The 2025-26 South Florida Winter Buying Season, the condo market’s high-stakes period running from November through April, has commenced with a major strategic shift from the Miami Condo Investing Club™.
Founder and condo consultant Peter Zalewski announced the Club will move decisively away from lengthy, exhaustive written reports toward a rapid-fire, daily video and podcast format, a change driven by club members who prefer real-time analysis over extensive documentation.
This structural pivot is essential as the Club transitions from the “build” phase of the South Florida Summer Buying Season to the “fasten the seatbelt and hold on” strategy required for the critical winter months.
The new content schedule establishes a commanding presence in the market, with Zalewski dedicating his mornings to data analysis and concept formation, and his afternoons to live broadcasts.
The centerpiece of this new strategy is a slate of five distinct, one-hour podcasts broadcast live every weekday at 4 PM.
Kicking off the week on Mondays is Miami Condo Mondays™, a comprehensive market overview and discussion with partner Jenny Huertas of CVR Realty™, providing a crucial start to the investor week.
Wednesdays feature The Peter Zalewski Show™, where Zalewski conducts in-depth interviews with a revolving roster of South Florida economy and real estate leaders, including lenders, title companies, city planners, and property management experts.
Wrapping up the week on Fridays is Buy, Sell, Hold Miami™ real estate podcast, a dynamic debate with Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate, where the two assess five weekly topics to offer a balanced “ying and a yang” perspective on market concepts.
Two specialized programs round out the weekly content: Thursdays introduce the new podcast Condo Capitalism™, a program dedicated to exploring opportunities in the distress condo market and bulk deals, leveraging Zalewski’s experience from his earlier “condo vulture” days.
Most notably, the Tuesday slot is reserved for a deep dive into statistics and trends, specifically featuring the Miami Condo Cliff Index™, an internal metric tracking the real-world impact of the 2025 condo cliff and Surfside-inspired legislation on older condo associations.
While free subscribers can watch these broadcasts live, paid club members gain immediate, on-demand access to the full video archive, which is approaching one thousand reports since the club’s 2024 launch.
The Club’s value proposition is built on providing a crucial buy-side, investor perspective in a market often dominated by “rosy” sales narratives, offering straight talk and institutional knowledge that cuts through market noise.
Zalewski, drawing on over three decades of experience that began in 1993, highlights the danger of working with professionals who arrived post-Great Recession and lack the “battle scars” to navigate the market’s eventual “elevator down” movements.
This veteran perspective is crucial, especially as the current climate is seeing potential improvement with the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates twice in two months, raising the stakes for correct pricing and building selection.
The Club provides the critical counterweight needed to understand the condo ecosystem, citing average monthly maintenance fees of $1.15 per square foot in Miami-Dade County and $1.02 per square foot in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
In-person instruction remains a vital element of the Club’s offerings, with the hands-on Condo Correction Tours scheduled every Saturday.
These three-hour excursions, which include both walking tours (three times a month) and bus tours (first Saturday of the month), are designed to shift the investor’s focus to analyzing the condo building first—assessing financials, rules, and potential special assessments—before committing to a unit.
Check out the latest episode of Buy, Sell, Hold Miami real estate podcast featuring local real estate advisor Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate and market analyst Peter Zalewski of MiamiCondo.Club.
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/buy-sell-hold-miami-real-estate-podcast-f2f
Starting in November, I’ll be doing a weekly live podcast at 4 pm (Miami Time) on Thursdays where I discuss the South Florida distressed condo market.
The show will be available live and on-demand at MiamiCondo.Club.
I want to send a huge Thank You to John Moura of BuildReach.com for creating this excellent song.
Anyone looking for customized music should seriously consider talking to John. He is a master.
I’ll be having him on The Peter Zalewski Show podcast in late November.
Introducing the new weekly podcast The Peter Zalewski Show that features interviews with South Florida business leaders focused on real estate, finance and the economy.
The program - hosted by Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ - is broadcast live every Wednesday at 4 pm (Miami time) at MiamiCondo.Club and on social media sites.
The objective of the show is to deliver straight talk, share institutional knowledge and provide data-driven analysis on the macro and micro economic forces shaping the tricounty South Florida region of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Episode Overview
In the Oct. 29, 2025, episode of “The Peter Zalewski Show” podcast, host Peter Zalewski interviews Eric Kalis, a Senior Vice President with BoardroomPR, about what could be the most consequential South Florida Winter Buying Season in five years.
On the eve of 2025-26 Winter Buying Season, Kalis - a former real estate journalist for publications including The Real Deal and Miami Today - sits down with Zalewski to spell out how he is advising residential developers and real estate firms to navigate the volatile market conditions.
The central theme of the discussion was market uncertainty, which Kalis described as the “only thing certain about the market right now.”
The day of the recording coincided with the Federal Reserve’s pivot away from controlling inflation to focusing on bolstering the job market, resulting in another 25 basis point interest rate cut on Oct. 29, 2025, moving the federal funds rate to 4 percent.
Wall Street, however, immediately reacted negatively, sending the stock market down and raising the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to 6.27 percent following the Fed chairman’s warning against expecting further rate cuts in December.
Zalewski and Kalis emphasized that this lack of predictability is handcuffing real estate decisions across the spectrum, from large developers planning multiyear projects to individual buyers and condo associations budgeting for the next year.
Kalis noted that developers are particularly vulnerable to the current environment, citing volatile tariffs - which Morgan Stanley said increased from 4 percent to an average more than 17 percent since Liberation Day on April 2, 2025 - that can suddenly double the cost of materials and compromise the feasibility of projects already underway.
The experts agreed that the pandemic-era buying frenzy caused the market to enter a “summer of paralysis by analysis,” as investors wait for the 30-year fixed rate to fall into the “five handle” range before pulling the trigger.
Kalis, whose firm works with publicly traded clients, confirmed that developers are exercising “incredible patience” and discipline, accepting that project sellouts may be delayed into the 2026 season rather than slashing prices prematurely.
Zalewski detailed the evolution of the market’s security structure: following the Great Recession, developers shifted from the vulnerable 20 percent deposit model to a robust 50 percent tiered deposit structure, giving current projects greater financial stability.
The discussion shifted to the horizontal market, where single-family homebuilders are more sensitive to interest rate volatility and are focusing on acquiring land and developing projects west of I-95 in areas like Western Palm Beach County and Port St. Lucie in Florida’s Treasure Coast region.
Kalis confirmed that unlike the vertical market, the horizontal market has seen softer sales, though demand remains steady wherever land is available.
Zalewski questioned the long-term firepower of legacy development firms, noting that even titans like Related Group and Swire are experiencing leadership changes or actively liquidating assets, suggesting a need for increased liquidity.
The experts agreed that this period will cause a shakeout, rewarding well-capitalized, seasoned players who have “dry powder” and are waiting to acquire distressed or stalled shovel-ready sites.
Miami Condo Mondays™ is a live podcast hosted by Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ and veteran broker Jenny Huertas of CVRRealty.com providing an in-depth look at the latest residential real estate trends in South Florida.
Recorded weekly in Greater Downtown Miami, the podcast offers a one-hour discussion on various real estate topics, including preconstruction condos, market trends and investment strategies.
The hosts share their expertise, with Zalewski focusing on macro perspectives and Huertas offering micro insights from her on-the-ground experience.
Tune in every Monday at 4 PM (EST) on the social media accounts of Peter Zalewski and Jenny Huertas for insights on the latest trends in the South Florida condo market.
Episode Overview
The Fort Lauderdale - Palm Beach highrise condo market spends the largest share of its monthly maintenance fees on insurance of any market in North America, with 25 percent of all fees allocated to coverage, according to a new report.
This finding comes from the new “Benchmark 2025 Highrise Edition” report from FirstService Residential, which was analyzed on the Oct. 27, 2025, episode of the Miami Condo Mondays™ podcast.
The report, discussed by co-hosts Peter Zalewski and Jenny Huertas, also found that Miami and Tampa were tied for second-highest, with 20 percent of their maintenance fees going to insurance.
The hosts noted that this heavy insurance burden, a direct result of new state legislation following the June 2021 Surfside condo collapse, is the primary driver for South Florida’s high overall condo fees.
Despite having the highest insurance share, the Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach market’s overall average monthly fee of $1.02 per square foot is third-highest in North America, trailing only New York City at $1.55 per square foot monthly and Miami’s $1.15 per square foot monthly.
For context, the median monthly fee for North America, represented by Tampa - St. Petersburg, was $0.86 per square foot. The cheapest markets in the study were Las Vegas - Reno at $0.47 per square foot, Vancouver at $0.56 per square foot and the combined Los Angeles - San Diego - San Francisco market at $0.63 per square foot.
This analysis comes as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.19 percent and the Federal Reserve meets this week to decide on interest rates amid 3 percent inflation.
The South Florida condo market remains sluggish, characterized by high supply, low transaction volume and falling prices, despite positive narratives from real estate trade groups.
The high fees are largely driven by new state legislation that introduced two mandatory requirements for condo associations: a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) to be conducted every 10 years and a Milestone Inspection Report at a building’s 30-year mark based on its certificate of occupancy.
This marks a significant change, as all Florida condo associations must now complete mandatory inspections and collect reserves to pay for fixes. Critically, the new laws will no longer permit condo boards to defer necessary maintenance.
Zalewski likened the SIRS to a regular doctor’s checkup, while describing the more invasive Milestone Inspection as a “colonoscopy” for a building.
Zalewski argued that these new requirements make a building’s age and its maintenance fees more critical factors for a buyer than its location, a reversal of the traditional real estate mantra.
Huertas noted that these new laws are forcing associations to approve special assessments, which are separate, one-time fees for major repairs that were not budgeted.
Zalewski offered a guesstimate that these assessments could average $25,000 for lowrise buildings, $65,000 for midrise towers, and $100,000 for highrise towers.
Huertas added that owners must also account for contents insurance, which she noted is now “almost mandatory” and can cost an additional $150 to $300 per month.
Welcome to Buy, Sell, Hold Miami weekly podcast for a no-nonsense perspective on South Florida real estate from a pair of locals with differing opinions.
Each week, real estate advisor Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate and longtime analyst Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ break down the housing market headlines, unpack policy changes and provide unfiltered analysis on everything from condo terminations to Vintage unit fire sales, luxury speculative homes to developer strategies.
Whether you are a homeowner, investor or real estate professional, Hernandez and Zalewski will give a local perspective on what is really happening across the tricounty South Florida region of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach with no fluff, no hype and plenty of data-backed opinions.
We call balls and strikes on when to buy, sell and hold.
Episode Topics
For the Oct. 24, 2025, podcast, Hernandez and Zalewski give their take on the following four topics:
This podcast is broadcast live at 4 pm (EST) on the social media accounts of Daniel Hernandez and Peter Zalewski.
Episode Overview
In this episode of Buy, Sell, Hold Miami podcast, Hernandez and Zalewski provided an extensive analysis of current South Florida real estate and economic trends. The 72-minute discussion covered a range of topics, from state legislation to major infrastructure and global capital flows.
The hosts began by reviewing Florida State Bill 180, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on about June 26, 2025. This bill limits local governments from enacting new, restrictive zoning or development regulations following a federal disaster declaration.
The bill’s key text prohibits adopting “more restrictive or burdensome amendments” to land development regulations. This language is being challenged in lawsuits filed by several municipalities, including Homestead, Miami Shores and Pinecrest.
Analysts suggested that developers are attempting to retroactively nullify zoning regulations enacted since 2024, effectively stripping local power. This push aligns with an overall state theme of shifting regulatory authority away from local municipalities to the state capital in Tallahassee.
A contentious point of the bill is its perceived threat to natural protections, such as mangroves. Though mangroves can smell and attract mosquitoes, they serve as a critical first-line defense against erosion and rising seas.
The discussion referenced a past incident in Coconut Grove where a prominent architect and his wife were cited for illegally cutting mangroves after Hurricane Irma in 2017. They were ordered to replant the trees.
The final settlement for the illegal removal, according to one report, was $18,500. This low fee suggested to the hosts that financial penalties are insufficient to deter illegal acts that dramatically increase property valuation by clearing water views.
The conversation shifted to the tricounty development scene and the rise of super-tall residential buildings. Miami International Airport’s flight path imposes a height limit of more than 1,000 feet on construction in the downtown district.
The Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami is set to become the first 100-story tower in the city, with about 390 condo units and 205 hotel rooms. The hosts noted that developers often eliminate floors on the elevator - like the 13th - or service floors from elevator panels to artificially inflate floor numbering.
Concerns were raised about the future of new Class A-plus office towers. Two new buildings—the Santander building on Brickell Avenue and One Biscayne Plaza project on Biscayne Boulevard in Greater Downtown Miami - are expected to deliver their space before Citadel CEO Ken Griffin breaks ground on his trophy asset.
Check out this clip from the latest episode of the Miami Condo Mondays™ podcast hosted by Peter Zalewski of the MiamiCondo.Club and veteran broker Jenny Huertas of CVRRealty.com
The podcast is broadcast live on Mondays at 4 PM EST on MiamiCondo.Club
Watch the full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/miami-highrise-condo-fees-average
Check out this clip from the latest episode of Buy, Sell, Hold Miami real estate podcast featuring local real estate advisor Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate and market analyst Peter Zalewski of MiamiCondo.Club.
Broker-owner Julia Ray of RaydiantRE.com joins the discussion as a special guest.
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/buy-sell-hold-miami-real-estate-podcast-a42
Check out this clip from the latest episode of The Peter Zalewski Show podcast featuring a discussion about the significant condo development pipeline in North Bay Village with Commissioner Andy Daro, who leads The Daro Team with Compass Real Estate.
Watch the latest episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/tiny-north-bay-village-embraces-2
Check out this clip from the latest episode of the Miami Condo Mondays™ podcast hosted by Peter Zalewski of the MiamiCondo.Club and veteran broker Jenny Huertas of CVRRealty.com
The podcast is broadcast live on Mondays at 4 PM EST on MiamiCondo.Club
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/miami-highrise-condo-fees-average
Check out this clip from the latest episode of The Peter Zalewski Show podcast featuring a discussion about the latest office market trends with commercial real estate agent Oscar Musibay of Lee & Associates South Florida.
Watch the latest episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/new-breed-of-tenants-reshapes-office
Check out this clip from the latest episode of Buy, Sell, Hold Miami real estate podcast featuring local real estate advisor Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate and market analyst Peter Zalewski of MiamiCondo.Club.
Broker-owner Julia Ray of RaydiantRE.com joins the discussion as a special guest.
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/buy-sell-hold-miami-real-estate-podcast-a42
Introducing the new weekly podcast The Peter Zalewski Show that features interviews with South Florida business leaders focused on real estate, finance and the economy.
The program - hosted by Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ - is broadcast live every Wednesday at 4 pm (Miami time) at MiamiCondo.Club and on social media sites.
The objective of the show is to deliver straight talk, share institutional knowledge and provide data-driven analysis on the macro and micro economic forces shaping South Florida.
In the Oct. 22, 2025, episode of The Peter Zalewski Show podcast, host Peter Zalewski interviews Andy Daro, a real estate professional and the leader of The Daro Team with Compass Real Estate and a commissioner for the City of North Bay Village.
The discussion focused on the history of the three-island municipality, the political challenges of managing a $2 billion new development pipeline and the contrasting valuations between new luxury towers and the existing stock of Vintage condos that are at least 30 years old.
Daro described the North Bay Village market cycle as having transitioned from its historically seasonal status to a mega metropolitan year-round business center, largely fueled by post-pandemic migration.
Zalewski countered this by framing the South Florida real estate year in two distinct seasons: the Winter Buying Season (November through April) for shopping and kicking tires, and the Summer Buying Season (May through October) for transacting and closing deals.
Daro acknowledged that while business now occurs year-round, the traditional winter months still represent the peak season for realtors and sales activity.
Daro, who relocated from New York to Miami-Dade County, ultimately settled in North Bay Village in 2017, driven by the high value of waterfront condos compared to prices in areas like the Brickell Avenue Area submarket of Greater Downtown Miami.
He noted that two-bedroom, water-view units were selling for less than $500,000, a stark contrast to the higher costs of one-bedroom units elsewhere.
His passion for the area led to his election as a commissioner, making him highly visible to the nearly 9,000 residents in the small, engaged island community.
Daro confirmed that North Bay Village has close to $2 billion in new development projects in its pipeline, a figure he supports due to the critical need for tax dollars and infrastructure upgrades within the city’s tight $11 million annual operating budget.
The city has not seen new condo construction since 2008, but the current wave includes major players such as Continuum Club & Residences and Pagani Residences and the Related Group has approved two projects totaling more than 400 residences.
In total, Daro estimates the current pipeline will deliver between 2,000 to 3,000 new residences, which could increase the city’s population by 20 percent to 40 percent in the next five years.
Zalewski endorsed Daro’s prodevelopment stance, arguing that historical data from the Great Recession proved new development is necessary to bolster the tax base and maintain solvent credit ratings, urging critics to become “YIMBYs.”
Daro emphasized that new construction is selling at an average blended price of $1,500 per square foot, placing it at the highend luxury tier alongside downtown Miami and Miami Beach product.
However, the existing resale market offers strong value, with units trading below $500 per square foot, a substantial variance suggesting that the new development is an inevitable rising tide that will lift all property values.
A significant community enhancement is the Island Walk, a roughly two-mile-long continuous waterfront path being required by new developments on North Bay Village’s Harbor and Treasure islands.
This enhancement, comparable to the path around Brickell Key, is viewed by Zalewski as adding long-term value and putting the community on the map, despite resistance from a minority of existing residents.
Check out this clip from the latest episode of Buy, Sell, Hold Miami real estate podcast featuring local real estate advisor Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate and market analyst Peter Zalewski of MiamiCondo.Club.
Broker-owner Julia Ray of RaydiantRE.com joins the discussion as a special guest.
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/buy-sell-hold-miami-real-estate-podcast-a42
Check out this clip from the latest episode of The Peter Zalewski Show podcast featuring a discussion about the latest office market trends with commercial real estate agent Oscar Musibay of Lee & Associates South Florida.
Watch the latest episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/new-breed-of-tenants-reshapes-office
Miami Condo Mondays™ is a live podcast hosted by Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ and veteran broker Jenny Huertas of CVRRealty.com providing an in-depth look at the latest residential real estate trends in South Florida.
Recorded weekly in Greater Downtown Miami, the podcast offers a one-hour discussion on various real estate topics, including preconstruction condos, market trends and investment strategies.
The hosts share their expertise, with Zalewski focusing on macro perspectives and Huertas offering micro insights from her on-the-ground experience.
Tune in every Monday at 4 PM (EST) on the social media accounts of Peter Zalewski and Jenny Huertas for insights on the latest trends in the South Florida condo market.
In this episode of the Miami Condo Mondays™ podcast, Zalewski and Huertas discuss a new report - “Benchmark 2025 Highrise Edition” from the property management firm FirstService Residential - that shows the average maintenance fee for a high-rise condominium in Miami is $1.15 per square foot per month, according to a new report.
The report - which analyzes data exclusively from properties managed by the company - provides a new baseline for what condo owners are paying in a market defined by rising insurance costs and new safety legislation.
For comparison, the report found the average highrise maintenance fee in the Fort Lauderdale - Palm Beach market - covering Broward and Palm Beach counties - is $1.02 per square foot monthly.
In the Tampa - St. Petersburg area, the average highrise maintenance fee is significantly lower, coming in at $0.86 per square foot per month, according to the report.
Zalewski noted that these fees, which cover everything from common area insurance and property taxes to utilities, security and amenities, are a critical and often overlooked factor for investors.
The hosts agreed that the primary driver for recent, dramatic fee hikes is the new state legislation passed following the June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside on the barrier island in Miami-Dade County.
This legislation introduced two mandatory requirements for condo associations: a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) to be conducted every 10 years, and a Milestone Inspection Report at a building’s 30-year mark based on the certificate of occupancy.
Zalewski likened the SIRS to a regular doctor’s checkup, while describing the more invasive Milestone Inspection as a “colonoscopy,” of sorts, for a condo building.
This marks a significant change, as all Florida condo associations must now complete mandatory inspections and collect reserves to pay for fixes. Critically, the new laws no longer permit condo boards to defer necessary maintenance.
Huertas noted that condo associations had been able to keep maintenance fees artificially low by waiving reserves. She estimates this change alone has contributed to the rapid rise in monthly maintenance fees during the last five years.
Zalewski argued that this new reality makes a building’s age more important than its location, a complete reversal of the traditional “location, location, location” real estate mantra.
Huertas provided real-world examples from Miami, noting that a unit in Marina Blue that cost 70 cents per square foot in 2021 is now $1.07 per square foot.
She highlighted the wide range of fees, citing a midrise in Aventura at an affordable 65 cents per square foot, while a unit at the luxury Paramount in Miami Worldcenter commands about $1.76 per square foot.
The report’s breakdown of Miami’s $1.15 average fee shows that insurance accounts for 20 percent of the total cost, while reserves account for 12 percent and operations make up 41 percent.
In Broward and Palm Beach counties, insurance consumes a larger 25 percent of the fee, with reserves also slightly higher at 14 percent. The hosts speculated this is due to a higher concentration of Vintage buildings that are at least 30 years old.
Check out this clip from the latest episode of The Peter Zalewski Show podcast featuring a discussion about the latest office market trends with commercial real estate agent Oscar Musibay of Lee & Associates South Florida.
Watch the latest episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/new-breed-of-tenants-reshapes-office
Check out this clip from the latest episode of the Miami Condo Mondays™ podcast hosted by Peter Zalewski of the MiamiCondo.Club and veteran broker Jenny Huertas of CVRRealty.com
The podcast is broadcast live on Mondays at 4 PM EST on MiamiCondo.Club
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/south-florida-rental-growth-stalls
Welcome to Buy, Sell, Hold Miami weekly podcast for a no-nonsense perspective on South Florida real estate from a pair of locals with differing opinions.
Each week, real estate advisor Daniel Hernandez of Compass Real Estate and longtime analyst Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ break down the housing market headlines, unpack policy changes and provide unfiltered analysis on everything from condo terminations to Vintage unit fire sales, luxury speculative homes to developer strategies.
Whether you are a homeowner, investor or real estate professional, Hernandez and Zalewski will give a local perspective on what is really happening across the tricounty South Florida region of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach with no fluff, no hype and plenty of data-backed opinions.
We call balls and strikes on when to buy, sell and hold.
Episode Overview
In this episode of Buy, Sell, Hold Miami podcast, Hernandez and Zalewski are joined by special guest Julia Ray - the broker-owner of Raydiant Realty in Hallandale Beach in Southeast Broward County - to discuss the real estate, financial and cultural trends impacting South Florida.
The show opened with a deep dive into the high-profile sale of the iconic Raleigh Hotel property - once owned by fashion mogul Tommy Hilfiger - on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach for $270 million.
The panelists noted that Miami’s real estate market has a long history of attracting out-of-town investors who are often caught off guard by local volatility.
The Raleigh’s story was framed as a classic example of newcomers overestimating the market’s upward trajectory, only to be forced out when conditions change.
The discussion turned to the cyclical nature of South Florida real estate, with Zalewski pointing out that prudent, experienced investors often wait on the sidelines for shakeouts before acquiring distressed assets.
This pattern has repeated itself since the 1920s Florida land boom.
The panel analyzed the challenges of redeveloping historic hotels into luxury condos, citing examples like the Carillon Miami Wellness Center - and the former Canyon Ranch projects - that struggled after initial optimism.
The consensus was that repositioning older properties is risky, especially when tourism or preconstruction sales slow down.
Ray provided insights from Hollywood and Hallandale Beach in Southeast Broward County, noting that while hotel-to-condo conversions are less common in those areas, there is significant activity in luxury condo development and land parcel sales.
She observed that many buyers who relocated during the pandemic have since returned north, unable to sustain their new lifestyles.
The conversation shifted to Midtown Miami, where a major new development aims to bridge the gap between the neighborhoods of Wynwood and the Miami Design District.
Panelists debated the feasibility of achieving high price points in Midtown, given its distance from the waterfront and the area’s history of stalled projects.
They noted that while the developer’s track record is strong, market timing and product efficiency will be critical to success.
The show highlighted the importance of experienced developers who can adapt to changing conditions, adjust pricing, and phase construction to match demand.
Zalewski said betting on the “jockey” (developer) is often more important than betting on the “horse” (project) when it comes to preconstruction condo projects.
Attention turned to the recent wave of homebuilder bankruptcies and layoffs in South Florida.
Companies like Signature Builders Group, Steelhomes Modular and Ony Homes have either filed for bankruptcy or laid off significant numbers of workers, raising concerns about the health of the single-family home sector.
The panel linked these troubles to broader economic factors, including rising interest rates, tariffs and increased construction costs.
Check out this clip from the latest episode of the Miami Condo Mondays™ podcast hosted by Peter Zalewski of the MiamiCondo.Club and veteran broker Jenny Huertas of CVRRealty.com
The podcast is broadcast live on Mondays at 4 PM EST on MiamiCondo.Club
Watch full episode: https://peterzalewski.substack.com/p/south-florida-rental-growth-stalls
