Venetian Islands, FL

Construction on the Venetian Causeway is still dragging on. Construction recently shifted to the south side, opening the completed northern side to traffic. Nice new sidewalks, lighting and some street parking are nearly complete.

According to Venetian Causeway Neighborhood Association head, Jack Hartog, the overall deadline for completion will miss its target date of the end of 2011 and should finish by February 2012. Hartog said that the delay is due to unexpected buried structures found at the outset of the project and FPL coordination issues.

The Venetian Causeway is a popular place for bikers and runners pounding the pavement and enjoying the beautiful views. Many of Miami Beach's most luxurious homes are located on the Venetian Islands. 27 E Dilido Drive on the Venetian Islands is the perfect picture of a 1936 Mediterranean Revival estate. Located on 106 feet of waterfront on Biscayne Bay, this 3,588 square foot house includes a marble entry courtyard, 20+ foot foyer with Spanish tiles and curved stairway. Five sets of French doors open to lush landscaping framing the elegant pool, spa, loggia and spectacular views of Star Island and South Beach. The second floor includes a master suite spanning the width of the home with mahogany floors and coral terrace. Contact me to learn more about Venetian Island homes for sale.

The Venetian Islands are a chain of six man-made islands in Biscayne Bay in Miami Beach. The islands are, from east to west, Belle Isle, Rivo Alto Island, Dilido Island, San Marino Island, San Marco Island, and Biscayne Island. Built during the 1920's, when "island building" was popular, this area is now home to some of the most gorgeous homes in South Florida.

27 E Dilido Drive, Miami Beach, FL

Experience all Miami Beach has to offer in this 1936 Mediterranean Revival estate located on 106 feet of waterfront on Biscayne Bay, just moments from South Beach. The marble entry courtyard of 27 East Dilido Drive in Miami Beach will impress guests the moment they arrive. The welcoming 20+ foot foyer with Spanish tiles showcases a cypress beamed ceiling, curved wrought iron and elegant stairway. Five sets of French doors open from the grand living room to lush mature landscaping framing a pool, spa, loggia and spectacular view of Star Island and South Beach in the distance. The second floor master bedroom spans the width of the home and is fit for a king with coral rock terrace. Relax and unwind in the huge master bathroom with a separate jacuzzi tub, shower, dual vanities and spacious walk-in closets. Entertaining is state of the art and enjoyable in the gourmet kitchen with adjacent formal dining room. Enjoy the convenience of a separate electric boat and Jet Ski lift.

35 E Dilido Drive, Miami Beach, FL

This vacant lot has a planned home that is approximately 9,000 square feet sitting on the 13,463 square foot lot with 105-feet of waterfront along Biscayne Bay. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms/5 bathrooms and a gym (which could easily be converted into a fifth bedroom.) The powder room downstairs is adjacent to the staircase/elevator and indoor water feature. Enjoy the view from the bat front backyard with a cabana bath by the pool. There is a convenient staff/guest bedroom next to the garage. The architect of this home is Todd Tragash of STA Architectural Group in Miami.

227 E Dilido Drive, Miami Beach, FL

This beautiful, never lived in contemporary waterfront home (built in 2008_ is about to come onto the market in Miami Beach. The owner is finishing flooring on the second and third floors, completing the kitchen and baths, repainting the exterior and completing the custom smart home technology. The owner is doing this work over the next two months and then will relist at $5,999,000. 7,350 square feet of interior space also includes a separate two-story guesthouse. This home is a one of a kind and also one of the few contemporary homes for sale in Miami Beach currently.

1 E Dilido Drive, Miami Beach, FL

An heir to the Italian fashion house, Fendi is the patron of this impressive Miami Beach waterfront home for sale. The 7,829 square foot home boasts amazing contemporary architectural style and the perfect blend of technology and design. The over-sized pie-shaped lot on the Dilido Island (off the Venetian Causeway) has dramatic views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay. Live the celebrity lifestyle in this stunning house with magnificent media room that doubles as a private nightclub. Completion is expected in late 2012.

Contact me for more information on any of these properties.

The South Florida real estate market is booming. Four Florida markets experienced increases of at least 10% in the last year and Miami is up 24% from last August. These numbers are even more impressive when compared to the national average increase of 0.46%.

What has caused this increase? Real Estate Economy Watch attributes it to the depths to which the Florida real estate markets fell. The sudden decrease in foreclosure actions also played a part, especially in areas like Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. A recent article from The Real Deal points out that it is very likely there are more foreclosures on the horizon and that more real estate owned (REO) properties will probably push prices down. Any additional foreclosures will probably not affect the upper end of the luxury housing market, which reached bottom in 2009. In fact, this market may transition into a seller's market sooner than later.

Inventories of Miami Beach single-family homes continue to dwindle while record sales have been recorded in 2011. With a recent spate of demolition of older homes along the N. Bay Road and the Venetian Isles (Dilido Island in particular), we should see new construction underway sooner than later.

The Venetian Islands in Miami Beach are home to some of the most gorgeous houses in South Florida. Rich in history, few people know about the beginnings of these Islands. This week I will write a series of posts on the history, architecture and what could have been in the Venetian islands.

In 1925 the new all wooden causeway was replaced by a succession of elegantly arched bridges and subsequently renamed the Venetian Causeway. Today, this stretch of waterfront is frequented by health conscious joggers, walkers and bikers enjoying the tropical beauty of the islands and Biscayne Bay. Fortunate residents of waterfront islands including Rivo Alto Island, Di Lido Island and San Marino Island enjoy the the ultimate convenience and calm between Miami beach's vibrant South Beach and downtown Miami's new arts and entertainment districts.

The Venetian Islands in Miami Beach are home to some of the most gorgeous houses in South Florida. Rich in history, few people know about the beginnings of these Islands. This week I will write a series of posts on the history, architecture and what could have been in the Venetian islands.

The additional four islands planned to be built along two east-west roads connecting to the Italianate themed causeway were never built. One of these roads was planned along the current route of the 79th Street Causeway and the other paralleled the current route of the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Because these additional islands were never built, the existing islands and the waterfront homes for sale along the Venetian Islands are very exclusive and desirable.

The original bridge (called the Collins Bridge) was built by farmer and real estate developer John S. Collins with financial assistance from entrepreneur and automotive parts pioneer Carl G. Fisher. When completed, Collins Bridge had the longest span of any wooden bridge in the world. Opening on June 12, 1913, the 2.5 mile toll bridge provided a crucial missing link to the burgeoning city of Miami Beach on the barrier island. The tiny city had only been accessible via ferry before the bridge opened.

Concrete foundation pilings for one of the unbuilt islands still exist in the middle of the Biscayne Bay between Julia Tuttle Causeway and Di Lido Island. Named Isola di Lolando, this island was never built due to both the decimation after the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the end of the 1920s Florida land boom.