Highland Beach South Florida. Best Oceanfront Condos in S. Florida?



Highland Beach City Hall

This is the time of the year that many people up North are starting to feel the weather change and as many of clients tell me, they begin to dread the start of another cold winter. Months of snow, ice and below freezing temperatures. More and more people are starting to look south to Florida for a winter home away from the dreary winter cold. While some like the leisure activities provided by golf at their back doos and country club living, for many others, the thought of waking up to a view of the breathtaking Atlantic ocean is something they dream of.
Highland Beach, Florida offers one of the best places to enjoy oceanfront living. Highland beach is a town located in the southern portion of eastern Palm Beach County. The Town of Highland Beach is small, an exclusive enclave of only 0.6 square miles with Delray Beach as the neighbor to the north and Boca Raton in the south. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean lies and the Intracoastal Waterway is on the west.

Intracoastal Waterway

Highland Beach is a residential community with a year-round population of 4,150 which increases to approximately 8,500 during the winter months
Highland Beach provides general municipal services such as police protection and a library, as well as water and wastewater utility service. The Town also provides, through contract, fire protection, code enforcement, building inspection, solid waste, and postal services. The Highland Beach Holiday Inn, right in the center of the town is a local landmark and one of the best places around for a great Sunday Brunch. Although Highland Beach is quite exclusive with stunning high end condos such as Toscana, Villa Magna and Beach Walk, there are also quite a few reasonable priced buildings that offer exceptional amenities, these include Ambassadors East and Ambassadors North, Trafalgar of Highland Beach and Townhouses of Highland Beach.
Prices in Highland Beach start in the low $200's to the $3million range for condos, some as large as 4,000 sq ft. There are also oceanfront homers and townhouses in Highland Beach. Any property with an oceanview will demand a higher price than an Intracoastal or city view. But, for many buyers in Hioghland Beach, the activity of the Intracoastal cannot be beaten. Sit on your balcony and watch an amazing parade of boaters every day. At night, the lights of Highland Beach and the adjacent cities of Boca Raton and Delray offer an exciting vista of life and activity.
There is no shortage of dining choices for residents of Highland Beach. At the north end, where the Villa Magna, Coronado, Toscana, Bermuda Beach, Ocean Terrace and many other boutique buildings are, residents are no more than a mile away for the bussling Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach where one can enjoy every type of dining style and all night music as well as regular street fairs and green markets.

Concierge Beach Services in Highland Beach

To the south of Highland Beach, the refined Boca Raton Downtown offers gourmet dining choices, an amphitheater with regular free music performances, a regular Saturday green market and a mall with all the best stores in the country offering their wares. The buildings closer to the North include Dalton, Braemar, Beach Walk, Parker Highlands and many more.
In summary, if you are ready to escape cold northern winters and enjoy warm weather from September through April and you love the thought of being surroounded by water, ocean and Intracoastal, then Highland Beach, Florida is an option you should seriously consider.
For Realtors in the North who have clients desirous of a winter home in Florida, consider referring your clients to a Realtor who knows the area well and can be trsuted to provide excellent service to your clients who would consider Highland Beach or the surrounding areas of South Florida a viable option.

Is The Market Up or Down or Both?

I don't blame Buyers for being totally confused with all the contradictory real estate news reports. A report out today shows that prices of home list prices are up in many Florida metropolitan areas anything from 8 - 27%. Yet another recent report quotes economists saying we haven't hit bottom yet. So, what information is correct? Do I buy a house in Florida now, wait a year or two....... Who has the answers?

Villa Magna Highland Beach

Everything has to be viewed in context. The list price increases reflect year on year growth and August last year, prices slumped to their lowest level in years. So, yes prices are up but off a very low base. Are prices up across the board? No, certain sectors have far more demand. Once again, single family homes priced under $300k in great school districts are showing demand, condos with rental restrictions are lingering on the market and certain categories, for example ocean front condos in Boca Raton and Highland Beach are remaining firm. The oceanfront market in the cities indicated don't follow similar tends to other real estate categories. For the most part, there are seldom mortgages on these homes and sellers can afford to hold on, they are seldom in a rush to sell and hope for top dollar. Occasionally there are exceptional listings here like estate sales where the heirs want a quick sale, these deals are generally great and should be seriously considered.

As for the economists predicting further declines as more foreclosure inventory enters the market, they are not wrong. This is going to take 3 - 4 years to clear. So, until then, South Florida is still a buyer's market. If you're thinking of buying, don't hesitate, great deals abound.

Want to get off the fence and buy? Call me, let's talk.

Luxury Property Auctions - These Could be Real Steals

Golden Beach Home 1

It's not often that homes in the ultra luxury market are available for sale on auction terms. Miami, now a haven for the International community of the jet set from Europe, South America, Russia and China has 3 exceptional opportunities for those seeking a one of a kind home.

Of only 62 oceanfront homes in Golden Beach, 2 will soon be auctioned in an absolute auction on November 10 to the highest bidder. Each home is over 7,000 sq ft in size with magnificent finishes including custom cabinetry, onyx and marble and so much more. Built by renowned architect, Carlos B. Schoeppl , these homes would make ideal diplomatic residences or headquarters for a business titan.

Florida's Homestead law offers significant protection including bankruptcy protection, which is the reason that many of the US super wealthy choose to add a Florida home to their portfolio and define it as their homestead property.

Golden Beach Home 2

Deep water lots offer ocean access for yachts. These homes are just minutes from the Bal Harbour shops where all luxury brand stores offer their wares.

These 2 magnificent homes will sell to the highest bidder. If you have a desire to live in one of the most magnificent locations in the world, perhaps it's time to consider these auctions.

Star Island Estate

Another real estate gem to be auctioned is one of only 35 homes on Star Island near Miami. The island is home to stars like Gloria Estefan, Shaquille O'Neil, Lenny Kravitz and Sylvester Stallone when you live here, you have truly made it. Starting prices are at $10million for one of the luxury oceanfront estates. Now a bankruptcy has forced the sale by auction of this magnificent residence. The previous owner's misfortune could be your gain as this home will sell well below market value and allow the buyer entry into an exclusive cartel of select homeowners.

Star Island Estate

Your entry to become one of the elite, any one of these homes will place you in the top echelon of society. Miami is an international city with an international airport offering flights to all corners of the world.

For more information and auction representation, give me a call or contact me by email. All enquiries treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Investors - Florida Offers Exceptional Returns.

A recent article in Money Magazine profiled the residential rental market. It has been heating up for a number of years. In Florida where so many have been hit hard by foreclosure, certain areas have seen a massive increase in families looking for a home to rent in a good school district and in an area close to highway access. In Boca Raton specifically, this trend is evident because many parents will do whatever it takes to have their children in any one of the exceptionally rated Boca schools.
A 3 bed / 2 bath rental priced under $2,000 per month is usually under contract to lease within 10 - 15 days. Investors are taking careful note of this trend and are paying asking price when homes that fit the ideal rental model come up for sale. Foreclosed properties in this market segment also sell at list or higher. In Boca, monthly maintenance fees and insurance can be high so investors target the few communities that have either no fees or fees under $200 per month. Most of these communities are located west in the county district or east in the city boundaries. Central Boca tends not to have a huge number of the ideal rental properties.

If you are considering the Landlord role, note that ready cash will be a requirement. You will be competing for homes with other all cash buyers who can close quickly and will buy homes in the right communities regardless of the condition of the homes. I have seen many homes snapped up in days that required new roofs and major renovation.
Buying at the right price in Boca Raton, you can realize ROI's of 6 - 10%.

Most new investors must buy with a landlord's perspective though. Don't look at the intrinsics of the home itself, you are not going to be living in it. Consider the area and its amenities, the potential monthly rent and the demand for rentals in the community.

My final comment; don't think of becoming a landlord in Boca Raton if you think you can buy homes at a huge discount to the list price, it's not going to happen for high demand homes.. A good Realtor should be able to show you statistics of recent sales and sold vs list prices. Trust the professional you choose to work with and you should be successful in acquiring investment properties.

As always, I welcome your calls and emails.

Mirasol Country Club - Golf Membership - Yes or No?

There is no doubt that Mirasol Country Club is one of the premier residential developments in the country today. A private, gated community with 25 subdivisions, offering private family residences ranging in price from the $800s to over $4 million. All the homes have exceptional views, either golf, waterfront, ornatural preserve.


The clubhouse is world-class and the 50,000 sq. ft. facility includes formal and casual dining, meeting rooms, full clubhouse amenities, locker rooms and card rooms. Adjacent to the clubhouse is the Esplanade Sport and Fitness Center with 17,000 sq. ft. of amenities that include 15 clay tennis courts, state-of-the-art fitness center, men's and women's locker rooms with steam and massage rooms, swimming pool with lap lanes and soothing spa.


But, the key to the success of Mirasol Country Club is the Golf. 36-Holes designed by two of the world's most famous golf course architects - The Sunset course by Arthur Hills, and the Sunrise course by Tom Fazio. Mirasol also features world-class golf practice facilities as well as a fully-equipped golf pro shop.

It's understandable then that those who wish to purchase in Mirasol want a home that has golf membership but there are a limited number of memberships available with a 5 - 6 year waiting list. A smart buyer though can get the best of both worlds. As with every Florida community today, prices are depressed. In Mirasol, homes without golf membership are being sold at never-before seen prices, some in the $300's, as much as $250k less than the same homes with golf membership. Those real estate buyers with a long term view should consider these deals as, even without golf membership, residents still have access to the golfing facilities, more so in the summer months but still very reasonable even in the wintertime. Put your name down for golf membership, you may have to wait 5 years but you still get to golf as and when you wish. Makes sense!

If you are a smart real estate buyer on the lookout for an exceptional golf community in south Florida, consider Mirasol Country Club.