Also, I was in Sao Paulo two weeks ago and Toronto last year. Pictures? Yes, I've also seen pictures and the only place that even came a teensy bit close to Miami(which I was in 3 weeks ago) was Panama City(when I was there last year) which only looks like a mini-Miami with about half the proportion of cranes...but then again, I think Panama City probably has a better demand to new building ratio.
Because they say 22,000 units under construction they're gospel? We're talking about Miami (the city) not Miami-Dade (the County). Do you have any idea how many apartments 22,000 is? My hi-rise in Chicago is 40 stories tall, a block long and has 380 units. That means 22,000 units would be 58 buildings of that size. I can tell you exactly how many buildings are under construction in DT Miami. TWELVE. (I counted them a few weeks back). Here's a great photo of ALL of Miami-Dade. Yea there's perhaps 30 cranes in this shot. But Sunny Isles Beach is as close to DT Miami as Evanston is to DT Chicago. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=444793
If the ethanol cooperation between Brazil- US materializes, Miami is going to benefit. When Castro's are done in Cuba, thats going to benefit Miami as well. The South American rich all want to live on Brickell or at least have a place there, as these nations grow wealthier there is going to be more demand. picking up a unit right now with nice views is not a loosing proposition 5 yrs from now
No offense..but Castro dying isn't going to really boost Miami housing prices...it's probably going to see a lot of Miami money go to investing in Cuba depending on the outcome. Don't tell the Fed, but I've been to Cuba in the last few years and they aren't exactly loaded to the gills waiting to invest in Miami! Do you have statistics showing that wealthy foreigners want to live and own in Miami? I don't have anything to the opposite, but from my worldly travels I find that people are less and less interested in America as a place to live. Europe and Latin America is actually quite a good runaway point for more and more Europeans and Americans.
A picture is worth a thousand words.... I was reading a message board where a guy posted an article talking about a building called "Met3" being under construction. The poster said he lives next door to the site and that there's no hint of the place starting up. My point is one should ride trends, particularly when sentiment is anti-trend. Why would I think Miami is not on it's way to being as populated as many other tropical cities? You mention anti-American sentiment in SA. Yea, among peasants. Do you think the rich in Caracas are enthused by Chavez. Or in Brazil by Lula? The wealthy in those countries continue to hedge by diversifying into SoFla.
how do you account for the probability that hurricanes are going to destroy your property. Oh yea, the government will bail you out. ?? I just don't see the logic in building expensive real esate that could be completely destroyed by the next hurrican season.
Uh...the rich in Caracas is an anomaly. The rich in Brazil have their own lush paradises...they're happy to be in Rio on on the beach the same way wealthy Mexicans don't mind living in Mexico City and being in Cuernavaca during the weekend. Not to mention the Caribbean isles as a destination. Where are your statistics showing that only peasants dislike America? If you want to ride trends then Miami is a place to be bailing on.
Castros dying is going to spur commerce in the region, which will be good for S. Florida economy. Any foreigner interested in doing business in Cuba will be setting up in Miami, not Cuba, at least until things stabilize over there... Wealthy foreigners i specifically mentioned wealthy South Americans only .... As for Europeans I agree 100%.. French Rivera, Costa Brava and lately the Mediteranean resorts are far more attractive, as Miami has transformed itself into a Spanish/Portuguese speaking colony...
All the rich from Caracas live on Brickell.. All the other rich in South America are not stupid enough to have all their eggs in one basket. Most countries in South America have a possiblity of some populist coming in and nationalizing everything.