Sunny Isles/Aventura....and a few questions of this area (Miami: short sales, foreclosures)

[Tiger Beer]

I've driven through 'Sunny Isles' a few times between Hollywood and South Beach...all of the many tall condo buildings are intriguing. Recently I discoved that the prices aren't at all horrible. Additionally there is AVENTURA...which I heard doesn't have the ocean view but also has the tall condo buildings everywhere.

I did make it to Aventura Mall, but didn't see the condo areas...the mall seemed great though. If the tall residential buildings everywhere are within feasible walking distance of that mall, even better.

I originally dismissed this area assuming it was too costly. But viewing rents, it seems that there are 1-bdrms and occassionally even 2bdrms that do seem to be just every so slightly under the $1,000/month mark - which is kinda nice!

So, what's the Miami take on this pocket on the Dade/Broward border?

[Marlin331]

It's a nice area with a good schools. Prices for condos are average and prices for detached, single-family homes are pretty high. The major con of the area is that with so much shopping and so many highrises in such a small space, the traffic is awful. It's not like Manhattan or Boston or a European city where most people don't have cars; nearly everyone in those highrises has a car and drives everywhere.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by crisp444

It's a nice area with a good schools. Prices for condos are average and prices for detached, single-family homes are pretty high. The major con of the area is that with so much shopping and so many highrises in such a small space, the traffic is awful. It's not like Manhattan or Boston or a European city where most people don't have cars; nearly everyone in those highrises has a car and drives everywhere.

Is there any talk of allowing or having 1st floor business or 2nd floor businesses...some way to have people find their amenities without getting a car to get them?

Also, curious. Rentals seem quite affordable. Seems like I was seeing places that could be rented for $1000/month and sometimes less. Which seems pretty good actually!

Curious about buying though. Are the maintence fees uncharacteristically high (typical for the U.S.). Seems like so often if a person buys in a high-rise, the fees are astronomical, often times almost as high as half what the rent would be. Same case with Aventura/Sunny Isles?

[Marlin331]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Is there any talk of allowing or having 1st floor business or 2nd floor businesses...some way to have people find their amenities without getting a car to get them?

Also, curious. Rentals seem quite affordable. Seems like I was seeing places that could be rented for $1000/month and sometimes less. Which seems pretty good actually!

Curious about buying though. Are the maintence fees uncharacteristically high (typical for the U.S.). Seems like so often if a person buys in a high-rise, the fees are astronomical, often times almost as high as half what the rent would be. Same case with Aventura/Sunny Isles?

The highrises in that area are American-style in that they don't have retail on the ground floor. Many of the buildings are removed from the streets by walls, gates, or vegetation, so the area is not very pedestrian-friendly at all. I mean, you'll see a lot of people walking for exercise, but not to go to the grocery store or bank... it seems everyone drives for that.

Regarding monthly common charges, they often are 1/4-1/3 (and in some cases, 1/2, which is very high) of what the monthly rent would be. Keep in mind, however, that only owners pay common charges; if you rent, common charges are not your obligation as a renter unless you sign some kind of atypical agreement saying that you'll have to pay them in addition to rent. Depending on the building, you may get a lot of amenities funded by the common charges: many buildings have full gyms, pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, and concierge service.

[Coconut1]

In my opinion it's a very nice area, and like you, I was surprised by it!

Not sure about the maintenance fees, but you're right, those in SoFla do seem to be very high. The ones I look at in the Brickell and downtown Miami areas are usually $500-$750 a month.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Regarding monthly common charges, they often are 1/4-1/3 (and in some cases, 1/2, which is very high) of what the monthly rent would be. Keep in mind, however, that only owners pay common charges;

I wonder if there is any talk of that being reversed or lowered.

Just seems like the foreclosures in South Florida...might have something to do with the extremely high maintence fees attached to condos.

[BackHomeMIA]

We just bought a condo in Aventura for my parents. It's a little over 1000 sf, and the association fee is $370/month, but it includes water, cable, exterior building insurance, so basically my only bill will be electricity and optionally internet.
Association dues usually go up if the building doesn't fare well, i.e. too many short sales and foreclosures or situations where owners stop paying those fees. Also with a condo that's not brand new you may have special asessment fees once in a while, meaning a big chunk of money to fix the building or upgrade amenities, then condo owners each share the cost monthly over a certain period of time.
We just bought this condo because my parents are old-fashioned folks, they think renting is throwing money out the window! But for us, we are renting in Aventura right now, the deals are pretty good, wait a little longer to buy. Aventura is a beautiful place to live, aside from traffic. Just a stone's throw to the beach too!

[TrulyJaicee]

About Aventura...I am looking for knowledgeable input from anyone who lives in the area of Country Club Drive in Aventura by the Mall. I am considering renting in one of the high rise buildings across from the golf course. It seems like a beautiful area with a lot of walkability. Can anyone advise what the area is like to live in? I'm a 50 year old female looking to meet people similar age or older and will be job hunting as well, hopefully in close proximity of the town. Also: do you know if it tends to flood badly when it storms in that area? Oh, and if you know of any particularly decent buildings you could name :-) (Looking for a one bedroom under $1,100.) I am considering Sunny Isles also,,, just can't decide yet! Thanks for any good input!

[FinallyReady]

Originally Posted by crisp444

It's a nice area with a good schools. Prices for condos are average and prices for detached, single-family homes are pretty high. The major con of the area is that with so much shopping and so many highrises in such a small space, the traffic is awful. It's not like Manhattan or Boston or a European city where most people don't have cars; nearly everyone in those highrises has a car and drives everywhere.

Yep you're right. I lived in one of the hi-rises in Sunny Isles Beach for 6 months , while my townhome in Broward got re-built after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. I can't remember the name now but it was located at 19390 Collins Ave. Had an oceanview. My dtr and I loved it and I almost considered renting out my place in Broward when it got all fixed and just staying there in Sunny Isles, but we didn't. You're right traffic WAS AWFUL!!!! Going over the Causeway, then on to Biscayne, then onto Ives Dairy Rd was PURE HELL every morning! I still enjoyed living over there though.

[stayinghonest]

I say go for it. I live a few miles away from Aventura in NMB on Miami Gardens Dr. Aventura is a great place to live because of the mall, proximity of shops and medical centers, and safety (a lot safer than my section of NMB). Please note that Aventura has the world's second highest concentration of Jews, regardless of ethnic background, so be prepared to drive down streets with 4 synagogues (no joke). Because of the Jewish population, nearly all of the grocery stores and restaurants have Kosher foods, making them more expensive, but better quality. Sunny Isles has a large Russian population, and a majority of the people are Jewish as well. Sunny Isles is on the beach, so if you're a beach person, get your condo there instead of Aventura, which is closer to the mall if you're a mall person. The public and private schools (if you have kids) are very good in terms of educational quality and distance.