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The price was not officially disclosed but people familiar with the deal stated it was more than $400 million and less than $500 million, with some sources saying the price was roughly $450 million.

In 2018, 62% of all homes sold in top U.S. metropolitan markets sold below their original list price, according to EasyKnock.

As the year comes to an end, the home equity company is looking ahead to next year, predicting that 77% of current on-market listings will sell below original list prices in the first quarter of 2019.

“While there’s no denying that home prices have been steadily on the rise, list prices are clearly increasing above realistic levels, corroborated by the study’s findings that over 60% of homes sold well below their original list prices in 2018,” EasyKnock Economic Advisor Paul Habibi said.

According to EasyKnock’s analysis, half of the top 10 markets are located in the South. Miami is projected to have the highest rate of deals, coming in at a whopping 89%. Rounding out the top three are Houston and Chicago, with Houston seeing an average savings of 4.84% and an 84.2% rate of deals, while Chicago is expected to see 5.11% in savings and an 83.5% rate of deals.

The markets of Jacksonville, Florida (No. 4); New Orleans (No. 5); Hartford, Connecticut (No. 6); and St. Louis (No. 7) make up the middle of EasyKnock‘s predictions, with each market projected to see savings in the 5% range.

Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Cincinnati round out the bottom three on the company’s list. In these metros, discounts are expected to average more than 4.5%, which is higher than the national average of 4.01%.

“Average savings are on the rise in these markets. Given that the slowdown of home price increases is just beginning to take hold, we can expect home sellers to continue to set their original list prices on the higher end, which has the potential to result in greater deals for home buyers,” EasyKnock writes. “Particularly as we head into January, which has historically been one of the best months for deals, the combination of seasonality and the slowing market make the perfect recipe for the increased rate of deals predicted by the Knock Deals Forecast.”

EaskyKnock 2019 projections

 

Source: Housingwire

Search For Your Coconut Grove Home at GroveGuy.com

 

 

Israel’s Mishorim Development Group is preparing to develop a mixed-use project after closing on the purchase of a parking garage.

Mishorim paid $18,250,000 for the Suntrust Annex garage. Crocker Partners was the seller. Real estate broker Shai Ben Ami represented Mishorim in the transaction. Mishorim, has holdings in Israel, the U.S. and Canada, and is led by CEO Gil Blutrich.

According to Ben Ami, Mishorim has retained the services of Kobi Karp to design a mixed-use project for the site. It will include hotel, residential, and “great retail.” The 247,000-square-foot garage, located at 255 Northeast First Street, is situated on a 37,500-square foot lot.

The property is across from the Yotel development site, and a block and a half away from the Waldorf Astoria development site. Buildable square footage for the Mishorim site totals 1.35 million square feet, which includes zoning for 860 residential units.

Blutrich and Ben Ami also own the 4,350-square-foot retail space at the 37-story Centro tower nearby. They secured two leases for that space five months after purchasing it at $75.00 per square foot, which is believed to be among the highest retail rents for Downtown Miami.

 

Source: The Next Miami

Mayfair Real Estate Advisors and Terra Group have secured an anchor tenant at Mary Street, a mixed-use development taking shape in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood.

Advisory firm Kaufman Rossin agreed to occupy 64,666 square feet at the Class A project. Developers are transforming a former parking garage, with delivery slated for mid-2019. Kaufman Rossin will lease the building’s top two floors and half of the third floor starting June 2020. The firm is currently headquartered at 2699 S. Bayshore Drive, just two blocks away from Mary Street. The lease represents a 10,000-square-foot expansion, with the tenant relocating nearly 300 employees to the new location.

Co-developer Terra will also lease 13,174 square feet at the Touzet Studio-designed property, bringing Mary Street’s office component to full occupancy. Terra’s new corporate space will be on the building’s third floor and mezzanine level. Located at 3310 Mary St., the 78,000-square-foot project will feature five floors of Class A office space, ground-floor retail space and a publicly accessible, 340-space parking garage.

Pent-Up Demand

Upon delivery, Mary Street will mark the first completion of Class A office space in Coconut Grove’s business district in more than two decades. According to a JLL report, vacancy in Coconut Grove is 1.7 percent, the lowest rate in Miami Dade County’s submarkets. Amenities at Mary Street will include 24-hour security, covered drop-off and valet areas, electric car charging stations, bicycle stations and storage. Jaguar Therapeutic, OXXO Cleaners, Elia restaurant, Workout Spot and a private dentistry practice are among the signed retail tenants.

Tom Capocefalo, senior managing director with Savills Studley, represented Kaufman Rossin, while Chris Dekker, vice president with Mayfair Real Estate Advisors, worked on behalf of the development team.

“The move to this expanded, innovative space represents new beginnings for Kaufman Rossin while keeping us true to our roots in Coconut Grove,” said Blain Heckaman, chief executive officer of Kaufman Rossin, in prepared remarks.

“Our team launched Mary Street to complete the vision of a true live-work-play environment in Coconut Grove,” added David Martin, president & co-founder of Terra.

 

Source: Commercial Property Executive

Construction of Solitair Brickell, a 50-story apartment building, has been completed, adding a new high-rise with an unusual façade to Miami’s skyline.

Global architecture and design firm Stantec created the angular, basket-weave design of Solitair Brickell’s exterior. According to Stantec, the design of the building’s zigzag, serrated balconies was inspired by the texture of the Medjool date palm tree, which many South Florida property owners have included in their landscaping.

Interior marble walls in the building’s lobby incorporate wood elements and concrete panels. The tenth-floor Great Room at Solitair Brickell has similar wood finishes with floor-to-ceiling millwork shelving for décor items and artwork. The Resident Entertainment Lounge across from the Great Room has a communal kitchen and dining area where white brick walls are paired with dark cabinets and counter tops.

Developed by ZOM Living, Solitair Brickell has 438 units including studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom penthouse suites. An amenity deck on the 50th floor features a rooftop swimming pool and cabanas, a billiard lounge, wet bar and sectional sofas, plus a business center with conference rooms and catering facilities. Tenants also share a gym, outdoor yoga space, and a spa and sauna room.

Solitair Brickell has 6,200 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 463 parking spaces. Monthly rent starts at $2,193 for available apartments at Solitair Brickell, according to ApartmentList.com.

The new 50-story building is located at 86 Southwest Eighth Street across from the Brickell City Centre shopping, dining and entertainment complex.

 

Source: The Real Deal

In preparation for a future solar farm, Florida Power & Light has purchased a 1,287-acre tract of land in an area of western Palm Beach County.

The SVN Florida Land Alliance coordinated the sale of the land, which is in an area known as The Acreage/Loxahatchee Groves. Senior advisor Ashley Barrett Bloom, SVN’s national land and development services product council chairman, handled the $19.3 million transaction for the seller.

The transaction was closed by Bloom, who has also served as an owner’s representative for the past three years on the project.

“This property represented one of the last opportunities to purchase a significant tract in this prestigious county,” says Bloom.

The tract is bordered on three sides by a planned large-scaled housing project by GL Homes.

 

Source: Solar Industry Magazine

Property Markets Group acquired the site of a downtown Miami church along Biscayne Boulevard for $55 million, with plans to build a major mixed-use tower.

The First United Methodist Church of Miami sold its 1.15-acre property at 400 Biscayne Blvd. to New York-based PMG. The deal was partially funded by Toronto-based Greybrook Realty Partners, which previously announced plans to invest $32.2 million into the project. The site is near American Airlines Arena, Miami Dade College, and the College/Bayside Metromover Station.

PMG’s Ryan ShearEvan SchapiroMatt Ellish, and Yechiel Ciment negotiated the deal. They were represented by Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr attorneys Luis Flores, Rebecca Sarelson and David Yontz, plus Josh Kaplan at Bilzin.

“This is our third investment in the Biscayne corridor, increasing our ability to create innovative living experiences for residents,” Shear said. “We feel that this market is one of the most important areas of Miami from a future growth perspective, general location and view standpoint.”

The developer said it plans to build over 690 units and about 20,000 square feet of commercial space. The property is zoned for about 50 stories. The apartments would be branded by PMG’s new X Social Communities division, which appeals to young professionals seeking more attainable pricing. Its nearby X Miami apartment building, which is under construction, is part of the same brand.

The 400 Biscayne project would have co-working spaces, an oversized fitness center, communal kitchens, smart package lockers, smart home technology controlled by an app, and many pre-furnished units. As part of the project, PMG will build a new church on the site with a separate entrance for FUMC Miami.

“FUMC wanted to rebuild the church in the same location, so the relationship with the potential buyer was very important,” Flores said. “They liked the young and thriving energy that PMG brings to its developments and could see themselves doing business with the developer in the short and long term. The transaction is unique because we had to wear different hats at different times since we are the buyer and builder of the future church.”

“It was the right time for the church to take advantage of the revitalization of its neighborhood,” Pastor Dr. Audrey Warren said. “The project will ultimately allow the church to grow and meet its future operating needs.”

PMG said the architect of the building is Sieger Suarez, and Carlos Ott is consulting on the church that will be included in the structure.

 

Source: SFBJ

Emilio Palomo (the past chair of the Master Brokers Forum, an elite network of the top real estate professionals in Miami, and the owner/broker of Riteway Properties III) recently went to a party for the opening of a Miami Beach hotel.

He was not familiar with this particular hotel or the people behind it, and attended on the invitation of a colleague. After a few minutes, it became clear to him that most of the guests were from Argentina (or of Argentine descent), and he was not surprised to learn that the owners are themselves native Argentines who have been — somewhat quietly — buying and upgrading Miami Beach hotels for many years.

Emilio worked with buyers and sellers from around the world over the course of his 47-plus years in Miami real estate. He feels fortunate to live in a city that draws so much global interest, with buyers coming from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada, and (of course) the U.S. Many find our real estate prices to still be reasonably low compared to their home nations.

Some foreign buyers come here because of political instability and lack of security in their countries, others because of our weather, beaches and everything else Miami has to offer. Whatever the reason, Miami has become one of the most desired international destinations in today’s market for a permanent or second (or third!) home.

And while buyers from Russia, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela have drawn the biggest headlines for their respective impacts, he believes that Miami’s Argentines have not received nearly enough attention for their significant contribution to the economy and real estate market.

Some of this may be due to the nature of Argentines themselves, who in Emilio‘s opinion and experience tend to be quite modest and discreet. Thanks to referrals from friends in the banking community, over the years he has built a solid base of Argentine clients, and become friendly with many of them. (His Cuban-American family has become close with one particular group for whom he sold and managed units, and recently joined them to make some amazing wine in Mendoza, Argentina.)

But it would seem that the days of Argentines flying under Miami’s “real estate radar” are in the past. Some of the city’s most visible and exciting new projects are being created by developers with deep roots in Argentina, including:

  • Mid-Miami Beach’s acclaimed Faena District, a six-block project that features luxury hotels, bars, condominiums, a cultural center and a retail complex, from the visionary mind of Argentine developer/artist Alan Faena.
  • The Aston Martin Residences, the car maker’s first branded condominium project, which recently broke ground. The 66-story building located at the mouth of the Miami River is being developed by G&G Business Developments, a Miami-based firm owned by Argentine supermarket magnate German Coto and his mother Gloria.
  • The Oceana-branded condominiums in Key Biscayne and Bal Harbour, created by Buenos Aires native (and international art collector) Eduardo Costantini.

In addition to these high-profile projects, observers may have noticed a quiet explosion of Argentine restaurants and other businesses in Miami over the past few years, reflecting the growing population of residents and visitors. From what Emilio has noticed, many of the wealthiest Argentines make their homes in Key Biscayne, but there are also many to be found in Aventura, Miami Beach, Brickell, Downtown, Midtown and Edgewater.

Unfortunately, not all news involving Argentine interest in Miami real estate have been positive.

Last month, The Miami Herald reported that former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was accused by the nation’s top anti-corruption official of secretly owning more than 60 Miami properties bought with “dirty money.”

While this item is concerning, Emilio believes that Argentina’s recent change in government, and the stability being demonstrated by its new reform-minded leadership, will put the country on a path toward sustained economic growth. This would obviously allow even more Argentine investment in Miami — the “clean” kind we very much prefer.

Emilio is looking forward to many more years of welcoming Argentines and others who continue to make Miami a dynamic, evolving, and truly international city.

 

Source: Miami Herald

A company led by billionaire William Berkley and Bruce Berkowitz of Fairholme Holdings just picked up pieces of an assemblage in west Coconut Grove.

B and B Group Properties LLC just paid $5.4 million for six lots totaling about an acre at a bankruptcy auction, according to attorneys Dan Gonzalez and Peter Russin, partners at Meland Russin and Budwick. They represented the seller, Nassau Development of Village West Corp. and Grand Abbaco Development of Village West Corp.

The court appointed Stearns Weaver attorney Drew M. Dillworth as trustee of the bankruptcy estate. Cori Lopez-Castro of Kozyak Tropin Throckmorton LLP represented the buyers.

Lopez-Castro said Berkley and Berkowitz have no immediate plans for the properties, which were part of a bigger, roughly 30-parcel assemblage in the West Grove. Berkowitz is an equity fund manager and Berkley is founder and chairman of the insurance giant W.R. Berkley Corporation.

The properties sold were: 3364, 3384, 3441 and 3461 Grand Avenue, and 3400 and 3412 Florida Avenue.

Other bidders included a partnership between David Martin’s Terra and Michael Comras, and Orlando Benitez Jr., one of the lenders who settled with the trust. BankUnited and Wilmington Trust were the lead lenders.

The trustee, Dillworth, tried to arrange a deal for the bigger assemblage before heading to auction with the six parcels, Russin said. Terra offered to pay about $35 million for the bigger assemblage last year, but pulled out due to environmental concerns.

Records show the Nassau and Abbaco LLCs are controlled by Julio Marrero, Rosa Marrero, Phillip Muskat and Benitez. A bigger sale has been held up by infighting among the partners. Benitez, who reportedly stated that he brought Terra to the deal, tried to stop that sale last year. Marrero called him a “rogue stockholder,” the Miami Herald previously reported.

 

Source: The Real Deal

More than 400 people attended a recent Miami-Dade Beacon Council‘s annual meeting at the InterContinental Miami, where business and civic leaders touted the agency’s recent wins and toasted its new chair.

For the first time, the county’s economic development group combined its annual meeting with its key ceremony, providing insights into the companies it helped expand or move to Miami-Dade.

The Beacon Council reported that 46 companies relocated or expanded in Miami-Dade County in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, bringing in more than 2,100 new jobs to the region and generating $209.7 million in new capital investment.

The event marked the first annual meeting attended by the organization’s new CEO and President Michael Finney, who previously served as the president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

“I’ve been impressed with… the warm Miami welcome,” Finney said. “There is really commonality here and a desire to work with one another that’s in full display.”

One of the key accomplishments highlighted at the event was Amazon breaking ground on an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Opa-Locka in June. The project is expected to open by the end of 2018, and Amazon said the warehouse will bring at least 1,000 jobs to the local economy.

While Amazon was not in attendance at the event, other companies present included online boat marketplace Boats Group, which brought in 80 new jobs to the county and a capital commitment of $1.05 million; and Dunham Bush, a Malaysian manufacturer, which added 51 new jobs and $12.5 million in capital.

The economic development agency also touted its new programs and task forces. Specifically, it mentioned its “Connect and Grow” program, which works to connect entrepreneurs and innovators and their new products and technologies to established businesses.

The Beacon Council‘s new Chair Nelson Lazo, CEO of Doctors Hospital, addressed the audience. Lazo takes over for Jaret Davis, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office, as the agency marks the start of its new fiscal year.

“It is time we told the new story of Miami instead of letting old narratives define who we are to the world,” said Lazo, after thanking Davis for his service.

Davis received video tributes from the economic development group and the University of Miami, which will honor him for contributions to his alma mater on Nov. 4 during its homecoming game at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez was one of many to laud Davis‘ contributions to the county’s economic landscape.

“You’re outstanding and a great treasure…. for everything you have done for this community,” said Gimenez, who then handed Davis a a plaque commemorating Thursday, Oct. 26 as Jaret Davis Day.

Since 1985, the Miami-Dade Beacon Council has assisted more than 1,000 businesses that have created nearly 70,000 direct jobs and generated more than $4.6 billion in capital investments, it said.

 

Source: SFBJ