewater neighborhood.

Icon South Beach is located adjacent to the Miami Beach Marina, giving residents the special amenity of gorgeous views of mega-yachts and other state-of-the-art vessels along the backdrop of the downtown Miami skyline.  Personally, I thoroughly enjoy going for a sunrise jog along the marina promenade. The feeling is magical and fun, as others rollerblade, walk their pets and exercise along the same path. Jogging around to the Southernmost tip of South Beach is just a few minutes away and leads into the $20million+ South Pointe Park.  I’ve noticed that owners of Miami’s South of Fifth real estate often share this amazing connection to health and well-being – due to the incredible pedestrian-friendly location.

The very vibrant and eclectic South Beach is one of Miami’s main, most iconic attractions. SoBe, is it is fondly called by locals and visitors alike, is legendary thanks to the prolific history that it shares with the city as well as the modern opportunities of activities that line the boardwalk. One of SoBe’s most iconic properties, that are synonymous with the luxurious lifestyle that it stands for, is The Continuum Miami.

The Continuum Miami is an oceanfront resort-style luxury condominium complex which is situated on the southern-most tip of Miami Beach. Right outside the gates of this high-rise is where you will find all the attractions of Miami Beach, South Beach, and greater Miami, just mere minutes away. This private oceanfront condominium offers both the privacy that you seek in an urbane setup as well as the opportunity to take in the city’s sights and sounds when so you desire.

About twenty years ago, South of Fifth real estate played host mostly to vagrants and drug dealers. These days, the once desolate and downtrodden tip of Miami Beach has become one of the most exclusive places to live on South Beach. The area’s rise to prestige has been nothing short of remarkable. With the magnificent 17 acre South Pointe Park, the mega-yacht slips at the Miami Beach Marina and the uber-famous Joe’s Stone Crab located within the community, it’s no wonder foreigners and locals alike are drawn to buy real estate in this glamorous neighborhood.

Many people feel that the best existing condos located South of Fifth are the Continuum, Apogee and Icon. I absolutely love the amenities of the Continuum, which sits on over 12 acres at the tip of South Beach. It’s easy to feel like you’re in some far away five-star resort when you spend a day relaxing around their amenities. The town homes are awesome and give you the feeling of owning a house on the sand, while still being blocks away from all the excitement of South Beach.