South Florida Real Estate Blog

Apr 8

Highlights from the 2013 Sony Open Tennis Tournament in Key Biscayne

Posted in 1000 Museum Miami, Altos Del Mar, Bellini Williams Island, Cielo On The Bay, Key Biscayne, Lifestyle, South Florida Community, Tennis Comment

This year ONE Sotheby’s International Realty was the official Fort Lauderdale and Miami real estate sponsor of the Sony Open Tennis Tournament that takes place every March in Key Biscayne. For two weeks our agents greeted tennis fans from around the world in a luxurious air-conditioned tent that was decorated with displays of the top real estate listings in South Florida. With thousands of visitors attending the tournament from all around the world, it was the perfect opportunity to connect and create relationships with potential buyers and sellers.

Throughout the entire event our brokers were on hand to explain to guests about the positive shift in the Miami real estate market as well as real estate market in South Florida and they also had the chance to meet with other agents from Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate offices in Aspen and Turks and Caicos. Stephan Burke, a ONESir Broker, was approached by a buyer interested in purchasing a $20million+ home close to the Coconut Grove area that conveniently walked over to the tent and got more information about current listings. Another agent, Patrick Vysata, met a lady from France that has just sold her villa with the Sotheby’s Realty affiliate in the region and would be interested in purchasing a second property in South Florida soon. Our agents said that many visitors were interested in our developments including Cielo on the Bay, 1000 Museum, Altos Del Mar and Bellini Williams Island.

Overall it was an exciting two weeks filled with the best of tennis and real estate. We are already looking forward to next year’s event and have been cultivating the leads we made!

Mar 6

ONE Sotheby’s Is The Proud Real Estate Sponsor Of This Year’s Sony Open Tennis Tournament

Posted in Key Biscayne, Lifestyle, Miami Beach, Miami Week, South Florida Community, Tennis Comment

Once a year, Crandon Park is taken over by tennis elite and we will be right in the middle of the action! The Sony Open is one of the world’s most competitive and prestigious professional tennis tournaments and One Sotheby’s is honored to be a sponsor of this year’s twelve-day event. The festivities begin on March 18th and a crowd of over 300,000 is expected to be in attendance.

With tennis pros like Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal participating, the matches are sure to be some of the best yet this year. 96 men and 96 women in singles matches and 32 men and 32 women in doubles matches will compete for this incredible title. The Sony Open has been named “Tournament of the Year” nine out of the past 13 years by the ATP and this year should prove to be just as thrilling. The event has grown since its birth 1985 into a series of matches, musical performances and parties. Make sure to stop by the ONE Sotheby’s International Realty booth to learn about amazing opportunities Miami real estate has to offer, when you visit the tournament!

Feb 22

Sony Open Tennis Part of South Florida Active Living

Posted in Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Lifestyle, Miami Beach, Pinecrest, Tennis Comment

A full house at the WTA women’s singles final in 2012. Photo courtesy of Sony Open.

The Sony Open Tennis takes place in just a few weeks and is a reminder of South Florida’s love for the international tennis community. The tournament is known as the “fifth slam” after Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, French Open and Australian Open.

Last year, the Sony Ericsson Open set an all-time attendance record for the fifth time in six years with 326,131 guests. Visitors came from all over the world, booking more than 14,700 room nights directly through the tournament, which also received 73.5 hours of domestic television coverage.

2012 was a banner year for other reasons as well: the tournament rebranded as Sony Open Tennis; the Tennis Center at Crandon Park received a $1 million dollar renovation for the player areas inside the stadium; and a majority of local voters approved a referendum on the November 6 ballot that allowed for a $50 million renovation of the facilities funded by private money and tournament proceeds.

The 2013 edition of the tournament will take place March 18-31. Visit Sony Open for more information.

LIVING THE TENNIS LIFESTYLE IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Key Biscayne, where the tournament takes place, is world renown as a great place to live for tennis enthusiasts. But other homes in South Florida are also designed for tennis lovers. Here are just five of One Sotheby’s current listings.

This home in gated Journey’s End sits on a 2-acre lot near Biscayne Bay and features a tennis court. The asking price is $8,450,000. Click here to learn more about the property.

A tennis court is nestled next to this waterfront home in Gables Estates. The home is listed at $6,995.000. Click here to learn more about the property.

This luxury estate in Parkland features a tennis court and sauna. The asking price is $3,650,000. Click here to learn more about the property.

This Pinecrest home features a court for tennis lovers living in this lushly landscaped area of Miami-Dade. The asking price is $1,599,000. Click here to learn more about the property.

This waterfront home faces west for gorgeous sunsets and features a tennis court with total privacy at the La Gorce Golf Club community in Miami Beach. The asking price is $9,950,000. Click here to learn more about the property.

To find more homes associated with the tennis lifestyle, visit One Sotheby’s additional listings.

– Maria de los Angeles is a freelance wordsmith based in Miami.

Jul 18

Key Biscayne Summer Community Events

Posted in Key Biscayne Comment

Life is always nice in the Key, especially during the summer time when the local community hits the water and enjoys popular activities such as fishing, sailing, paddle boarding, jet skiing and more. Surrounded by beautiful Biscayne Bay, the island is an oasis among Miami’s bustling urban core where the ambiance is always relaxed and laid-back. This summer Key Biscayne has numerous events for residents and visitors.

July 20th- Acoustic Rock show at The Ibis Lounge: Artists Josh and Mich perform rock classics. 200 Crandon Blvd.

July 21st- Hispanic Theatre Event, “El encuentro de Juan Bobo y Pedro Animal” will be presented by Teatro Avante at the Community Center. 5:45pm at the Community Center located at 10 Village Green Way.

Yoga Classes- Continuous throughout the summer. Community Center members can take advantage of different yoga classes including Gentle Yoga and Power Yoga. For the complete schedule click here.

ONE Sotheby’s also has a spectacular array of properties available in the Key Biscayne area. To see the inventory visit here: Key Biscayne Listings.

Jul 11

Miami Dog Parks

Posted in Aventura, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, Lifestyle, Miami Beach, Pinecrest Comment

The Magic City offers some great playgrounds for dogs. Here’s a list of select dog parks in ONE | Sotheby’s neighborhoods.

MIAMI BEACH

Beach residents love to spoil their canines. On Lincoln Road, residents bring their small pampered pooches in strollers. Even local businesses on cater to furry friends by providing water bowls outdoors.

Although man’s best friend isn’t allowed to frolic on local beaches, the City of Miami Beach has six designated dog parks spread out over the entire barrier island. Each park features fenced in areas for small and large breeds as well as drinking fountains.

dog-park-fountain-south-point-miami-beach

South Pointe Park in Miami Beach.

Miami Beach Bark Parks include Washington Avenue, Flamingo Park, Belle Isle and the North Shore Open Space Park. Surrounded by luxury condos, South Pointe Park features a waterfront view of Government Cut – the channel where cruise ships and freighters head to port from the Atlantic. Pinetree Park faces Indian Creek, also affording waterfront views with some of Miami’s most iconic hotels in the distance.

Find additional details about Miami Beach Bark Parks on the city’s website.

AVENTURA

Further north, dog owners in the City of Aventura can bring their pets to Waterways Dog Park, which features 1.5 waterfront acres for dogs to play leash-free and cool off with doggie showers.

PINECREST

To the south, the Village of Pinecrest allows leashed dogs at the Veteran’s Wayside Park. The passive urban park is 4.5 acres and includes picnic benches, shaded areas and a freshwater lake.

COCONUT GROVE

Grove residents enjoy access to two dog parks. Blanche Park on Virginia Avenue has fenced-in areas for dogs to exercise and neighbors to mingle. The Dog Chow area at Kennedy Park is open to Biscayne Bay’s fresh breezes. For more information visit City of Miami Parks and Recreation.

KEY BISCAYNE

The island’s “Dog Beach” is just past the tollbooth at the entrance of the Rickenbacker Causeway. Newly renovated with paved strolling paths, the beach is popular with dog owners who wish to play fetch with their pets in the shallow grassbeds.

For a list of additional dog parks in Miami-Dade County, visit the county’s parks and recreation site.

– Maria de los Angeles is a freelance wordsmith based in Miami.

PHOTO CREDITS

David McKevley on Flickr; Brent Ozar on Flickr.

Jul 3

Miami Sparkles with Exciting 4th of July Events

Posted in Coconut Grove, Downtown Miami, Events, Key Biscayne Comment

Red, White, Ka-boom! This Wednesday many locations throughout Miami will be celebrating the America’s independence with dazzling celebrations. From Coral Gables to Miami Beach, there will be plenty to see and do with family and friends. Here’s a roundup of the best patriotic parties:

Fireworks at the Biltmore Hotel

BILTMORE HOTEL
After several years of hiatus, the Biltmore Hotel will back to present a spectacular fireworks display in Coral Gables. The event starts at 5pm, where visitors can find a spot on the massive lawn to see a performance by the Greater Miami Symphonic Band at 7pm and fireworks at 9pm.

BAYFRONT PARK
In Downtown Miami, residents can head over to Bayfront Park for the 4th of July festivities. The event begins at 3pm and will feature a Free Kids Zone and other activities for the entire family to enjoy.

COCONUT GROVE
During the day enjoy an old fashioned picnic at the historic Barnacle House, and once the sun comes down head over to Peacock Park for a thrilling fireworks display.

MIAMI BEACH
In Miami Beach, the festivities will take place at Lummus Park from 1pm-9pm. Special DJs will perform at this Music extravaganza that will also feature amazing fireworks. The event is free and open to the public.

KEY BISCAYNE
The annual Key Biscayne 4th of July parade will once again take place directly on Crandon Blvd, with fun floats, performers and entertainment that begins at 11am.

Everyone at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty wishes you a wonderful and safe 4th of July!

Apr 25

HistoryMiami Features Key Biscayne in Exclusive Art Exhibit

Posted in Key Biscayne, Uncategorized Comment

key-biscayne-lighthouse-painting-history-miami

Image courtesy of the Davis Family Collection via HistoryMiami.

Luxury living in Key Biscayne is the norm today but early pioneers had to rough it on this barrier island that lies between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.

HistoryMiami honors this history in its new exhibit, Key Biscayne: Island of Shifting Sands, which opened in March and runs through June 10, 2012. The exhibit focuses on cultural history from the time of European discovery to the turning point when the island was no longer a remote frontier.

Pictures, artifacts and maps trace Key Biscayne’s history from a variety of perspectives — travelers, passers-by, landowners, scientists, artists, soldiers and more.

A section of the exhibit focuses on images of life at Cape Florida around 1900. Cape Florida is the southernmost tip of the island, today’s Bill Baggs State Park, where locals can enjoy the beach, picnic pavilions, bicycle paths, hiking trails and kayak adventures in the waterways.

After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the park bounced back resiliently with native flora. It’s one of very few places in Miami-Dade to de-stress and enjoy a natural, old Florida vacation in one’s own backyard. Native sea grape trees provide shade and sea oats grow on the dunes, all just a stone’s throw away from condominiums.

Many of the Cape Florida images in the exhibit, which have never before been available for public viewing, come from albums belonging to the Davis family, landowners on Key Biscayne for almost one hundred years.

Curator Joan Gill Blank describes her enthusiasm about the exhibit: “I’m especially delighted to be able to bring alive a slice of history previously unvisited (1890-1913),” she said in a statement. “Including photographs and art discovered in trunks and attics of the Davis family of Cape Florida, that expands our understanding of pioneering island life and gives us invaluable visual understanding of the island’s role in the evolution of the Bay area and beyond.”

As the oldest known structure in South Florida, the lighthouse at Cape Florida is one of Miami’s most important historic sites. Established in 1825 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, the lighthouse was the sight of a violent battle during the Seminole Wars yet still stands strong as a symbol of maritime history on the island.

For more information on the exhibit, museum hours and location, visit HistoryMiami. Click here for specific details on the Key Biscayne exhibit.

– Maria de los Angeles is a freelance wordsmith based in Miami.

Apr 24

Film and Real Estate unite as ONE | Sotheby’s sponsors the European Film Festival

Posted in Events, Key Biscayne Comment

Art is coming to Key Biscayne, this time in the form of film. ONE | Sotheby’s International Realty has partnered with the European Film Festival to present the most cutting edge films from Europe in Miami and Miami Beach throughout the month of May.

The first event of the European Film Festival will be the Kick-Off Party happening on May 4th in Key Biscayne. Guests will be able to enjoy a selection of the ‘Ten Best’ short films created by young film-makers from European film schools. Taking place at the Village Green, (400 Crandon Boulevard) the open air Kick Off Party starts at 7:00pm and is free to the public. This promises to be a unique opportunity to watch the best short avant-garde movies with the Key Biscayne sunset as a backdrop.

The European Film Festival began six years ago in Miami and has since presented the most acclaimed movies from Europe to thousands of enthusiasts and industry professionals from all over the world. This year’s feature films include My Little Princess (about the intense relationship between a mother and daughter) and Jimmy Rivière (about the coming of age of a young gypsy who has to give up his passions). Other films France, Germany and Spain include titles such as, Implosion, Motel Nana, Behold the Lamb, The Losers Club and Beyond the Steppes, among others.

The European Film Festival begins on May 31st and will showcase independent first-run foreign feature films from around the world in Miami and Miami Beach. The Festival runs through June 7th with a closing night reception at the Biscayne Bay Marriott. For more information and to purchase tickets visit: europeanfilmfest.org

Mar 20

ONE | Sotheby’s Publishes TRENDS 2011 Year In Review

Posted in Aventura, Bal Harbour, Coconut Grove, Cocoplum, Coral Gables, Design District, Downtown Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Key Biscayne, OneSir Press Room Comment

ONE | Sotheby’s has published the 2011 Year in Review edition of TRENDS, which covers every area in South Florida and gives an overview of what happened in each market. From Coral Gables to Fort Lauderdale, TRENDS provides an in depth analysis of sales prices and transactions for both single family homes and condos.

By the end of 2011, Miami made it to the Top 10 Recovery list and now leads other cities as the market continues to shift from balanced inventory to a shortage. The ultra luxury section experiences especially high activity and ONE | Sotheby’s was involved in 3 of 4 sales closed over $20million.

Key observations in TRENDS show that prices are steadily increasing and some micro markets have seen a rise of over 40% compared to the same time in 2010. In Miami-Dade the price per square foot is up 14% and in Broward 3%, signaling a strong real estate recovery even with a lagging economy. The numbers also reflect the heavy influence of foreign and international investments.

The 2011 Year in Review TRENDS report contains more in depth information as well as precise numbers and statistics. To review TRENDS, visit this link: TRENDS 2011 Year In Review.

Mar 16

The Sony Ericsson Open Culminates Year-Round Tennis Lifestyle on Key Biscayne

Posted in Key Biscayne Comment

The main court at The Sony Ericsson Open.

Pro tennis players, tennis fans and celebrities are making their annual pilgrimage to tennis mecca Key Biscayne for the Sony Ericsson Open this month. The tournament, which attracted over 310,000 people last year with a broadcast viewership of over 150 million worldwide, starts March 19 and ends April 1.

Two weeks of tennis excitement at the Crandon Park Tennis Center feature riveting matches at the fifth largest tennis tournament in the world, now in its 28th edition. Players to do battle on the courts include Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters.

And it’s not just about tennis. Celebrity musical performances, sponsored happy hours, fine food at the members-only Collector’s Club and high-end fashion complete the experience.

Venus Williams.

THE TENNIS LIFESTYLE

It’s no wonder the tropical island of Key Biscayne is home to the Sony Ericsson Open. Established in 1985 by Buch Buchholz in Delray Beach, the tournament found a permanent home on Miami’s Key Biscayne in 1987. But the pop and thud of tennis balls hitting rackets and clay had already been heard on the island since 1978. That year, a group of local tennis enthusiasts led a grassroots effort to establish the Key Biscayne Tennis Association.

ONE | Sotheby’s spoke to Pablo Arraya, a former professional player turned coach, about the evolution of the sport on the island. A native of Peru, Arraya came to Key Biscayne to in 1977 to train with world-renown coach Patricio Apey.

“I turned pro in 1980,” he said. “And around that time, Apey was mentoring many students from South America and all over the world in Key Biscayne, including Gabriela Sabatini. We had many aspiring professionals living here.”

“But it was the Ladies Leagues in the 1980s that really pushed tennis as something that everyone could enjoy,” he explained. “They’d bring kids to practice in the afternoons.”

GREAT TENNIS COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES

After the thrilling rush of the Sony Ericsson Open, it’s back to practice for everyone on quiet, lush Key Biscayne. The Village of Key Biscayne itself – a community of 12,000 residents only 1.5 miles wide and 1 mile long – boasts no less than 40 private tennis courts total spread across condominiums and the famous Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center at the Ritz-Carlton. Many tennis professionals are full-time or seasonal Key Biscayne residents.

The island itself is only 5 miles long and offers 40 public tennis courts on the outskirts of the village, including Calusa Park, Crandon Park Tennis Center and the Key Biscayne Tennis Association at the Crandon Park Golf Course, where Arraya directs a tennis academy.

That’s 80 courts total — not counting those in single-family homes — for an area cradled by beautiful Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic ocean.

After 19 years as a local tennis leader, Arraya is proud of his work as a coach in the community. “We have great after school programs. Many Key Biscayne children have been given scholarships to premier and Ivy League universities because of their tennis skills,” he said. “We also have active ladies teams.”

“Key Biscayne is definitely the place to live if you want a tennis lifestyle for your family,” he said.

– Maria de los Angeles is a freelance wordsmith based in South Florida.

Photo Credits, top to bottom:
CassiaA’s Flickr
Jetbagmanua’s Flickr