Brand Expands Success Beyond Downtown Manhattan to Gansevoort South with Signature Rooftop Pool, Multi-level Beach Club, Luxe Paradiso Condos

A classic Miami Beach landmark - once the site of the East Coast's largest resort, the Roney Plaza - is shedding its old identity as it takes on a 21st century persona:  Gansevoort South.  This luxury mixed-use development will be an extension of the Gansevoort brand beyond New York City's Hotel Gansevoort in Manhattan's vibrant Meatpacking District.

The Gansevoort brand has emerged as a "next generation" developer of stylish urban resorts in evolving neighborhoods.  Father-and-son team William and Michael Achenbaum, principals of the Gansevoort Hotel Group, have joined forces with the New York-based Chetrit Group and noted architect Stephen B. Jacobs, to develop the Gansevoort South, scheduled to open in January 2007.

In Miami Beach, the project will be located on 24th and Collins, widely considered to be the next epicenter of South Beach.  There will be 102 condo-hotel units and 259 straight condominiums called Paradiso.  The condo-hotel units and condominiums are available for sale.

An Oceanfront Oasis
The building, originally constructed in the late 1960's in the classic Art Deco style of South Beach, is being entirely redesigned around a tri-level private beach club that will anchor the development and serve as its centerpiece and central gathering spot.  Architect Stephane Dupoux, well-known for his Nikki Beach Miami design, is creating the beach club blueprint. The beach club's design and décor will be clean and crisp, utilizing a primary color scheme of rich chocolate brown, deep royal blue and pure white. Furnishings, fabrics and finishes will evoke a contemporary tropical style.  In the evenings, flames from strategically placed fire pits will reflect on the pool.

The main level, 12,000-square-foot semi-circular oceanfront pool deck will be a relaxing oasis with an expansive bar and restaurant overlooking an infinity-edge pool trimmed with Bisazza glass tiles in shades of deep blue and gold.  A Jacuzzi, partially shaded by an open-air trellis, circular lounges and towering trees will complete the setting.  The mezzanine level lounge area will provide easy access to all levels of the club. The beach level will feature the club's main bar and a seating area with oversized lounges and private cabanas with ocean views. 

As in New York, the signature feature of the Gansevoort brand will be the rooftop, which will be transformed into a tropical haven dotted with coco palm trees and whimsical cabanas.   An urban retreat, the 28,000-square-foot space will offer uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean, South Beach and downtown Miami.  The 112-foot outdoor pool with underwater music and lights will be joined by a stylish bar and lounge.

Gansevoort South will also feature a 42,000-square-foot David Barton Gym and 10,000 sq ft spa.

Oversized Rooms and All the Comforts of Home

While design is a top priority, comfort and convenience are equally important.  To that end, plush feather mattresses will be covered with 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens and all rooms will be equipped with a plasma-screen TV. Complimentary high-speed Internet access will be available in each guest room, as well as Sony stereos, cordless phones, multi-line telephones with voice mail and data line capabilities, direct DID and fax lines that accommodate a laptop, and an in-room safe.  Guest services will include 24-hour room service and concierge, turndown service, same day laundry/dry cleaning, and complimentary daily newspaper. The hotel will offer a frequent stay/loyalty program for guests.

The Next Epicenter of South Beach
Gansevoort South will move into an emerging oceanfront neighborhood at the forefront of a renaissance. Dozens of cultural institutions, art galleries, museums, shops, restaurants and nightclubs in the north end of South Beach are already experiencing an urban revival.

The recently renovated Jackie Gleason Theater of Performing Arts Center, Bass Museum and multi-million dollar renovations to the Bayshore Golf Club, Miami Beach Regional Library and Collins Park reflect the evolution of the area. Just blocks away, residents and visitors will enjoy the innovative Miami City Ballet building, Lincoln Road Mall and much more.

"Do you have some money to lend me?" "...Let me see.. Tell you what ....let me ask my lawyer... if he says YES then I'll get a new one."  We all know the truth. No body wants to give or lend money very easily and with good reason. Often times its for personal reasons, or perhaps business with no real inventive or time-line. Well the Flamingo South Beach North Tower Agents are fairly quick but just in case they might get busy you may wish to get your Flamingo South Beach North Tower Deposits faster by requesting it direct from the source.

So today I spoke with Cassandra the Flamingo Condos Contract Manager for the North Tower developer MCZ/CENTRUM. She told me that all you have to do is email her to confirm that you want to cancel the North Tower contact. Email her directly at cpalanza@mczcentrum.com in reference to the unit number.

She also told me that they will mail you a document that you need to sign and send back to them. So please confirm your mailing address with her. This whole process should take less than 2 weeks to get your Escrow Check.  If you have any questions she can be reached at 305-604-9445. For south tower sales information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472.  If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

I had many concerned buyers contact me strongly dissatisfied with the limited selection of the remaining developer units and options that they have been recommended.

For those of you who missed the boat (check the original post here), the Flamingo South Beach Condos North Tower is NOT going condo. So what are the current alternatives for these North Tower Contract Holders?

Option A
Buy the less than 40 units remaining from the developer. Many of these are 2^nd tier units which where originally over looked by buyers and are still over priced since they started selling in May 2005. The only way these units might sell is with a "strong" incentive and / or extremly creative deal.

The good news is Flamingo South Beach developers are offering some incentives. In some cases as high as 6% back or some other fees waived. I still think that at a 10-20% price premium it proves to be a tough sale. Many have minimal views and / or no balconies. Another thing to look out for is with a larger size unit comes increasingly higher maintenance fees. All of which will reduce your bottom line when is time to secure a new tenant.

They have a great hard working staff who is dedicated to help you find the right unit for you. So I wouldn't suggest discounting it right away but unfortunately many will have no choice but to seek other resources if they are not satisfied with the limited inventory they have access to.

Option B
Call your local hot shot independent real estate agent who is familiar with Flamingo South Beach Condos. He or She will search for you the best deals available and often already know all the Foreclosures and other non public listings to find the Perfect Apartment Home or Investment for you. With a little patience you will find the equivalent unit you "purchased" at the North Tower for a discount in the South Tower. You may also wish do a little bit or research first. You may View Listings now or Search MLS for other options that might interest you, and when you call you will be more informed.

At the current Flamingo South Beach developer's prices, I predict it will take until the end of this year for them to sell the majority of the south tower, but not before they adjust their prices. The smart buyers now are looking for more choices, flexibility and deals from distressed owners and motivated sellers. Sellers usually are more adapt to negotiate and will work with you instead of a big box developer and their one sided contracts with no financing contingency. For south tower sales information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472.  If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

Today a One Bedroom One Bath Foreclosure was listed at $217,000 at the Flamingo South Beach condominiums. This unit is located just two blocks from Lincoln Road on 1500 Bay Road in the Flamingo Condos South Tower. For technical reasons this listing was under a pending status at a different price previously. However, the proper status has now been updated in the Miami Beach MLS systems.

The Flamingo South Beach One Bedroom over looks the Courtyard from the Second Floor with a no bay view you will be able to enjoy the beautiful Flamingo South Beach courtyard from the attached Balcony. At such a low sale price this unit is a perfect candidate for a South Beach Vacation Rental Program. VIEW LISTING DETAILS

The only comparable was another Second Floor unit facing the parking lot which sold in April 2007. According to the Miami Beach MLS records it sold for $335,900 directly from the developer. My guess is that after all the smoke and mirrors are pulled away from this transaction, the true sales price would lie somewhere around $300,000.

My prediction is that this unit will sell by the end of this week at or below its listing price. For sales information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472.

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Dear Flamingo South Beach Listing Agents,

This is Juan Leal, Mr. Flamingo South Beach, we need to sell out the Flamingo Condos and need your help. If you have a Flamingo Miami Beach Condo listing that is NOT over priced we want you to join us for our Flamingo South Beach PROGRESSIVE OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, April 5^th, (open to any suggestions on the dates based on feedback). Please contact all your South Beach Sellers and see if you can get the maximum price reduction possible to create some sales. This is a win-win if we have some 20 or so serious buyers walking around the Flamingo condos to take these units off the Miami Beach market. There are some great units and prices in the Flamingo South Beach building. I'm sure we will have something sold soon with the recent Flamingo North Tower Cancellation. I personally have 3 potential buyers (not those crazy investors that want to buy at 50 cents) for 1 Bedrooms waiting, one with money already in Escrow. I'm getting leads everyday but don't have the right priced inventory. Let's compete together instead of against each other. 

Listing Tips  (I'm probably not the fastest or smartest or the "mostest" here.... But i can share some generic tips that have helped me out over the years, take what you will.)

1. Please Answer your phone or return calls the same day if it all possible, even if you have to text while your showing.
2. Work out Showing instructions IN ADVANCE with current tenants, find out their schedules. If a buyers agent calls you it shouldn't take you 6 hours to find out.
3. Have a key with you at all times, even if its in lockbox or owner lives there, your never know when someone might "lose" your key.
4. While this is difficult and unlikey all the time, try to personally show and help your follow buyers agent, they might not know as much about the building or perhaps you can find out their buyers level of motivation.
5. Get a price reduction today! Fact is most owners will lose money in this market. If they don't want to reduce, then drop the listing and call them in a few months when they will be more motivated.
6. If your listings is about to expire, relist it with a new MLS number/ agreement, change the pictures, descriptions or adjust the price and finally add an extra bonus point to the buyer's agent, if at all possible. This is sure to give it some renewed energy.  If you know some other top agents consider working the listing together as they might know another realtor or buyer who will cause it to sell.
7. Pictures sell, words tell. Get a nice camera and take pictures of the inside of the unit (yes stop stealing generic photos of the property grounds!). If your unit has a view and you haven't photographed after 3 weeks perhaps you are not serious about selling. Out of state buyers check on realtor.com and other sites and they will skip over your listing.
8. Get a nice website to showcase your listing for your own buyers or to syndicate it online. A very inexpensive solution I use is http://www.point2agent.com/
9. Reply to this email and lets' pull our resources to advertise for this upcoming Progressive Open house.
10. If you are a Flamingo Condos owner reading this and thinking of selling  please Check out this Free online book first as it will help you in the process.

I would be happy to help anyone if you have any further questions or ideas for this open house.  Read this post: How Progressive Oppen Houses Work and call me or email if you have any further questions. For more information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472.If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

I just had a huge price reduction on a Flamingo South Beach Penthouse 1 Bedroom Condo Apartment and there's still room to negotiate. This is the lowest Flamingo Miami Real Estate priced Direct Bay View 1 Bedroom, The Balcony Faces West towards the Bay and the city the Miami Downtown Skyline. This is the Best Angle/Side of all the One Bedrooms (all wide bay view from the hall way). Estimated Monthly Taxes are $540 plus Condo Maintenance Fees of $450. Today's Estimated Rental Income is $2,000 Monthly on a 1 Year Lease or $2,500-3,000 Monthly on Short Term Furnished Rentals.  With a little work you can even raise the ceiling 2-3 feet since it's a penthouse unit. Unit needs work and is sold as-is, seasonal rental income can not be guaranteed and is based on many factors. All quoted rentals rates are maximum potential on a subject or comparable unit, your specific circumstances, furniture, furnishings and current market conditions will determine the ultimate price. As the Flamingo South Beach expert, I can help you find exactly what you're looking for. For sales information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472.

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The people have spoken, and this is what they have to say: the following companies are the best of the best in the Miami real estate industry.

Miami Agent's first annual Agents' Choice Awards survey winners were selected by readers, who voted for their favorites via the Web site, MiamiAgentMagazine.com.

The online survey featured categories ranging from "Favorite Web Site" to "Favorite New Landmark" and "Favorite Sales Center." Inside this month's cover story, you will find the people and places throughout Miami that Miami Agent Magazine's Realtor readers feel demonstrate quality, originality and professionalism. You will see photos of the people responsible for carrying out these admirable visions, their thoughts on why their projects are Miami favorites and, in some cases, breathtaking views of the projects themselves.

Below are just 2 of your favorites, Miami, so take a look at the companies and projects that the industry is raving about.

Favorite Place to Live
Flamingo South Beach
Flamingo South Beach provides an environment where the pleasures of resort living frame daily life."The Flamingo is a place where you'll admire the dolphins swimming in the bay as you walk to your car in the morning. Where you won't have to drive to pick up groceries because there will soon be a high-end gourmet market on the property," says developer Michael Lerner of Chicago-based MCZ/Centrum. "For our residents, a resort lifestyle is a priceless luxury."

Flamingo South Beach consists of 1,688 units in three towers, situated on a 16.5-acre property with expansive views of Biscayne Bay, Star Island and downtown Miami. The 614 homes in the recently-launched north tower include studios, one- and two-bedroom residences ranging in size from 500 square feet to 1,400 square feet. Prices range from the $300,000s to the $600,000s.

Units feature glass balconies, impact-resistant sliding glass doors, high-speed Internet access, satellite television, walk-in closets and full-sized washer and dryers.

Favorite Sales Marketing Company
Douglas Elliman Florida
The mission of Douglas Elliman Florida is to deliver the best possible service to its customers. To accomplish this, the company works tirelessly to provide unwavering support to its agents. Douglas Elliman Florida continuously strives to achieve the most exacting standard of excellence on which the firm was founded nearly a century ago.

Douglas Elliman Florida provides an intimate working environment, giving the partners the opportunity to collaborate and share information. Training, agent development and ongoing industry-specific education are also paramount. By offering a platform from which agents have the opportunity to network with a base of more than 3,500 high-caliber industry professionals in the Northeast, Douglas Elliman Florida is better able to service the needs of customers.

The management team at Douglas Elliman Florida is a diverse and harmonious hybrid of forward-thinking real estate professionals. The company's business philosophies are fundamental; however, by necessity of evolving customer needs, Douglas Elliman Florida is not bound by convention.

"May I have your attention please"... no this is not another fire alarm… or two lose models on the 12th floor… I'm writing to let you know we have two really great Miami Beach Real Estate Pre- Foreclousre opportunities for you. Often I hear investors tell me "just call me when you have a deal" well recently listed we have 2 beautiful Pre- Foreclosure properties available for sale in the Flamingo South Tower. So Consider this your official Notice. My long-term out look for the Flamingo South Beach condo is bright. 1 BEDROOM / 1 BATH - CLICK FOR LISTING DETAILS The first Pre- Foreclosure is a One Bedroom on the 8th floor with a Balcony. This condos view looks over South Beach and the Ocean from a distance, I previewed this unit last week and noticed all the appliances and carpets have been replaced with brand new ones. It appears that no one has even lived in this miami beach condo since the developer sold it. At its currently listed price of $254,000 it represents a 30% drop from its purchase price just a year ago. Even with the soft real estate market at this price you will be protected with instant equity and should easily positive cash floor once rented. The 38 available One Bedroom condos average approximately $500 per square foot, with this particular unit being the lowest at $341 per foot. It doesn't take a doctor of to figure this one out. 2 BEDROOM / 2 BATH - CLICK FOR LISTING DETAILS The 2nd Flamingo South Beach short sale is a Two Bedroom condo on the 7th floor with a fantastic terrace. It's a direct bay view unit that has unbelievable views of Biscayne Bay, Star Island and the entire Miami skyline. This one by far has one of the best views in the condo complex and is currently listed at $420,000. This is the lowest priced 2 bedroom in Flamingo, in fact comparable 1 Bedrooms are approaching the $400,000. A truly amazing feat 2 rooms for the price of one. The 24 listed 2 Bedroom Apartments average approximately $514 per square foot with this particular unit being the lowest at $395 per foot. I give this one a strong buy recommendation. If you're looking for tremendous investment potential, you can't go wrong with a Flamingo South Beach or Miami Beach condo. Besides its amazing year round weather, abundant recreational activities and nightlife, Miami Beach is sure to retain its attraction as a playground for the wealthy. Diversify your financial portfolio with a Flamingo South Beach or Miami Beach condo. As the Flamingo South Beach expert, I can help you find exactly what you're looking for. For sales information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed! 

I am delighted to officially announce that I have decided to join the Douglas Elliman Florida team in Miami Beach. The office is located just 4 blocks from my home, right off Lincoln Road which has amazing shops, restaurants and is the place to see and be seen in South Beach. The name recognition, systems and office support are one of the best I have seen. While it was an extremely difficult decision to leave my previous broker, I felt it was the right descion for me and the logical choice since they have an office in the area where I conduct most of my business.

Since it's founding in 1911, the name Douglas Elliman has been synonymous with the most exacting standards of excellence in the real estate industry.

With unparalleled reach within Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, as well as an association with 3000 New York-based agents, Douglas Elliman Florida's primary focus is to exceed your expectations of service, performance and results.

Services for which Douglas Elliman Florida is noted include full service real estate brokerage, exclusive residential sales and leasing and new development marketing and sales.

Great news Flamingo South Beach has partnered with Affinity Property Services to offer luxury condominium rentals and property management services. Affinity Property Services is a professional company that works with Realtors and owners alike to get apartments rented. They have replaced the Miami Condo Investments which were getting a huge amount of flack for their allegedly disservice to their clients (I say allegedly because I have limited experience dealing with them). Many industry insiders and Realtors report misleading tactics and practices which have left owners and agents very disappointed. I am happy to report I have not had any problems with Affinity Property Services and their friendly helpful staff is always available during business hours to answer any inquires. As an independent agent if you are thinking of leasing a new apartment in the Flamingo South Tower please contact me first as I'm not limited to any particular leasing offices propriety listings or just MLS access...I go where the deal is and often negotiate on your behalf the best price possible.  For sales or leasing information, contact Juan Leal at (305) 975-7472.