Continuum South Beach: 3 Tennis Courts

Someone asked me about the tennis facilities at the Continuum South Beach today and my standard answer that the property has three top-of-the-line tennis courts wasn’t enough.

After some research, I discovered that the tennis courts at the Continuum South Beach are not clay courts, but “har-tru” courts, which are sometimes referred to as “green clay” courts.  Har-tru courts have a surface of crushed stone, rather than clay, which allows for better traction in damp or moist atmosphere than regular hard surface courts.  Further, this type of surface makes the ball move slightly slower, allowing players more time to reach the ball.

If you are in need of equipment or a private instructor to help you with your back-hand, the Continuum South Beach offers a fully staffed tennis pro shop to meet all of your needs.  They are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends.  Also, I hear the Continuum South Beach tennis pros organize monthly clinics and tournaments for residents.

If you like to play tennis and have high standards, the Continuum South Beach is the only place for you.  In particular, it is the only oceanfront condo development that offers more than two tennis courts bewteen South Beach and the Miami-Dade / Broward County line.

The January 14, 2013 sale of Setai Penthouse B for $27,000,000, or $3,800 per square foot, marks the latest uptick in the recent Miami Beach penthouse boom.  Prices for South Beach luxury condos are identifiably higher than they were during the infamous condo boom; especially in the ultra-luxury market.

For example, click the following to read about the recent sale of Penthouse No. 2 at the Icon South Beach, which was sold at the height of the condo boom in 2007 for $7,000,000, or $875 per square foot, and then again on January 1, 2013 for $20,963,054 or $2,623 per square foot.

Based on recent sales, the $39,000,000, or $3,535 per square foot, asking price for Continuum Penthouse 2 doesn’t seem like enough.  This 11,031 square foot masterpiece boasts four levels of greatness, with 13’ high ceilings and sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay, Fisher Island, Downtown Miami and Miami Beach.  Further, the extras included in the sale price are unbeatable: ten parking spaces, two studio apartments on the 4^th floor converted into a two-bedroom guest or staff quarters, the best available cabana in the Continuum South Tower, a rooftop pool and more.  Further, the amenities at the Continuum South Beach are the best available.  It offers Miami Beach’s only private gated community, which occupies 12 acres on the southern-most one thousand feet of South Beach sand, an outdoor restaurant, a four story fitness center and spa, and much more.

Nothing compares to the Continuum South Beach; not even the Setai South Beach.  When Setai Penthouse A sold in December 8, 2011 for $21,500,000, or $3,462 per square foot, the owner of Continuum South Beach Penthouse 2 increased the asking price from $35,000,000 to $39,000,000 to bring the asking price in line with recent comps.  Let’s see if they do it again . . .

Cabana No. 1 in the Continuum North Tower just sold for $1,200,000.  It featured a loft bedroom, a small kitchen, full bathroom, marble floors and countertops, an ocean view and a deck jutting out over a beautiful lagoon.  Measuring only 656 square feet, this tiny oceanfront cabana is more expensive on a per square foot basis than nearly all of the condos in the Continuum South Beach and all of the other luxury condos in nearby buildings.

Cabanas at the Continuum South Beach are limited common elements, which means that: (a) buyers need to own a condo in the Continuum in order to buy one; (b) they do not have a folio number or a legal description; and (c) the sale prices are not tracked by the Miami-Dade County Property appraiser.  The upside of this system is that cabanas are not subject to real estate taxes and the identity of each owner is kept private.  The downside is a lack of sales data showing when and how much these oceanfront cabanas sell for (prices are only discoverable when they sell on the MLS or through word of mouth).

After spending $1,200,000 on a cabana, the new owner won’t get a deed confirming their ownership.  Instead, they will get an assignment of the previous owner’s exclusive right to use the cabana and confirmation by the North Tower condo association that they have updated their records to recognize the transferee.

Interested in acquiring a cabana at the Continuum South Tower or Continuum North Tower?  Call me.

                The vacation season is upon us and people from all over the world are descending on South Florida to enjoy world class weather and nightlife.  Seasonal rentals in luxury waterfront condominiums can sometimes be less expensive and more enjoyable than staying at a nice hotel.  However, for owners and full-time residents in Miami Beach’s acclaimed South of Fifth (“SoFI”) district, seasonal vacationers can be a pest.  Therefore, several Miami Beach condos have restrictions on seasonal rentals.

                The Continuum South Beach allows rentals for a minimum duration of six months, with an obvious maximum of two rentals per year.  You are welcome to leave early, but be prepared to pay for six months of rent.  Additionally, extensive background checks are required for anyone buying, renting or visiting for an extended period of time in the Continuum North Tower or the Continuum South Tower.  It can take several weeks to have a lease approved by management, so make sure to get paperwork started on your luxury vocation rental several weeks early.

                Interested in renting here?  Regardless of where you are from, the Continuum in South Beach will meet or exceed your expectations.  Most condos in this development are finished with marble floors, and all include marble bathrooms, granite and/or marble countertops throughout, top of the line appliances, walk-in closets and much more.  Step outside your condo and you will find yourself on a beautifully landscaped twelve-acre property situated on the Southernmost 1,000 feet of Miami Beach’s acclaimed South Beach.

                The best part of living in the Continuum South Beach is being outdoors.  Simply walk outside and you will find yourself on the most desirable plot of land in South Beach: the first 1,000 feet of beachfront.  Before you get to the beach, there are twelve acres of well-manicured green grass to stroll with your family.  Take your children swimming in one of two resort style pools and then have lunch in a private outdoor restaurant where anything from lush green salads and fresh fruit to delicious sandwiches, pasta or steak is on the menu.  Looking for exercise?  Try reserving one of three well-maintained clay tennis courts for a few sets of tennis.  Indoor exercise is available too.  The Continuum South Tower is home to a four-story fitness center called the “Sporting Club”.  Here you can find free fitness classes offered seven days a week, as well as a spa where you can enjoy a massage or a beauty treatment when you want to relax.

                Step outside the property and you will find yourself on the Southern tip of Miami Beach.  The Continuum provides lounge chairs and umbrellas for residents to shade themselves amongst powder-white sand and clear turquoise water.  While the lounge chairs and umbrellas are far enough away from the water’s edge for residents to be a little private, it’s an effortless walk into the water to cool town.  Paddle sports, Frisbee’s and volleyball can be found with a brief stroll up the beach, and there is no shortage of sites to see and good-looking people while you walk along the water.