MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Insight Articles
Data-driven analysis and market perspective from two decades in Miami real estate. New insights published regularly.
Taxes & Appeals
How to Appeal Property Taxes in Miami-Dade, and When Not To Bother
Miami-Dade TRIM notices mail by Aug 24 and VAB petitions close 25 days later; the 2026 window closed Sep 18. What the numbers mean and when an appeal is worth filing.
Miami-Dade Property Tax Rates by Neighborhood: 2026-27 Combined Millage Guide
Combined millage rates for all 8 southwest Miami-Dade neighborhoods I cover, with worked dollar examples and an interactive calculator that estimates first-year tax from a purchase price. Verified for 2026-27 from the September 2026 final budget hearings.
Understanding Property Taxes, Homestead Exemption and Portability in Miami-Dade
The 2026 homestead exemption is $51,411. Save Our Homes caps assessed value growth at 2.7%. Portability carries up to $500,000 of Save Our Homes assessment benefit to your next home. The complete Miami-Dade property tax guide, now updated for Florida's June 2026 property tax amendment, with an interactive Save Our Homes chart and a portability calculator built in.
Selling
Why Isn't My House Selling in Miami? What the 2026 Data Shows
Homes that sold across southwest Miami-Dade took 44 days. Listings still sitting have been on the market 98. Three reasons, with local sale data.
Selling Your Miami Home in 2026: Pricing Strategy That Works
Miami single-family sellers are receiving 94% of original list price after a median of 53 days to contract. Pricing accuracy is doing more of the work in this market than it has in years. Inside is the data-driven approach that gets results.
Buying & Insurance
Does It Flood? Flood Zones, Flood History and Flood Insurance in Southwest Miami
Which neighborhoods sit in Zone X or AE, how high each one sits, where it has actually flooded since 1978, and what owners here pay for flood insurance, with FEMA's new 2027 maps.
Miami Homeowners Insurance in 2026: What Changed and How to Lower Your Premium
Rates fell for the first time in a decade. What owners should re-shop, what the 4-point and wind mitigation inspections require for insurability, and why buyers should quote before the financing contingency runs out.
First-Time Buyer's Guide to Southwest Miami-Dade
Glenvar Heights, South Miami, and Kendall offer the most accessible entry points in Miami-Dade for first-time buyers, with down payment assistance programs that can cover up to $35,000. What to know before making your first offer.
Neighborhoods & Comparisons
Coconut Grove vs. Coral Gables: What Your Money Buys in Each
The Grove costs more per foot; the Gables gives you more land. A year of single-family sales, flood risk, taxes and walkability, compared side by side.
Moving to Glenvar Heights: What New Residents Should Know
Unincorporated county services, the HOA and covenant check most buyers skip, two zip codes that price apart, schools set by address, and the first-year deadlines. The practical version, from a ten-year resident.
Glenvar Heights vs Pinecrest vs Coral Gables: Price, Lots, Taxes and Schools in 2026
Per-square-foot pricing has converged with Pinecrest, and Coral Gables runs about 30% higher. Lot sizes, supply, millage and zoned schools are where the three still differ.
Schools Near Glenvar Heights: What Is Zoned, What Is Magnet and What Is Private
Most of the neighborhood is zoned to Ludlam, South Miami Middle and South Miami Senior. What that means, which magnets are within reach, and the private options families actually use.
Glenvar Heights Lot Sizes, Subdivisions and HOA Considerations
A 16,438 SF median lot, two zip codes that price $730,000 apart, a dozen named pockets, and the 1937 suit that left the neighborhood unincorporated. How the blocks actually price.
Pinecrest vs. Kendall: What Your Money Actually Buys
Pinecrest ($2.56M median) vs Kendall ($1.09M): Q2 2026 single-family data on prices, market speed, lot sizes, schools, and taxes in southwest Miami-Dade.
The Complete Guide to High Pines and Ponce-Davis
The complete guide to High Pines and Ponce-Davis: boundaries, schools, lot sizes, UMSA taxes, and Q2 2026 market data from a local Miami Compass agent.
The UM Effect: How the University of Miami Shapes Real Estate Values
How the University of Miami drives home demand and values in Coral Gables, South Miami, and Glenvar Heights. Enrollment, construction, and local market data.
Coral Gables vs. Pinecrest: Which Miami Neighborhood Is Right for You?
Both offer top-rated schools, generous lots, and a polished reputation. But a $535,000 difference at the median (April 2025 to March 2026) and distinct lifestyles mean the right choice depends on what you actually value. Inside is a side-by-side breakdown.
Why Glenvar Heights Remains Miami's Best-Kept Secret
Lot size, mature canopy, and a track record of appreciation. The Glenvar Heights story buyers are starting to notice.
Palmetto Bay vs. Kendall: Suburban Value Compared
Palmetto Bay's reported prices run roughly double Kendall's, across sources that measure different things. What the extra money buys: Biscayne Bay access, larger lots, and a village character that Kendall does not offer.
Investing & Market Trends
New Construction vs. Renovation in Miami: A Cost-Per-Square-Foot Breakdown for 2026
The teardown-rebuild trend is accelerating across established SW Miami-Dade neighborhoods. Full cost breakdown for both paths, with the actual numbers and trade-offs for Glenvar Heights, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, and South Miami.
Is Glenvar Heights a Good Investment? A Data-Driven Analysis
Redfin's all-property median rose 28% year over year to $655,000 (February 2026), while the single-family median sits at $1,650,000. What those two numbers say about Glenvar Heights as an investment, and what they leave out.
Miami Median Home Price: What a House Actually Costs
The median single-family home in Miami-Dade is $699,990, up 3.7% year over year. What that number hides, and what a house actually costs across eight neighborhoods.
Miami Real Estate and the Remote Work Migration: What the Data Shows
Miami-Dade was the second-fastest-growing county in the United States from 2023 to 2024, adding over 64,000 residents. Remote work did not start that migration, but it accelerated it, and the neighborhoods absorbing it are specific.
Understanding Cap Rates and Cash Flow in Miami Rental Properties
Miami's average gross rental yield runs near 7%, roughly a full point above the national average. But gross yield is not cash flow. The numbers that matter for an investment decision, and how to read them.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Miami market conditions shift quarter to quarter and vary significantly by neighborhood and price band. Rather than rely on a snapshot that goes stale quickly, Jorge publishes a full quarterly market report covering inventory, median sale prices, days on market, and price-per-square-foot trends for each of his service areas. The latest report is available in the Market Intelligence section of this site, and Jorge is happy to walk through the numbers for a specific neighborhood or price range on a call.
Miami-Dade is split into multiple FEMA flood zones. Zone X is low risk, and flood insurance is not federally required, even with a mortgage, though some lenders still recommend it. Zones A, AE, and VE are high or very high risk, and flood insurance is mandatory if you have a federally backed mortgage. Costs vary dramatically based on elevation and zone. A home in Zone X might run $300 to $500 per year. A home in AE or VE can cost $2,000 to $8,000 or more. Before you make an offer on any property in Miami, you need to know the flood zone, because flood insurance is a real carrying cost that affects your monthly payment. Jorge pulls the flood zone for every property he works with, estimates the annual flood insurance cost, and factors it into the true cost of ownership. If a property sits in a high-risk zone, he also checks whether an elevation certificate can lower the premium. This is the kind of detail that separates informed buyers from surprised ones.
It depends on your strategy. Cash flow on single-family rentals can be tight because purchase prices are high relative to rental income. But long-term appreciation has historically been strong, and Miami draws international capital that stabilizes demand. The strongest investment plays tend to be in neighborhoods with top-rated schools, owner-occupant demand, and steady appreciation, which is exactly where Jorge focuses. He pulls rental comps, projects cap rates, and walks you through the math so you can see whether a property pencils out as a hold. The quarterly market reports on this site also break down price appreciation by neighborhood over the past 12 months, so you can spot which areas are moving and which have cooled.
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