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It's true that some of the most wonderful things come in small packages. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in Miami's most classy community, Bal Harbour. Bal Harbour real estate is ideally located north of Miami Beach and south of Sunny Isles real estate, Bal Harbour real estate is nestled just beside the city of Surfside. Bal Harbour real estate is known for its luxurious oceanfront hi rise condos, upper tiered shopping and oceanfront hotel soon to be known as the St. Regis. Recently, the city has become a preferred real estate area for development of lofts and condos. Developers are bringing luxury and a modern style of living to the graceful town of Bal Harbour FL with new conversions like the historic Harbour House condos and the highly desirable modern condo development known as One Bal Harbour operated as a condo hotel by the Regent hotels management. Bal Harbour real estate offers miles of clean white sandy beaches, excellent neighborhood demographics, public transportation and the world famous Bal Harbour Shops all within walking distance.

  

click here for Bal Harbour New Construction Opportunities There are still great opportunities in new construction as developers + sellers now have many programs and  incentives available to greatly benefit the buyer. New construction can sometimes be more expensive than resales with today's construction costs and reproduction costs. We have an excellent choice of resale inventory but the differences with new construction & resales of Bal Harbour still show stellar demand.

Bal Harbour Real Estate Premier Luxury Oceanfront Condos

One Bal Harbour, Harbour House, The Palace, St Regis Resort, Azure, Balmoral, Bal Harbour 101, Bellini, Carlisle, Champlain Towers, Kenilworth, Manatee, Marbella, Millenium Bay Harbour, Mirage, Plaza of Bal Harbour, Solimar, Spiaggia, The Waverly, The Tiffany

Trend setting Bal Harbour, the barrier island at the northern most tip of Miami Beach, is home to two oceanfront resorts. Bal Harbour real estates world class spas are found here for your enjoyment. The Sheraton Bal Harbour was demolished making way for the new St. Regis. Condo Hotel units and private residences are now on the market at pre construction pricing and fractional ownership. St. Regis will offer white glove service, full spa amenities with state of the art gym facilities, personal trainers, sun decks and pools. The Sea View Hotel offers patrons classic, exclusive elegance with two amazing restaurants and dancing. The Regent Hotel is also coming soon making up the condo hotel portion of One Bal Harbour residences.

Located at 96th and Collins Avenue, you´ll find over 100 stores and 500,000 square feet of shopping bliss.

Long known as the favored hideaway for the rich and famous, Bal Harbour real estate crown jewel is an upscale open air shopping mall known as Bal Harbour Shops, that opens up to the sky but protects the many shoppers from the elements of being outdoors.   Built in 1965, Bal Harbour Shops is still one of the few remaining family owned malls in the nation and boasts one of the most exclusive luxury collections in the United States. The mall is one of the most profitable malls in the country today and earns over $1,800 per square foot compared to the national average of $300 psf. While a mall in concept, the retail center discourages any comparisons to the traditional mall. There are no enclosed walking paths and no kiosks while the shops are surrounded by perfectly kept gardens and beautiful fountains.

 

The most prestigious shopping environment in all of South Florida such as Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Escada, Prada, Hermes, Christian Dior, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Ungaro, Gianni Versace, Tiffany & Co., Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue to name a few make up the exclusive Bal Harbour Shops. Fine restaurants and bistros are also available and these shops are within walking distance from all of Bal Harbour condos and homes. Bal Harbour Shops have over 50 flagship stores such as Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Gucci and a number of see an be seen eateries. Bal Harbour is also home to world renowned shopping at The Bal Harbour Shops. People from all over the world come to experience the finest shopping experience in South Florida at Bal Harbour Shops.

The affluent and famous people from around the world buy Bal Harbour real estate as a vacation getaway or luxury residences. Yet, even with a high end reputation, Bal Harbour still manages to retain its small town values and allure. With only 7,500 residents, this peaceful community is conveniently located very close to Miami Beach and Aventura giving a Bal Harbour real estate owners easy access to whatever their heart is after.   The finest dining may be found at several restaurants and cafes boasting celebrated chefs and the chance to see and be seen.

  Since the 1920's, the Detroit based Miami Beach Heights Corporation (headed by industrialists Walter O. Briggs, Robert C. Graham, and C.T. Fisher) owned 250 acres of an undeveloped, partially swampy land that stretched from the bay to the Atlantic Ocean. Mr. Graham assumed the duties as the new developer for Bal Harbour real estate. In the 1930's, city planners Harland Bartholomew & Associates were called in to design the Village of Bal Harbour real estate. The company made several plans and they were submitted for review to Miami Beach Heights. In 1940, World War II began and the plans were put on the back burner. As a goodwill movement to the government, Robert Graham leased the land to the United States Air Corps for only $1 per year. The Air Corps used this open land to train their soldiers and established a Prisoner of War camp. The ocean front area was used as a rifle range and the barracks were positioned on the west side of Collins Avenue. 

The camp for prisoners of war was located where the Bal Harbour Shops are today at 92nd Street. The war was over in both Germany and Japan in 1945. The Air Corps quickly left the barracks buildings as a thank you gesture back to the owners of the property. These barracks were converted into apartment condos by Mr. Graham in 1946. In order to incorporate Bal Harbour real estate in 1946, there had to be at least 25 registered voters (male) residing in the vicinity. Mr. Graham had twenty five families move into the apartment homes that he converted in order to qualify this new Village of Bal Harbour for incorporation. Graham then hired Willard Webb, a tax assessor of Miami Beach, to draft a charter for the Village. After the charter was completed, the Village of Bal Harbour was finally incorporated on August 14, 1946, by Mr. Graham and 25 registered voters. The Village was operated under the city manager form of government. The Council then established the first volunteer fire department.

Bal Harbour real estate included the first planned community in Florida to place its utilities underground!

Developers set guidelines for the new development of the beachfront, parks and residential areas.

Collins Avenue was paved into four lanes with a beautifully landscaped median and soon after widened to the present day six lanes running through Bal Harbour real estate. Village plans indicated that oceanfront properties were to be 200 feet deep and in the beginning, lots approached $100,000. Residential lots in the area were about 2,000 square feet and cost from $6,000 to $20,000. The first hotel was built and was named "The Kenilworth By the Sea." It was built by Tom Raffington and made famous by Arthur Godfrey. It has since been demolished and is now the Kenilworth Condominium. The first home was built by Robert C. Graham Jr., the son of Bal Harbour real estate Developer Robert C. Graham at 160 Bal Cross Drive. Swampland was filled, sea walls constructed and the yacht basin was created.

These days Haulover Beach Park draws people from all walks of life some of them clothed, some of them not.

Haulover Beach Park at 10800 Collins Avenue, is found just North of Bal Harbour. In 1924, when Charles Baker was slicing through the land creating a way to easily get from Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, little could he have imagined that the park north of Baker's Haulover Cut would be home to the only legal nude beach in Miami Dade County, and maybe even South Florida. The beach is mostly private except for only two public access points, and it offers a scenic walking path and a jetty for fishing and sightseeing. The area near the jetty is a favorite for surfers. The beach itself encompasses a mile and a half of white sand with dunes, shade, showers and picnic facilities. Refreshment carts, massage stands, lounge chair and umbrella rentals are provided. Several parking lots and a docking facility are available for around $5.

 

A few additional minutes north is the Halouver Beach Marina where you can see fishing boats drifting by while at the same time catch a glimpse of beautiful yachts along the bay. Many tourists who visit Bal Harbour real estate fall in love with its allure. There are residential options such as bay front homes, condo hotels and oceanfront condos for those wishing to relocate to Bal Harbour real estate on a seasonal basis or as a primary residence.   A privately operated Yacht Basin is located within the single family residential community. The original chosen name for Bal Harbour was Bay Harbour. However, the planning committee decided that wasn´t appropriate for a city that was on the beach. A name was invented to encompass the city that ran from the bay to the Atlantic Ocean. The "B" was taken from bay and the "A" and "l" were taken from Atlantic. Consequently the word "Bal" for Bal Harbour real estate was created.

Where else can you be within walking distance of upscale stores at the Bal Harbour Shops or live on the ocean in an island setting with a tropical climate all year round, and minutes from both Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports?

With Bal Harbour real estate, you have just discovered a gem in Miami's Paradise. A fantastic place to live and visit awaits you with Bal Harbour real estate. Subtle elegance is the keynote of Bal Harbour real estate with an unparalleled lifestyle. The ambience of Bal Harbour real estate is meant to be savored amidst an array of mouth watering cuisines served in a Bal Harbour Mediterranean style garden cafes, an elegant dining room or a relaxing terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Bal Harbour is one of the safest cities in all of South Florida. It has its own police force that has a reputation for living on the strip giving out tickets to speeding motorists while keeping speeding cars to a minimum. You will always see police patrolling when you are in Bal Harbour. If you like to drive fast, go slow & don´t make any plans to go through this stretch of Collins Avenue above 30 mph. Instead take Interstate 95 which is only 10 minutes away. Bal Harbour Village has its own police department which offers the best protection and service to both residents and its visitors. The ratio of officers to residents is also very high at 1 officer for every 130 residents. Officers are found patrolling the streets in cars, on motorcycles, and by bicycle. Bal Harbour real estate enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.

The main strip, Collins Avenue, is lined with coconut palms in the center median and date palms on each side of the street. By evening, the trees are radiantly illuminated, transforming Bal Harbour real estate into a scenic oasis worth the short drive.

  

Heading slightly west of Bal Harbour real estate, we´ll find the Town of Bay Harbor Islands. Bay Harbor Islands manages to maintain the small town feel and concern for each resident.

This small island community grew from the forethought of Shepard Broad, who came to America from Pinsk, Russia in 1920 at the age of only 14. In 1945 Broad quickly purchased two undeveloped mangrove swamp islands, located between the barrier island and mainland of Miami. Shepard Broad filled in the islands and watched as Bay Harbor began to spiral up. While providing visitors with all the services of larger municipalities, Bay Harbor Islands Residents are provided with the very best Police protection, clean water, sanitation, clean streets and a vast amount of services and conveniences. Bal Harbour Island's population has remained steady for the past 25 years, but the demographics have changed rapidly as affluent buyers see great potential.

  Formerly a quiet retreat for seniors and retirees, the islands has now changed to a younger population in recent years. Bay Harbour Islands still remain a peaceful retreat from Miami's urban bustle. Bay Harbour Islands Elementary School attracts all families with children and working professionals are supplementing many seniors in the waterfront condominiums. Rollerbladers, bikers, joggers and mothers with babies are a common sight on the pedestrian friendly side streets. Residents enjoy enhanced security that living on an island provides (crime is nearly non existent), the beaches are a quick walk or bike ride away to Bal Harbour or Haulover park, which includes golfing and a marina. The 103 acres west on the island remain open only to the neighborhood of single family homes while the 150 acres on the east of the Island contain multiple family condos and villas along with a small business district to provide Bay Harbor residents with a complete selection of goods and services. The Broad Causeway was opened in 1951, joining the islands with the mainland.  
 
  Bay Harbour Islands are close enough to allow for all the fun offered in a big city yet a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Miami. Bay Harbour Islands offers many opportunities for people of all ages. From the young professional to the retiree seeking a tropical paradise. This is the exclusive location you´ve been dreaming about with perfect weather and a small town attraction of an island! As a post war enclave, Bay Harbour Islands (running West of Bal Harbour) featured many one story Ranch style homes, but as the price of land has skyrocketed, several of these homes have been torn down and replaced with oversized mansions off Bal Bay Drive that take up nearly every inch of their lot. These estate homes range from the $10 to $52 Million mark and have direct unobstructed bay views for miles. For Bal Harbour condominium buyers, options include charming small garden apartments on open lots to ersatz Mediterranean style townhouses to tall Miami Modern waterfront buildings. Needless to say, this thriving community has real estate which some may say is now very affordable. Bal Harbour Condo Stats show as of February 2010 prices ranging from $75,000 for a 1 bedroom condo to $6.5 million (4 bedroom) for a new luxury condo on the inlet. Two bedroom Bal Harbour condos begin at $179,000 and today, there are a total of 207 (215 last month) condos for sale. Average price per square foot along the ocean is at $477 psf with a sale to list price ratio at 87%. 17 condos have closed in the last 90 days ranging in Sold Values from $91k to $2M (high sale at One Bal Harbour #1504), 4 have closed in the month of December, while 76 new listings (76 last period) have come on the market in the last 90 days. The big demand is found at One Bal Harbour, Bellini and Harbour House. There are 11 pending contracts from the last 30 day period on Bal Harbour condominiums.  A few years ago developers succeeded in squeaking a couple of very tall condos past unsuspecting residents. The resulting outcry from homeowners led to a moratorium on building, and as of February 2005, condos could not be built higher than 75 feet, approximately 7 stories tall.

Bal Harbour real estate STATS reflect the average days on market at 185 (time to sell), Sale to List Price Ratios at 87% with an average asking price per square foot at $365 and average selling price per square foot at $312.

Bal Harbour Home Prices range from $569,000 to over $10 million and there are a total of 34 homes on the market with 4 under contract. The highest SFH closed sale in 2008 was $10,350,000. If you would like to review additional local market conditions for Bal Harbour real estate including your condo building statistics, simply contact me today.   Ashton Coleman is an experienced real estate professional who has had over 7 years of luxury condo & home sales & marketing experience in the Bal Harbour real estate arena. For true local and knowledgeable service in the Bal Harbour real estate market, contact Ashton directly at 1.888.383.7326. You can always feel free to call me with any questions you may have regarding Bal Harbour real estate. Whether you are looking to buy or sell, I offer outstanding services to accommodate all your every real estate needs.

Below are local area Statistics and condo trends for Bal Harbour real estate.
If you'd like one specifically for your condo building, contact me!

Bal Harbour Shops
9700 Collins Avenue
(305) 866 7156