Miami Beach Real Estate - Streamline Properties

Saul Gross voted one of the Top Ten People of the Year in Wire Magazine

The article from Wire magazine is listed below:

Saul Gross is a fairly well know name on the Beach for two reasons - he's a Miami Beach city commissioner and he's a long-term and has stuck with his business on South Beach ever since he opened here in 1984. He's seen first hand what changes have taken place so he can speak with authority when issues come before the city commission. We might not agree or like what he does all the time, but he is a man of fairness and integrity on both a personal and professional level.

What's nice about Saul's Streamline Properties is that he's avoided the numerous mergers and acquisitions that have consolidated the industry over the past two decades. He remains the oldest independent real estate brokerage and property management company specializing in South Beach properties.

To stay ahead of the game he's come up with some pretty innovative ideas in real estate making Streamline Properties just about a one-stop center for all your real estate needs. That's the kind of creativity and ingenuity we like! Streamline led the way in restoring some of South Beach's most treasured Art Demo structures. South Beach wouldn't be the same today without Saul's efforts of yesterday.

Saul was extensively featured in Wire's Annual Real Estate Guide back in October. He's been bullish on South Beach for more than 22 years and remains so today!

"What we have here is too precious and the price will continue to go up long term," he said.

Well, we think Saul's value as a person and professional will also continue to go up as long as he continues to be innovative, creative, and fair. Integrity is the most important value as a person and a business - that's why Saul has made our Top Ten People of the Year list and we're glad he did!

STREAMLINE PROPERTIES IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE NEW AGENTS ON OUR SALES TEAM:

JIM WEINGARTEN OF STREAMLINE PROPERTIES BROKERS SALE OF FITZGERALD APARTMENTS

Jim Weingarten of Streamline Properties recently brokered the sale of the Fitzgerald at 850 15th Street in South Beach for $1.870,000. Built in 1939, the 6,507 square foot 12 unit apartment building sold for $288 per square foot, $155,833 per unit. The prime Art Deco building, located one and a half blocks from the Lincoln Road Mall, is a condo conversion candidate.

Jim Weingarten, a sales associate with Streamline Properties, has been selling multi-family properties in South Beach since 1990. He is an expert in searching out high value real estate properties that offer investors attractive income and appreciation opportunities as well as optimum tax advantages. Streamline Properties is a leading full service real estate company specializing in Miami Beach properties.

For more information contact Jim Weingarten at (305) 455-1312 or visit www.stream-line.com

Miami Beach's Office Leasing Specialist

SunPost article by Arthur Barron

In today’s fast paced business world where needs are ever changing and decisions are becoming more and more stressful, when it comes to leasing office space, business people are looking for real estate agents who can solve their leasing problems. Specializing in Miami Beach’s office market, Streamline Properties has been solving leasing problems for its business customers for nearly two decades. Streamline agents are experts in helping people with tough leasing situations - laying out the facts about per square foot prices, locating the right space, negotiating the best lease deal and resolving logistical problems.

An important feature of the leasing services provided by Streamline Properties is educating customers about the office market and how it can effect their leasing options and decisions. Streamline agents point out that business people need be aware that the price per square foot for office space in Miami Beach now averages between $22 to $28, and there is a difference between net leaseable and net useable square feet; office buildings built prior to 2000 usually include electricity in the rent, many newly constructed buildings are separately metered and do not include electricity in rent; although once abundant, 350 to 500 square foot offices are currently in very short supply; the majority of Miami Beach office buildings do not have a water views, those that offer a direct water view can cost up to $36 per square foot; an office space built-out to specifications can take anywhere from one to six months depending upon extent of improvements.

The market is ever changing! In a new trend, a number of Miami Beach office buildings are being converted to office condos. Streamline agents are now informing business customers that this trend will have a substantial impact on the market. As the office condo movement picks up steam, there will be less office space on the market and rents are likely to increase. For more information, call Arthur Barron 305-455-1319 or visit www.stream-line.com.

The Wide Definition of "Loft" in South Florida

SunPost article by Sandra Brooks

Have you caught the “loft” buzz that has been in the air? If your friends have told that they are buying a loft condo, what comes to your mind?

Lofts have their origin in industrial cities such as New York and Chicago. These places have large former warehouses and factories that are converted to residences which have massive open space and no amenities. They tend to be in funky neighborhoods, which eventually gentrify around the residential conversions.

South Florida was never known as an industrial center and there are no meat packing plants to convert. Instead, forward-thinking developers and architects have included an open, unstructured concept in their new construction, which they term “loft”.

These apartments take many forms. Most often they are 2-story duplexes, which have a large cathedral entrance and high ceilings on the first floor, but 9’ ceilings in the second story. There are many small projects South of Fifth St. in Miami Beach that were designed in this manner. Neo Vertika is currently being constructed on the Miami River and the majority of its units are “splits”. Splits are characterized by two levels of vertical living space with 20 foot ceilings, floating stair cases, private balconies and floor to ceiling windows.

Some developers also offer unstructured space with no designated bedroom areas. Neo Lofts on the Miami River is a stylish condo completed in 2004. The average apartment is 1,000 square feet, but the only enclosures are the closets and the bathrooms. Prices start at around $300,000. Wynwood Lofts is currently under construction in the Wynwood Arts District and is four stories with 36 lofts in a building reminiscent of a vintage factory. It was marketed as an enclave for artists, writers, and photographers and features 12’ ceilings and raw concrete floors. On South Beach the Montclair Lofts at 17th and Meridian Ave. is almost completed and there the apartments have 11’ ceilings, kitchens which march down one wall of vast unstructured rooms, 2 bathrooms and very few closets. Resale’s at the Montclair as of this writing started at $460,000.

Perhaps the most important part of the loft phenomenon to the construction industry as a whole is that, once a buyer has experienced the new look for the urbanite which emphasizes high ceilings, freedom of design and informal living, he/she finds it hard to go back to the standard of 8’ ceilings and conventional floor plans. Airier, brighter, more open dwellings all around are the result and that’s a good thing. For more information contact Sandra Brooks 305-455-1317 or visit Streamline Properties web site www.stream-line.com

The Bubble-Fact or Fiction

SunPost article by Alexander Duff

Recently, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal touting the inevitable bubble that we’ve all heard about for the past five years. Well, the only bubble we are going to see is in the Champagne we are all going to drink to celebrate a strong Miami real estate market. There are two basic arguments for the bubble: there are too many speculators and there will not be enough demand.

There are a large number of speculators in the Miami real estate market just as in any hot market. It’s okay to have speculators; they are actually part of the mechanism to bring these new condos to market. The developer has the vision, the means and the entrepreneurial spirit to launch a project. The speculators help to finance the projects with part of their deposit and help in sharing part of the risk. When the building is completed, the speculators flip the properties to end-users that otherwise might not have bought before the building was finished. No bubble there, just a piece of the financial puzzle.

We aren’t going to run out of buyers anytime soon. Miami and South Beach have become global icons and recognizable brands throughout the world. People from all over want to have a second or third home in Miami. The 85 Million baby boomers are looking for a sunny place to retire and real estate in California is 30% higher than South Florida.

Because of the strong Euro, Europeans have been buying second residences in the droves, some for a vacation home, others to place their money, with thoughts of retirement.

Many people prefer real estate to the stock market now. And why not own a place in the sun that also can go up in value 20% a year or more.

Perhaps the best argument for a vast supply of buyers is that Miami, with its location as a gateway to the Americas, and, with its 60% Latin population has become the de-facto capital of Latin America and the Caribbean. The wealthiest people from all of these countries want to have a home or two in Miami. Condos are their first choice. Besides being a Mecca for import/export and a huge banking center, Miami has convenient airports, great shopping, world renowned nightlife, incredible beaches, dozens of museums and galleries, and a growing art scene.

When you look at the product being brought to market by today’s developers, these are luxurious well built buildings with state-of-the-art amenities. From 900 Biscayne Bay to Quantum to Apogee, this is where people want to live and that’s what makes the difference.

For more information contact Alexander Duff, Broker-Associate, Streamline Properties, Inc. (305) 455-1326 or alex@stream-line.com

STREAMLINE PROPERTIES EXPANDS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DIVISION AND EXTENDS MARKET TERRITORIES

A leader in the Miami Beach commercial real estate market, Streamline Properties has aggressively undertaken an expansion of its commercial division together with a marketing campaign to let more people know about its commercial success. “Streamline has sold more apartment buildings in South Beach than any other firm in the area, commercial brokerage has been the mainstay of our business for the past ten years because of our experience in condo conversions,” says Saul Gross, president of Streamline Properties.

As part of the ambitious expansion program, Streamline is recruiting new agents with a wide variety of skills that include consulting and developing business strategies, as well as the expertise needed to negotiate deals and close transactions. As Saul Gross points out, “We are looking for agents who are well-educated, well-rounded and very aggressive in how they’re out there trying to develop business.”

Streamline has hired three new commercial specialists Ronald London, Robert Laboranti and Alex Duff, and has appointed Arthur Barron to the position of Marketing Director. Barron, an office leasing specialist with extensive advertising and sales promotion experience, will play an important role in the firm’s growth plans.

Along with expanding the commercial division, Streamline has actively extended its territory into the downtown Miami, Miami Shores, Surfside, North Miami, Sunny Isles and Aventrua real estate markets, as well as entering into counties outside Miami Dade.