No letup in downtown #Miami population surge

By Nancy Dahlberg 

ndahlberg@miamiherald.com 

miamiherald |

A new report by the Miami Downtown Development Authority confirms what the restaurant openings, cranes and traffic snarls already tell us: Young professionals are still moving to downtown Miami in droves, and new businesses are following them.

According to the Miami DDA’s Demographics Report that will be released Tuesday, downtown Miami’s full-time population has soared to nearly 90,000 residents. That’s up 32 percent since 2010 and 150 percent since 2000.

Young professionals between the ages of 20 and 44 make up about half of this population, helping to fill the more than 20 new residential towers that have been built since the last real estate boom. More than half of downtown residents have obtained some form of college education, the report said.

“A report is one thing to study and see on paper, but if you go downtown in the evening you will see a different downtown than 10 years ago,” said city of Miami District 2 Commissioner Ken Russell, who is also chairman of the Miami DDA. “You can feel it, there’s an energy.”

Indeed, being in the center of it all is what appealed to Whitney McLees. The 30-year-old moved to the new Melody Tower, at 14th and Biscayne in the Arts & Entertainment District, in May. Within a couple of weeks of her move she began working as marketing and public relations manager for the Intercontinental Miami, so she rarely takes her car out of the garage anymore. McLees, who rents, says she can walk to work or take the Metromover, and Publix is right around the corner. “There are restaurants and stores popping up all over, and I feel like millennials are really driving that energy.”

According to the DDA report, per capita income is also on the rise in downtown Miami, increasing nearly 30 percent since 2010. Within the DDA’s boundaries — roughly between the coast and I-95, and 24th Street to the north and Rickenbacker Causeway to the south — average household income exceeds $110,000, and in the Brickell neighborhood, it’s $127,758. The average household income of downtown Miami is nearly double that of national averages and 83 percent higher than that of the city of Miami.

There are restaurants and stores popping up all over, and I feel like millennials are really driving that energy.

Whitney McLees, a new downtown resident

Yet it takes these much-higher-than-average incomes to afford a place in the downtown corridor. Miami-Dade is one of the country’s least affordable housing markets and Miami is one of the toughest cities for renting, recent studies showed, but the majority of the units selling or renting downtown are pricey. Russell acknowledges that is a challenge.

“Rather than concentrating solely on development and finance and construction, we have to make sure downtown is livable, enjoyable and sustainable. We have to make sure it is affordable so that the people who have made it a vibrant area can continue to live here,” Russell said. “What I want is for someone who works downtown to not have to commute in from very far away. ... It’s about the well-being of the entire city,” he said, noting that the biggest cause of traffic is the commute into and out of the core.

He said the city and the DDA have held roundtables on the topic and discussed ways to incent developers to build more affordable options.

Miami Worldcenter, one of the largest retail and residential developments planned for the urban core, is among the developers looking to offer smaller apartments, as the DDA report showed that household size has decreased, from 1.97 persons per household in 2010, to 1.92 percent this year.
“We’ve broken ground on apartment rentals because more and more people are opting to rent, even if they have the means to buy,” said Nitin Motwani, principal and managing director of Miami Worldcenter Group and a DDA board member. “They like the flexibility, the access to the arts culture and entertainment ... and they love transit,” Motwani said. “That is why we are moving forward on 863 apartments ... with more studios and smaller units.”

Restaurants are also following the influx of young professionals. In 2015, nearly 40 new restaurants opened across downtown Miami, and more than a dozen high-end eateries have opened or will open in 2016, according to the DDA.

Still, continuing to make investments in infrastructure is key, Motwani and Russell said. The DDA is working to implement a number of measures to make downtown Miami streets more livable and walkable.

For example, “the city and the DDA, hand in hand, are trying to open up projects like the Bay Walk and the River Walk that are not fully accessible,” including looking at legislative ways to open it up sooner, Russell said. “You will be able to jog or bike from one end of the city to another along the waterfront, and that is going to be a big transformation for downtown.”

Philippe Houdard, co-founder of Pipeline Workspaces, a Brickell-based company offering shared workspace, moved into a Brickell condo about a year and a half ago and gave up his car. He said about half of the 250 members at Pipeline’s Brickell location also live in the downtown area.

“I have Pipeline right there, all the restaurants and cafes are in immediate proximity, but most importantly it is extremely easy to coordinate with friends and for work-related activities. My life has become more simplified because I am in a part of town where everything I need exists. I Uber everywhere I go.”

Read More: http://www.miamiherald.com/

ALERT: City of Miami Beach: End illegal construction in condominiums

Condominium Information City of Miami Beach

Please find more information with regards to the latest Letter to Commission (LTC) that was submitted Tuesday, September 27. This letter was sent out to your Condominium Managers requesting assistance in City of Miami Beach Building Department's initiative in ending illegal construction in condominiums citywide. Click Here to Read Letters

Miami Beach tourism takes a hit from Zika: demand drops, cancellations rise

By Chabeli Herrera 

cherrera@miamiherald.com

miamiherald

Miami Beach’s tourism industry has been able to swerve each time Zika has tried to deal it a major blow — until now.

Last week, Zika hit the $24 billion industry with an uppercut.

Hotel demand went negative for the first time since local transmission of the mosquito-borne illness was detected in Miami — at the now-cleared Wynwood area — on July 29. The number of room nights sold, which has been trending downward since the start of the month, fell to 2.3 percent lower than the same time in 2015, according to the most recent data from analytics specialist STR.

Then on Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced the Zika transmission zone on Miami Beach had tripled in size to encompass two-thirds of the tourism jewel. The zone now stretches from Eighth Street to 63rd Street, wrapping in with it hotels in Middle Beach, such as the historic Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the Eden Roc and the Faena district.

Asked if he is concerned about Zika’s impacts on Miami Beach’s tourism industry while meeting with local stores Thursday, Scott said, “Absolutely.”

Forty-one cases of locally transmitted Zika have been found on the Beach. Miami-Dade County remains under a travel advisory issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Panic has started to settle in.

“The fears of the destination community are being realized,” said Scott Berman, a Miami-based tourism expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

At a standing room-only meeting between 40 hotels and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau on Sept. 14, the tension at area hotels began to boil over.

The 1,504-room Fontainebleau reported suffering the worst three weeks in 15 years, according to a memo provided to the Miami Herald by the city of Miami Beach. Sixteen groups had canceled trips and two pending group bookings could potentially cancel their business for early 2017, according to the memo.

The hotel and the tourism bureau declined requests to confirm the cancellations. Bureau president William D. Talbert III said he did not remember whether the Fontainebleau had mentioned having cancellations at the meeting.

According to the memo, the 150-room Carillon, which is on 68th Street and outside the Zika zone, said it had lost $100,000 in short-term cancellations. And at the 326-room Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key, the slowdown has seeped into the pivotal early December period during Art Basel Miami Beach. The hotel said bookings were not coming in at the usual pace, according to the memo. (In a phone interview, the hotel said that there hadn’t been a major drop-off in bookings.)

Basel-period bookings aren’t on track at the Loews Miami Beach, either, managing director AlexTonarelli said during a site tour Monday.

At a Sept. 14 City Commission meeting, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said the Loews had had more than 700 room cancellations.

“It’s been more than 700,” Tonarelli said Monday, but the hotel declined to give specific details.
Other measures for Miami Beach are also showing the strain. Room revenue is down 6.1 percent year-over-year, revenue per available room is 11.1 percent under 2015 levels, the average daily rate dropped by 3.9 percent and hotel room occupancy is on its third week of decline at 7.5 percent below the same week in 2015, according to STR.

“I’ve heard that there are rates as low as $59 a night, which is like what I would call similar to [rates] after 9/11 for several hotels,” Mitch Novick, owner of the 20-room Sherbrooke Hotel on Collins Avenue, said in an interview.

Meanwhile, hotel supply is up by 5.7 percent year-over-year during the week of Sept. 17, a measure the tourism bureau said is the major driver behind lower numbers. Also driving down the numbers: a weak Latin American economy, a strong U.S. dollar, the growth of the short-term rental industry and a half-open Miami Beach Convention Center. September is also the slowest month for the tourism industry, making it more difficult for businesses and hotels to pinpoint what percentage of the drop-off in business is due to Zika.

Now, though, Zika’s impact is becoming clearer.

“There is no one trying to hide that this is getting increasingly more alarming,” Berman said. “What’s difficult to quantify is the lack of pipeline, meaning business that is not even calling.”

Talbert said some groups that were considering meetings in Miami in 2017 have instead said they’ll reconsider Miami for 2018. About 18 groups of 20 to 200 people have reported cancellations to the tourism bureau. That doesn’t include group cancellations at hotels that haven’t reported them to the bureau.

“As this issue continues, it’s what group business we are not booking,” Talbert said.
Because meetings are scheduled months in advance, the impacts of the Zika scare could affect bookings for 2017 and 2018, Berman said.

“My fear is that Q1, when most of the hotels and resorts accumulate cash in order to offset other parts of the year, will be weaker,” he said. “My conversations with the hotel community suggest that the pick up is not where it needs to be for Art Basel.”

A spokesperson for the art fair said none of its exhibitors or partners have canceled their participation due to Zika and the fair has been in continual contact with the city of Miami Beach.

Still, LodgIQ, a hotel revenue management platform, said if current trends continue, December is likely to be the worst month for Miami Beach in the fourth quarter of the year.

Until then, the Beach is hoping some Wynwood good luck will rub off on it. Fifty-two days after Zika was detected in Wynwood, its designation as a Zika zone was lifted.

Despite strong objections from Miami Beach residents on the safety of aerial spraying, which resulted in one of the rowdiest City Commission meetings in recent history, Miami Beach has gone ahead with spraying and on-the-ground efforts similar to those used in Wynwood.

“It worked in Wywnood,” Talbert said. “It is going to work on Miami Beach.”
Weathering the storm

Despite the drop-off, some business on the Beach is holding strong.

Talbert said several groups have booked conventions in recent weeks: a 5,000-person convention of the International Bar Association booked for October 2020 and a meeting of the International City/County Management Association is set for January. The Race of Champions, an international motorsport event, is being held in the U.S. for the first time at Marlins Park in late January and the PGA Tour Latin America will stop at the Melreese Country Club near Miami International Airport in late November.
The Miami Beach Convention Center hasn’t had any cancellations, according to a Miami Beach spokeswoman. Many hotels are also enforcing their contracts with group business that is already booked, Talbert said.

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau said the major factor driving down numbers on Miami Beach is an increase in hotel supply, not Zika.

At The Betsy hotel on Ocean Drive, managing director Jeff Lehman said the hotel was sold out Thursday night and revenue and occupancy were above 2015 rates. And the 112-room Avalon hotel on Ocean Drive said its loyal clientele hasn’t tapered off because of Zika.

“I don’t see everyone walking around saying, ‘Oh my gosh, what are we going to do?’” said Jolie Warshaw, the hotel’s director of sales.

In August, the city of Miami Beach collected nearly 7 percent more in resort taxes over the same time last year, indicating that Zika hasn’t yet infected the city’s tax revenues. But Zika only started affecting Miami Beach in late August.

At the commission meeting last week, Mayor Levine said he expects Zika to hit resort taxes.
And while some hotels have remained unaffected, the story changes dramatically depending whom you ask.

A sales manager at a Sunny Isles Beach hotel, who asked to remain anonymous because her boss wouldn’t want her to say business is down, said she has seen a “major decline” in bookings due to Zika.

“The longer the CDC has travel warnings and the further they spread, the worse it is going to be,” she said. “If it spreads up to North Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles, we will lose tens of thousands [of dollars] in groups sales booked for the November-January time frame.”

She has had to start adding an addendum clause in contracts for group business that says the hotel will consider a CDC travel warning for Sunny Isles as force majeure and refund deposits in full. The possibility of Zika spreading to Sunny Isles has already resulted in lost business, she said.

More than a dozen hotels in Miami Beach rejected the Miami Herald’s requests for comment on this story. When asked to get more details about whether area hotels are losing business because of Zika, Wendy Kallergis, president of the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association, said she was not able to provide the Herald with any information on the topic.

Said Kallergis in an email: “[The hotels]are busy taking care of our guests and booking business.”

Read More: http://www.miamiherald.com/

#Miami Is there room at top of luxury condo market to bargain?

By Nancy Dahlberg 

ndahlberg@miamiherald.com

miamiherald

Miami’s luxury market may have softened, but high-end condo buyers shouldn’t expect any bargain-basement prices.

At the newest luxury-appointed condominium development on exclusive Fisher Island, Palazzo del Sol’s Penthouse 1 comes with 6,644 square feet of 18-foot ceilings, panoramic water and city views, a private rooftop terrace and a sculptural Boffi tub — and a $26,411,500 price tag.

That sums out at about $3,979 per square foot — a figure that would likely rank in a Top 10 list for recent Miami-Dade sales if it fetches its listing price. Most of the highest completed sales for new construction within the past 12 months were located in Faena House in Miami Beach and closed between $3,766 and $5,295 per square foot, according to data supplied by Cranespotters.com, a Miami real estate consultancy.

Other eye-popping sales included a $3,538 per-square-foot sale recorded in November 2015 for 1 Hotel & Homes and a closing this year at Beach House for $3,016 per square foot and Palazzo del Sol at $3,236 per square foot.

Nearly all of these prices date to a time when the market was hotter, prior to this spring’s cool down. While developers’ asking prices for new construction are not being slimmed down — developers are sensitive to what existing buyers paid — what buyers actually pay is lower, say experts.

“A year ago, asking prices were not negotiable but now they are,” said Jeff Morr, broker associate with Douglas Elliman Real Estate and chairman of the Miami Master Brokers Forum. He’s seeing deals come down 5 to 10 percent.

Miami’s luxury waterfront market has turned from a seller-names-the-price scenario to one where buyers hold the final say, Morr said. “People still want to live in Miami — Miami is still a value relative to other cities in the luxury market. Our dollar is strong, Brazil is not strong, Russia is not so strong, China is just starting to come, but they are not really interested in the luxury market yet.
“We are working with people who want to be in Miami, locals, Americans, and foreigners who have a lot of money regardless. But they are all looking for some kind of deal.”

Palazzo del Sol, designed by architecture firm Kobi Karp, exemplifies the trends powering Miami’s luxury real estate scene. South Florida developers now are often peddling larger luxury residences, often with fewer residences per floor and direct private elevator entry, along with high-end design and finishes and building amenities. Three quarters of Palazzo del Sol’s buyers are island residents who wanted to upgrade and 30 percent are families, said Dora Puig, who heads Palazzo del Sol’s sales and marketing.

Still, the exclusive Fisher Island building had to up its amenity game to compete with off-island five-star projects like Continuum, Faena House, Icon and Ocean House, all on Miami Beach. That also helped it stand out on Fisher Island, where most buildings have limited flourishes beyond the island’s common amenities: club in a 1935 Vanderbuilt mansion, restaurants, 18 tennis courts, two marinas and a golf course, beach and spa, all upgraded in a $66 million renovation.

At Palazzo del Sol, residents have exclusive access to an aperitivo bar, Italian butler, massage room, salon, gym, movie theater and children’s playroom within the building, and outside, a zero-edge pool, terrace lounge and cabanas available for purchase. “We are trying to be the VIP club on the island,” said Puig. “A velvet-rope reserve.”

Puig says Palazzo del Sol’s high-level amenities have spurred other Fisher buildings to upgrade. “In the beginning it was our little slice of Palm Beach,” Puig said about the 216-acre island, during a recent golf cart tour. “I still think it is, but I think it is so much younger and hipper.”

Palazzo del Sol, developed by PDS Development and completed this spring, boasts 10 stories with 43 units, ranging from three to seven bedrooms and measuring 3,800 to 9,800 square feet. About half of the units have closed, including a penthouse purchased by lawyer James Ferraro for $21.5 million, or over $3,200 per square foot, a Fisher Island record. Last year, an unnamed Russian buyer paid $35 million, or roughly $3,602 per square foot, for the building’s trophy penthouse, a transaction expected to close this fall, Puig said.

While Penthouse 1 for sale is “decorator ready,” a model residence at Palazzo del Sol shows off what can be done. The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home was designed by Solesdi, a local showroom, and outfitted with a Boffi kitchen, 8-foot doors and high-end finishes such as Henge light rings, Oak Creta wood flooring, bookmatched marble and Cage shelving. Puig calls it “relaxed island chic.”
While the unit may turn heads, it will have to compete not only with other new constructions but with resales, too.

That may be why sales prices were 3 to 16 percent lower than the list prices among 24 of the 30 most expensive resales by square foot, according to MLS data analyzed by Cranespotters.com, .

“The high end of the luxury market is basically swamped; there is an excess of two years of supply,” said Peter Zalewski, a principal with Cranespotters who closely tracks the condo marketplace.

“It’s a market where the buyers buy, they aren’t sold. If something catches a buyer’s fancy ... they may pull the trigger, but there is no urgency to get in because there aren’t foreign buyers from Russia and Brazil nosing around, trying to pick things off like they were a few years back,” Zalewski said. “The smart money is still sitting on the sidelines, which I think will only contribute to more of a slowdown.”

More Info: http://www.miamiherald.com/

Miami-Dade launches first blow in fight against condominium fraud

By Enrique Floreflor@elnuevoherald.com

miamiherald |

Miami-Dade police launched their first blow in the fight to end local condominium fraud with the arrest Tuesday of a former accounting assistant accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the condo community.

Leslie Navarro, accused of stealing $148,000 from the Hammocks proprietors’ association, a popular residential area in Kendall, was arrested early on Tuesday by a newly created special police unit. She was charged with first-degree grand theft and organized crime to defraud more than $50,000.

Police said Navarro used the stolen money to make a variety of purchases at supermarkets, toy stores, department stores and a popular underwear store in Hialeah. The case was first reported as part of a joint series called “Condos de pesadilla” (Condo nightmares) by el Nuevo Herald and Univision 23.
"She [Navarro] opened a bank account to divert money belonging to Hammocks’ residents, and in less than a year stole $148,000," said Miami-Dade Police Chief Juan Perez, shortly after the arrest. "We’re going to continue investigating every time we receive these types of complaints."

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez noted the work carried out by the county police’s special unit.
"This is the first arrest but it won’t be the last," said Gimenez. "But we need help from Florida’s state government so we can set forth legislative reform that can help us bring people committing these crimes to justice."

According to police, Navarro created a company in December 2014 and named it Hammocks Community Association Properties LLC., a name that is similar to the corporation that is in charge of managing the condominium: Hammocks Community Association Incorporated.

A month later, Navarro opened an account for her corporation at Bank of America, where she began depositing maintenance payments made by Hammock condominium dwellers.

All of these deposits were channeled through Association Capital Resources LLC, a debt collecting company, headquartered in Jacksonville, that had been contracted by the Hammocks proprietors’ association.

The investigation documented that Navarro spent part of the money on extended shopping sprees. For instance, on May 6, 2015, money from the account paid for items at a Macy’s in Miami totaling $487, police say.

The next day, police said money from the account was used to pay for a shopping spree at a Macy’s in Hialeah, where the bill was $680. Another $235 was spent at Victoria’s Secret and $73 at Bath & Body Works, police said.

On Tuesday, Marglli Gallego, current treasurer of the Hammocks association, praised police efforts.
"Justice was finally made!," Gallego said. "This arrest sets an important precedent in our community. Now, it’s clear that authorities will arrest and take people committing fraud in Miami-Dade condominiums to court."

Read More: http://www.miamiherald.com/

A tripled Zika zone has #MiamiBeach wary of the next step

By Alex Harrisaharris@miamiherald.com

miamiherald |

On Monday, Miami Beach could be the only place in the U.S. with active Zika transmission, leaving locals and tourists alike wondering what’s next for Miami’s tourism hotspot.

Although Miami Beach’s Zika zone has tripled in size, the space the city will aerially spray for mosquitoes has not.

A statement from Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez on Saturday confirmed that the spray of controversial pesticide naled will be relegated to the original 1.5-square-mile zone from Eighth to 28th streets. The next spray is planned for 6 a.m. Sunday.

“We will review the epidemiological and trap data over the weekend, and consult with our health and environmental experts, and the City of Miami Beach, before making further decisions about the best way to break the cycle of transmission in the expanded area,” he wrote.

Friday saw five new cases of the virus, bringing the total to 93 locally transmitted cases. Two were in the original zone and three were in the expanded zone, which stretched up to 63rd Street.

The county is monitoring 19 mosquito traps around South Beach. A fifth trap with Zika-positive mosquitoes also was identified Friday. Of the five, the only positive location identified was the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens.

The Miami Herald filed suit against Miami-Dade County on Friday to find out where the other traps are.

Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said that truck spraying of larvicide was to begin Saturday, and code enforcement started sweeping for standing water in the new zone shortly after the news broke.
The county fought the spread of the virus from the start with aggressive marketing and pesticide spraying campaigns. But it’s the airplanes misting the city with the insecticide naled that are drawing the ire of residents.

In Miami Beach, anti-spray protesters have packed City Hall twice to express their displeasure and fear of the spray. Their actions delayed a second spray by 24 hours.

Even outside of the organized protests, locals are wary of the spray, at times calling the cure worse than the disease.

On Saturday, Miami residents Stefano Delpuppo, 26, and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Alexis Polanco, said they wear bug spray everywhere they go.

“It’s getting closer and closer,” Polanco said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
Delpuppo said the virus is common in Brazil, his home country, but he thinks that the county is already taking care of Zika well enough here without the aerial spray.

“I mean, how many deaths have there been?” he asked sarcastically. “It’s not that bad.”

What worries them both is the effect on tourism in Miami Beach, which had already taken a sharp downturn when the zone was a third its size. The Fontainebleau hotel has had its worst three weeks in 15 years.

Miami Beach resident Gaylene Horsefall, 55, said Saturday that her northern friends and relatives want to talk about Zika more than anyone she knows in Miami-Dade.

“It’s not a dinnertime conversation down here,” she said.

Horsefall, who works in the medical field, said she’s reading studies on the effects of naled to determine her position, but she worries for her friend’s daughter, whose asthma gets worse every time pesticide is sprayed.

Her husband, 43-year-old David Horsefall, said he’d be interested in the effects of the “GMO mosquitoes” of Monroe county. The male insects are bred so that when they mate with infectious female mosquitoes, their offspring die before they reach adulthood, stopping the spread of the virus.
“I think it’s a good idea in the long run,” he said. “In the short term you’ll still get bit.”
For 80 percent of people infected with Zika, a bite is all they’ll ever feel. The minority who show symptoms have fevers, red eyes and rashes. That is, unless you’re a pregnant woman or a woman trying to be pregnant.

Two Vero Beach OB-GYNs walking along the boardwalk Saturday said that it’s all their gynecology patients ask about.

“Mainly I’m trying to talk them down from the ledge,” said Lindsey Bruce, 38. She said that the virus is so new, it’s hard to keep up with the latest Centers for Disease Control recommendations.
Her colleague, Lindsay Goodman, 34, said she’s amazed how quickly doctors are responding to the crisis, but it could be better with more money.

“There’s a disproportionate amount of media coverage and political coverage, and not enough government funding,” she said.

Along with the news that the Miami Beach Zika zone has grown, Scott allocated $10 million in state funds to combat the virus, bringing Florida’s total bill to $36.2 million. Congress has yet to approve any money for the mosquito-bourne illness.

However, spraying alone isn’t the solution. As the county and CDC’s campaigns advise, residents must drain standing water, cover themselves with long sleeves and use insect repellent.
As 54-year-old Rigo Franco put it, “It’s not only in the zone. It’s the people in the zone who carry it outside the zone.”

Franco, standing outside his Miami Beach condominium, said, “I think it’ll spread, eventually.”
On the mainland, things are looking up.

Wynwood, the first spot in the continental U.S. to have local transmission of the virus, may no longer be a transmission zone by Monday, Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday. Zones are considered clear after 45 days with no new infections.

ALERT: ZIKA zone in #MiamiBeach stretches from 8th Street to 63rd Street

ABC News

ABC News | 2016-09-17

The Zika virus transmission zone in Miami Beach has been expanded to an area including the famed Fontainebleau Hotel, Florida governor Rick Scott announced Friday night.

The zone in the city was expanded to a new area stretching from 8th Street to 63rd Street -- for a total area of around 4.5 miles where officials believe Zika transmission is occurring.

The Florida Department of Health says five people -- two males and three females -- in the expanded area have experienced symptoms within a month of each other.

"One of these cases has already been announced by DOH earlier this week and was under a normal investigation process," the announcement said. "The investigations of the other four were completed today."

"Aggressive mosquito control efforts" were taking place in the expanded area, which has experienced 35 non-travel related Zika cases. There have been 93 non-travel cases in Florida.

"While we’ve learned that we’re expanding the impacted area in Miami Beach, the good news is that we expect to lift the zone in Wynwood on Monday because of our aggressive mosquito control measures, outreach to the community, education efforts and the vigilant actions of the residents and businesses in Wynwood," Scott said in a statement.

Scott blasted Congress for inaction on funding and said he authorized $10 million in additional funds to fight Zika.

He also renewed calls for the federal government to give more lab staff, 10,000 Zika prevention kits and a plan on how Florida can work with FEMA to fight the mosquito-borne disease.

Read More: http://abcnews.go.com/

Apartment hunting? Miami-Dade rents rose 9 percent over last month

By Nancy Dahlberg

ndahlberg@miamiherald.com

miamiherald |

Feeling the rent squeeze? Chances are you aren’t alone.

Miami-Dade County experienced the highest one-month rental price increases in the nation,

according to a report by Abodo, an apartment rental listing platform. According to Abodo’s report, rents for a one-bedroom apartment in Miami-Dade rose 9 percent between August and September. The average rent on a one-bedroom in Miami now is listed at $1,739, up from $1,599.

But if this is any consolation, rents were higher this spring. According to Abodo’s data, an average one-bedroom in April was $1,870 a month, and rental prices dipped downward until the August low.

Nationally, apartment rental prices this month decreased in high-rent locations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Boston and Seattle, according to Abodo’s report. Nationwide, the average rent for a one-bedroom in September for $940, up from $932 in August.

Abodo tracks listing prices through its own platform as well as others. For Miami this month, Abodo analyzed 2,965 rental properties.

Read More: http://www.miamiherald.com/

Middle Eastern Buyers Investing in #Miami Area

Carla Vianna

Daily Business Review |

Middle Eastern investors have their eyes on Miami.

The Miami area was the 10th most popular global destination for Middle East investment over an 18-month period ended in June, according to CBRE Inc. The foreign investors poured $517 million into Miami's real estate market during that time, making it the fifth most sought-after market in the U.S.

Investors from the Middle East were active buyers during the first half of the year despite a slowdown in global investment turnover. They spent about $9.8 billion on commercial real estate, representing 20 percent of all global cross-regional investment, according to CBRE.

A good chunk of these investors is looking for long-term holds, and South Florida property fits the bill. The region's "growth and demographics create very strong positive trend lines for long-term holders," said Charles Foschini, vice chairman of South Florida markets at CBRE.

Recent deals include the former Viceroy Miami hotel, which was purchased by a Qatar-based conglomerate in June. Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Co., the international hotel investment and hospitality subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Co., purchased the property for $64.5 million and rebranded it as the W Miami.

Late last year Kuwait-based KFH Capital dropped $120 million on hundreds of apartments and townhouses at the Modera Town Center in Miramar.

"The launch of a direct Miami-to-Qatar flight has increased Middle Eastern interest in South Florida real estate," said Teresa King Kinney, CEO of the Miami Association of Realtors. The association will be promoting South Florida real estate at a property showcase event at the Dubai World Trade Centre this month.

The top markets capturing Middle Eastern investments were New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Paris.

Read More: http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/

#Miami Condo Manager Claims Retaliatory Firing

Carla Vianna

Daily Business Review |

When Denise August was named property manager of the Courvoisier Courts condominium in Miami's Brickell Key in 2014, she began tackling issues plaguing the condo association: Reserves were depleted, an insurance policy was due to expire, and the garage needed immediate repairs, according to a complaint filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

August was employed by KW Property Management & Consulting, a Miami-based company that describes itself as one of the largest high-rise property management providers in Florida.

Early in her tenure, August allegedly noticed suspicious activity taking place at the posh 27-story tower at 701 Brickell Key Blvd.

When she reported violations to KW and the association's board, she was met with "indifference and then hostility," according to the complaint filed last year.

August claims the board had not maintained the legally required reserves for a condo, and proceeds from a $750,000 special assessment were used for unintended purposes, according to the complaint.
The condo board didn't notify new buyers and tenants that the garage had been deemed "extremely hazardous" by an engineer and lost its insurance coverage, the complaint said. She also alleged insurance fraud, closed-door board meetings, failure to promptly approve full funding for garage repairs, delaying repair to a damaged generator and keeping former tenants' deposit checks without legal justification.

Her objections led to her termination, prompting her lawsuit against the company and condo association under the Florida Whistleblower's Act.

In the complaint filed May 2015, August alleged KW Property Management LLC and Courvoisier Courts Condominium Association Inc. took retaliatory action against her for objecting to the alleged violations at the Brickell Key high-rise. She tacked on a count of tortious interference against the association, which Courvoisier moved to dismiss July 14.

KW general counsel Frank Simone said the company had "legitimate, nonretaliatory reasons" for firing August. He said, "There were a lot of things going on in [August's] life" at the time.
"We have claimed that she was terminated because she did bad work," the Miami attorney said. "These are issues that are going to be ligated, and a court will decide. There may be counterclaims brought against her for things she did as well. We don't believe that KW did anything wrong."
Following her termination in January 2015, August also filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, saying she was fired for raising life-safety concerns about the garage and generator.

In a response to the OSHA complaint, Simone said the property and equipment at issue is owned by Courvoisier Courts and controlled by its board, not KW. He added, "There were no recognized workplace hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to any KWPM employee."

"Among other things, [August] failed to execute directives including a directive for the very remedial work complained of by claimant ..., was rude to customers and coworkers, failed to follow procedure and exhibited unprofessional conduct," he wrote.

Venetia

Another battle is brewing against KW Property a few miles north. A virtual petition asking the condo board to consider other management firms when KW's contract expires this month has circulated at Venetia, a tower on Biscayne Bay at 555 NE 15th St. in downtown Miami.

Read More: http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/

ARGENTINIAN NEWSPAPER: Mal momento para los alquileres temporarios en Miami Beach

THIS ARTICLE IS IN SPANISH

YOU CAN TRANSLATE IT BY 

CLICKING 

HERE http://iPavilionCondo.com

Clarin.com 

A quienes pensaban visitar Miami Beach y alquilar un económico apartamento a través de, por ejemplo, Airbnb, no les será tan fácil: la ciudad del estado de Florida está implementando mano dura contra la epidemia de alquileres de corto plazo.

Miami Beach es centro de una polémica luego de que la ciudad multara por 1,59 millones de dólares a propietarios y a plataformas online como Airbnb, Homeaway y Booking.com, entre otras, por alquilar -o en su defecto promocionar la renta de- viviendas a corto plazo.

En estos días, la policía incluso desalojó a turistas que se estaban quedando en 31 propiedades que fueron multadas, según un memo del administrador municipal Jimmy Morales del 17 de agosto, divulgado recientemente.

Norma clara

Los alquileres de menos de seis meses y un día están prohibidos en buena parte de Miami Beach, con playas turquesa y la dinámica vida nocturna de esta parte de Estados Unidos, que recibe millones de turistas al año.

Las autoridades argumentan que el ambiente "festivo" de los inquilinos las 24 horas es una gran molestia para los residentes. También aseguran que muchos de estos arrendadores, básicamente, suelen evadir los impuestos.

En estos alquileres de corto plazo "se amontonan cinco a diez personas en una habitación y están de fiesta toda la noche", dijo a AFP Michael Grieco, comisionado de Miami Beach.

"No es un asunto de turismo. Es un asunto de calidad de vida para los residentes. Y en segunda instancia es un asunto de evasión de impuestos".

Desde marzo de este año los propietarios y las páginas web de alquileres de corto plazo fueron multados por cifras que van de 20.000 a 80.000 dólares, de acuerdo al memo divulgado por el diario local Miami New Times.

Dieciocho de las citaciones fueron "para compañías que publicitaron alquileres de corto plazo como Airbnb, Homeaway y Booking.com", detalla el texto.

Actualmente hay cientos de investigaciones en curso sobre "miles de viviendas listadas", detalló Grieco.

Razones de peso

El endurecimiento de las medidas comenzó cuando, en marzo, la ciudad aumentó de unos cientos a 20.000 dólares la multa por alquilar viviendas a corto plazo.

Antes los propietarios pagaban felizmente esta multa como si se tratara de un impuesto, dijo Grieco, para explicar la razón de este empinado aumento. Ahora los propietarios lo pensarán dos veces antes de listar su propiedad.

Los propietarios, claro, no están muy contentos. Argumentan que la ciudad está favoreciendo a los grandes hoteles y que el turismo y las inversiones en el área van a sufrir las consecuencias.

Ross Milroy, un agente de propiedades de lujo en Miami Beach, dijo a AFP que evalúa presentar una demanda colectiva argumentando que estas redadas son ilegales.

Su fundamento es un estatuto estatal de 2011 que prohíbe a los gobiernos locales regular la duración o frecuencia de los alquileres vacacionales.

Benjamin Brait, vocero de Airbnb, dijo que están "deseosos de trabajar con los líderes comunitarios y los propietarios en los próximos meses para crear normas justas que permitan compartir hogares".

Airbnb es la firma la más afectada, con multas que ascienden a 80.000 dólares.

Raed More: http://www.clarin.com/

Zika Update September 4, 2016

Starting in the early hours of Tuesday morning at approximately 2 a.m., Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control will deploy Buffalo Turbine trucks in various areas of the designated Zika zone on Miami Beach (between 8th and 28th streets).

These state-of-the-art trucks provide greater uniformed ground coverage to effectively target breeding areas and reduce the mosquito population. They do so by applying Baccillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (Bti) - an environmentally-friendly, organic material.

Bti is a naturally occurring soil bacterium that works by destroying the digestive system of mosquito larvae. Bti specifically targets only the larvae of mosquitoes, fungus gnats and blackflies. According to the U.S. EPA, "Bti has no toxicity to people, so it can be applied safely to mosquito habitat without a detrimental impact on food crops or water supplies. In fact, Bti can be used for pest control in organic farming operations." Click here for the EPA fact sheet on Bti.

It is important to note that there will be no Naled sprayed from these trucks.

Truck spraying will take place over the next four weeks.

• Late Monday/Early Tuesday: West of Washington Avenue between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
• Late Tuesday/Early Wednesday: East of Washington Avenue between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.

While the trucks are a great tool in the mosquito mitigation efforts, they do mimic the sound of a lawn mower. Please do not be alarmed when you hear them.

We greatly appreciate the County's efforts in helping rid Miami Beach of the Zika virus.