As usual, I'm always out visiting condo buildings here in Miami with or without my clients. The other day I was in Akoya on Miami Beach looking at 1 bedroom REO property that came on the market for $240,000. I've always liked Akoya since it was built in 2004, but this is the first time I managed to snap some pictures. Akoya is one of the newer buildings located in North Beach and offers awesome ocean views on either side of the building. You can see up or down the coast because the building sits closer to the beach than those nearby.

One of the unique things about Akoya is that you have 2 elevators on the building's west side that ride in a glass-walled elevator shaft. From the elevator you can look out over the intracoastal that gives you an eerie vegas-like feeling.

The REO that I viewed was part of the "05" line in the building and faces south. The unit is a 1 bedroom with 683 square feet and would be a perfect weekend getaway. As I mentioned earlier, the views are amazing. I thought this was great value considering most of the other floorplans are significantly more expensive.

If you have questions about Akoya or are interested in buying, selling, or renting a unit, please contact Miami Condo Shop.

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One of the buildings in Downtown Miami that offers amazing views, but gets very little publicity is the Emerald at Brickell. The Emerald sits at 218 SE 14th Street in the vicinity of the Jade and the Four Seasons. It's the easternmost building on that street, so you get amazing views of Biscayne Bay and Miami Beach. The Emerald was completed in 2006 and contains 142 units on 27 floors.

By far an away the best units in the building are the "01" line which have 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1594 sqft, and have an expansive terrace that faces directly east onto Biscayne Bay. Earlier this year, Unit 2201 sold for $300,000 in a REO transaction. View Details. I doubt we'll see these prices again, but that was an amazing steal. I had the opportunity to visit another "01" unit in the building and snapped a couple of photos. See below.

If you have questions about the Emerald at Brickell or are interested in buying, selling, or renting a unit, please contact Miami Condo Shop.

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Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the Axis on Brickell, another one of the new condo buildings that have opened in Downtown Miami / Brickell. The Axis on Brickell is "Conditionally" Approved by Fannie Mae meaning that Fannie will start buying loans once the developer has around 50% of the units presold. Right now, however, all transactions must be cash, as they have not reached the required amount of presales. Currently, the Axis offers an excellent developer rental program as the pace of sales in the building has been slow due to the lack of financing. Please contact us for more information on the rental program at Axis.

The Axis consists of 718 units in two 38 story towers separated by an outdoor common area with 2 pools. It sits right on the corner of Mary Brickell Village and is close to shops, restaurants, and a supermarket. In my opinion, the quality of the units in the Axis is superior to those found in buildings that have had many more sales, like 500 Brickell. The bathrooms are spacious with a walk-in shower, and the kitchens are nicely done. The high 9'2" ceilings are also a plus. However, the balconies offer little privacy as only wire mesh separates the balconies between the units.

On the corners of each tower are the 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1174 sqft "D" Units which offer amazing views. These units start at $340,000.

The Building also offers 1 bedroom, 1 bath Units starting at $220,000 for 761 sqft. I thought these were quite nice as well.

In my opinion, the best part about the common area at the Axis were the two pools. One was specifically designed as a lap pool. It's common to see people switch from pool to pool as the sun moves during the day. Besides the pools, I thought the common areas were quite lacking and didn't impress me at all. Maybe I didn't like the design or the space was too big for the furniture, it's hard to tell. See for yourself.

If you have questions about the Axis at Brickell or are interested in buying, selling, or renting a unit, please contact Miami Condo Shop.

View Condo Resales in Axis on Brickell North

View Condo Resales in Axis on Brickell South

After writing my Blog Post entitled "Downtown Miami Condos Selling Fast", I decided to pay 500 Brickell a visit to see how sales were going. There was a rumor floating around that they had sold 160 units since June. I decided to try and verify this number by checking the public records, and I was able to find 120 closed sales (from 6/1 to 10/7). Considering that there are probably a number of units that are still pending sale and haven't closed yet, 120 recorded sales is a very strong showing and was closer to the 160 number than I was expecting.

500 Brickell consists of 632 units in two towers separated by an 11th floor deck that contains a heated infinity pool and daybeds. The 11th floor also features a spa, fitness center, and club room. It's an "urban oasis" in the heart of Brickell.

To me, the most unique thing about 500 Brickell is the pool and lounge on top of the roof of the east tower. It offers outstanding views of Biscayne Bay and the Icon Brickell next door.

One of the reasons that 500 Brickell is such an attractive building and has sold so many units recently is that it is Fannie Mae approved. Unlike many condos downtown, buyers can purchase a condo using a conventional mortgage from a bank. Given how the building sits, most of the units face either directly north or south. However, the best views are those that look east onto Biscayne Bay. Even if your unit doesn't face directly east, as long as you are on the eastern portion of the two towers, your views should be pretty good.

Currently the lowest priced 1 bedrooms in the building are around $265,000 for a unit that is 811 sqft, or $270,000 for a unit that is 901 sqft. As far as 2 bedrooms go, 500 Brickell is pretty much sold out. Below are pics from a sample 1 bedroom. In my opinion, the unit interiors are nothing special.

If you have questions about 500 Brickell, or are interested in buying, selling, or renting a unit, please contact Miami Condo Shop.

View Condo Resales in 500 Brickell

I'm still surprised at the pace that condos are selling in Downtown Miami. The majority of the activity has been taking place in Fannie Mae approved buildings where prospective buyers are able to get financing. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Infinity at Brickell and was pleasantly surprised. The building opened in Mid 2008 and sits in Southwestern Brickell, on South Miami Avenue near 13th Street. In my opinion, it's a great location which is walking distance to the Publix supermarket and shops in Mary Brickell Village, as well as restaurants like Segafredo's that is just down the street.

Of all the Fannie Mae approved buildings downtown, the Infinity is the only one that still has number of units available from the developer for under $200,000. The construction loan for the Infinity was provided by Corus Bank which was recently seized and its assets auctioned off by the FDIC. I believe this is one reason why the Infinity is able to offer reasonable prices to buyers.

In my opinion, out of all the units in the building, the best value are the 2 bedroom, 3 bath, 1460 sqft "C" Unit Lofts that offer amazing south to west views. The unit offers a spacious kitchen, and wraparound terraces on each of the two floors. These units sell for around $400,000.

The building also offers, 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 993 sqft "K" Unit Lofts that look east out onto Brickell. The unit feels very spacious due to the open floor plan. The bedroom sits on the second floor and overlooks the living room. These sell for around $240,000.

If you want more privacy, and less of a loft feel, the Infinity offers a 2 floor, 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 674 sqft "T" Unit Loft that look west into Miami. It feels more like a regular apartment and offers 2 terraces, one on each floor. These sell for around $170,000.

Similar to the "C" Lofts, the "E" Lofts have 2 bedrooms and 3 baths, but are 1417 sqft and face directly east into Brickell. These are great if you really enjoy loft living. They sell for around $360,000.

Compared with other buildings in this price range, I was very impressed with the common areas at the Infinity. The building offers a gym, a party room which can be booked for private events, a spacious lounge, an outdoor pool and sundeck.

If you have questions about the Infinity at Brickell, or are interested in buying or selling a unit, please contact Miami Condo Shop.

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