Statistical Source: The Miami Herald 6/19/08

Everyone is well aware of Miami’s downtown building oversupply, but just how bad is it? In the last six years, 22,737 units were built or are now under construction in Miami’s urban core — more than double the number built in the nearly 40 previous years, it’s a large figure, but still less than many predicted. Perhaps no section of Florida has seen more building in recent years than downtown Miami’s urban core.

However, with the housing market turning in 2006, the credit crunch of 2007, and inexperienced developers having to cope with rising construction costs & mismanagement, many proposed projects never went beyond the planning stages. With few new projects starting in the past two years, the real scope and size of Miami’s downtown condo craze is starting to come into focus. Although the downtown market still has a vast surplus of condos- it is not 50,000 or 80,000 new units, it’s estimated that 22,000 new units. The bad news is that it is still 22,000 new units.

I recently came across an interview with Jim Cramer (from Mad Money on CNBC), which I believe accurately predicts future real estate trends for the Southeast Florida housing market. For anyone considering buying Miami Beach, South Beach, or even downtown Miami waterfront properties, NOW is the time to be making offers on well priced properties.

Cramer’s Key Points:

• Inventory is drying up & being steadily being absorbed
• Housing starts have been down for over two years
• New construction projects stopped two years ago
• Florida is generally one year ahead of market trends
• Interest Rate cuts have had a positive effect in absorbing excess inventory (at much reduced prices)

Watch Jim Cramer’s Interview Below: