Coral Gables: Which is a better area and a better deal? (Miami: condo, houses)

[planetsurf]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

The closer you get to Calle Ocho, the more your Coral Gables 'prestige' evaporates. It's simple physics, the closer you are to an undesirabe area, the less desirable your area becomes; hence less prestige, but same ZIP code. Why pay $725k for a 1900 s.f. house when ten streets north you can get the same thing for $350k. I'm just saying that 'prestige' is paper thin when you're talking about the same kind of house just a few streets north. Also, the closer you get to Calle Ocho, and away from the most expensive part of Coral Gables - prestige set aside (east of US-1), the more people probably finance entry level Mercedes. You will encounter 'those' kinds of neighbors- the self serving ones who don't help you clean up trees after a hurricane, but instead call Team Metro on you! And they probably buy their chrome rims for their entry level luxury cars on Calle Ocho - in cash!

Wow -- I half agree with you!
I don't agree it's quite so cut and dry, houses don't go down in value for every block closer North.
But if you are on the fringes of any nice area, you are going to pay extra for the "prestige" of that area even if you're not really getting the "value" of that prestige.
BUT, this house is NOT on the fringe and you can not find this house "a few streets north" for less. The house won't be on tree lined street & won't have CGables police, fire or zoning (which may be a good thing). It won't be updated quite as nice b/c someone will know they won't get the $ back. And you won't have CGables neighbors. Right now, drive between Riviera and Granada south of Bird and N of US1 -- there are quite a few houses being gutted and redone. In todays market!?!? All upscale, all expensive. The "aura" of prestige - and I agree it's all smoke & mirror to a degree - attracts prestige. $ attracts $. These houses might have the same sq footage and lot size as houses in Shenedoah, but they are in CGables! People will put $ into them there, it can hold the value.

We could spend days deconstructing a philosophical argument about why this is. Why does a 1600 sq ft 2 /2 apartment on the Upper East Side cost $500k more than the same apartment on the Upper West Side? Property on Montauk vs Long Beach. Aspen vs Whistler?
But they do. A 2000 sq ft house in the Gables costs more than the "same" house in Kendall or the Roads or Plantation.

Now, why you insist on making weird and unfounded judgments on the people that live there? I don't know.
It might help you to know about some of the people that actually live there.
My mother-in-law lives 1/2 block from Le Jeune, not far from the Aledo house listed (so not the most "prestigious" part of the Gables). She's lived there for 45 years btw! Homeowners have come and gone on her block - quite a few long-timers like herself, 1 house on her block in foreclosure (or close, not sure), a few older empty-nesters who live in very attractive but smaller homes, a few even drive "entry-level" Mercedes.
Honestly, for the most part, they are great neighbors. She knows almost all of them and they all look out for each other, especially during hurricanes!

[big mean bear]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

Wow -- I half agree with you!
I don't agree it's quite so cut and dry, houses don't go down in value for every block closer North.
But if you are on the fringes of any nice area, you are going to pay extra for the "prestige" of that area even if you're not really getting the "value" of that prestige.
BUT, this house is NOT on the fringe and you can not find this house "a few streets north" for less. The house won't be on tree lined street & won't have CGables police, fire or zoning (which may be a good thing). It won't be updated quite as nice b/c someone will know they won't get the $ back. And you won't have CGables neighbors. Right now, drive between Riviera and Granada south of Bird and N of US1 -- there are quite a few houses being gutted and redone. In todays market!?!? All upscale, all expensive. The "aura" of prestige - and I agree it's all smoke & mirror to a degree - attracts prestige. $ attracts $. These houses might have the same sq footage and lot size as houses in Shenedoah, but they are in CGables! People will put $ into them there, it can hold the value.

We could spend days deconstructing a philosophical argument about why this is. Why does a 1600 sq ft 2 /2 apartment on the Upper East Side cost $500k more than the same apartment on the Upper West Side? Property on Montauk vs Long Beach. Aspen vs Whistler?
But they do. A 2000 sq ft house in the Gables costs more than the "same" house in Kendall or the Roads or Plantation.

Now, why you insist on making weird and unfounded judgments on the people that live there? I don't know.
It might help you to know about some of the people that actually live there.
My mother-in-law lives 1/2 block from Le Jeune, not far from the Aledo house listed (so not the most "prestigious" part of the Gables). She's lived there for 45 years btw! Homeowners have come and gone on her block - quite a few long-timers like herself, 1 house on her block in foreclosure (or close, not sure), a few older empty-nesters who live in very attractive but smaller homes, a few even drive "entry-level" Mercedes.
Honestly, for the most part, they are great neighbors. She knows almost all of them and they all look out for each other, especially during hurricanes!

Less than half the price, with the same square footage, not on the other side of town, but just up the street. That just goes to show how little trust people have in the Miami-Dade County Police Dept., Fire Dept., and non-Coral Gables schools. I agree with you, the difference between the Gables and "somewhere else" in Miami is night and day. The only thing that bothers me is when people "make it big" and move out of Westchester or "somewhere else" to the Gables, but they bring the slum/3rd world (Yes, I said it!) mentality with them. These people usually move to the "fringe" areas of Coral Gables. However, the debate about new money and personal responsibility is best saved for another day...

[Marlin331]

big mean bear, where do you live?

[vpcats]

After reading this thread I think I'm going to dump my house and just move out to Miami Gardens and start a new trend.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by crisp444

big mean bear, where do you live?

By the way he talks............I'd say Florida City.

Sorry...forgot to add: Inquiring minds want to know.

BTW, I'd go for the Capri house too. It's very modern inside. Was that the one with the sofa in the hallway? Maybe you could knock down a wall to open up that space?

[TannerMan]

I thought he was the poster that lived in Brickell and did a big rant about it too.....

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by TannerMan

I thought he was the poster that lived in Brickell and did a big rant about it too.....

Well you know there are a couple of different Brickells.

[big mean bear]

Originally Posted by vpcats

By the way he talks............I'd say Florida City.

How'd you guess??? Why does everybody want to know where the big bear lives? Trust me , you don't want to go near my cave, especially when I'm sleeping... BTW, if I have such a disdain for Little Havana, how would I ever tolerate Florida City? Try again.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

How'd you guess??? Why does everybody want to know where the big bear lives? Trust me , you don't want to go near my cave, especially when I'm sleeping... BTW, if I have such a disdain for Little Havana, how would I ever tolerate Florida City? Try again.

Oh I'm sorry. I meant Cocoplum.

[NIKILOSADA]

Originally Posted by hbrulay

[URL="http://www.trulia.com/property/1066539190-222-Aledo-Ave-Coral-Gables-FL"]222 Aledo Avenue, Coral Gables FL 33134 - Trulia[/URL]

[URL="http://www.trulia.com/property/1053076386-1520-Capri-St-FL-Coral-Gables-33134"]1520 Capri Street, Coral Gables FL 33134 - Trulia[/URL]

The best place in the Gables is Tahiti Beach, located at the end of Coco Plum. Direct ocean access, incredible security, you can even leave to work via helicopter. Some homes have come down in price and the realtors are trowing in a Donzi, and a Rolls Phantom to seal the deal