I am insane. Moving to Miami with a very large family. And a toddler. Oh the humanity. I have ?s. (Coral Gables: homeowners insurance, daycare)

[newfrontalex]

Hi all. I have been lurking on these forums for years. Now it's my turn to abuse your knowledge. Finally. I am 34, my wife is 26, we have an incredible 2 year old and some loving grandparents ready to leave the dustbowl that is Phoenix. I can't stand the dirt and dust so it's time to move after 20 years in Phx. I have read every single thread going back two years (not a joke) and have visited Miami over a dozen times in last few years and I am still extremely confused as to where in Miami exactly I should live.

Priority 1: toddler. I really am looking for the best possible daycare regardless of cost. Period. I really mean best of the best. I also would like for him to grow up and go into an elementary school which will allow him to enjoy his early years.

Priority 2: grandparents. Both two years away from retirement, so home will need to be a duplex or a large home with a large guest casita.

Priority 3: walking area/neighborhood- I am talking about literally stepping out of my house, walking, jogging, or riding my bike to the neighborhood park. In the same neighborhood I live, not two miles away.

Priority 4: proximity to my office near 50th and Biscayne.

As you can probably tell, my wife I are nowhere on this list of priorities. We will just be happy to be within a driving distance to a warm body of water.

Budget: 900k.

I would appreciate all input with concrete examples like "don't move to such and such road or avoid this part of this neighborhood" please. I speak fluent Spanish (even though I come from a 4th world European country originally) and don't care if the neighborhood is largely Latino or not so long as it addresses the priorities above accordingly. Thanks all!
Alex

[Mr. Loco]

yes, you are insane!

[newfrontalex]

Says Mr. Crazy himself. See what I did there? Yeah, I know, not funny to me either.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by newfrontalex

Hi all. I have been lurking on these forums for years. Now it's my turn to abuse your knowledge. Finally. I am 34, my wife is 26, we have an incredible 2 year old and some loving grandparents ready to leave the dustbowl that is Phoenix. I can't stand the dirt and dust so it's time to move after 20 years in Phx. I have read every single thread going back two years (not a joke) and have visited Miami over a dozen times in last few years and I am still extremely confused as to where in Miami exactly I should live.

Priority 1: toddler. I really am looking for the best possible daycare regardless of cost. Period. I really mean best of the best. I also would like for him to grow up and go into an elementary school which will allow him to enjoy his early years.

Priority 2: grandparents. Both two years away from retirement, so home will need to be a duplex or a large home with a large guest casita.

Priority 3: walking area/neighborhood- I am talking about literally stepping out of my house, walking, jogging, or riding my bike to the neighborhood park. In the same neighborhood I live, not two miles away.

Priority 4: proximity to my office near 50th and Biscayne.

As you can probably tell, my wife I are nowhere on this list of priorities. We will just be happy to be within a driving distance to a warm body of water.

Budget: 900k.

I would appreciate all input with concrete examples like "don't move to such and such road or avoid this part of this neighborhood" please. I speak fluent Spanish (even though I come from a 4th world European country originally) and don't care if the neighborhood is largely Latino or not so long as it addresses the priorities above accordingly. Thanks all!
Alex

Easy.

Coral Gables (33146 or 33134) or Pinecrest (33156). A bit of a commute to work, but in the midst of some of the best family neighborhoods, close proximity to some of the best schools, and even possibly walkable neighborhoods with parks and shops, especially Coral Gables. In fact, there is a recent detailed thread about walkable neighborhoods.

In those neighborhoods, $900k will buy you an around 2,300 sq.ft., 3-5 bedroom single family home (in few cases a separate "in-law" structure is available), built in the 1960s-1980s that most likely will need further investment for repair and to bring it up to current "hurricane" code. Lots are bigger in Pinecrest - 35,000 sq.ft. is typical, 15,000 sq.ft. is also available -, but you are further from the urban core, while in Coral Gables around 10,000 sq.ft. is typical, but you are closer to the urban core and Coral Gables is urban to significant extent in its own right.

If an older SFH is not up to code, expect to pay as much as $10,000-$12,000 for home owner's insurance for around 2,300 sq.ft. (even up to $15,000 for 3,000 sq.ft.) and, at $900,000, around $12,000-$15,000 in property tax, depending on assessed value and homestead expemptions.

In those neighborhoods, there are a few newer 3-4 bedroom townhouses available at around that price-point as well, maybe a bit less, but they are rarely on the market.

Miami is certainly not New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, but it does offer national and international opportunities for young people, especially if they know Spanish and/or Portuguese, and it offers relatively clean air and warmth for old people and people of all ages.

Good Luck!

[newfrontalex]

Thanks Bale. I didn't actually like Pinecrest. Felt a bit sleepy IMO. CG is definitely good (any insight on silly zoning laws?), but I would love to know if Miami Shores/Upper East Side is similar in terms of quality of life since they're so close to my office? Thanks!

[himain]

Excuse me Bale but you are way off base.

I was born and raised in Pinecrest. For $900k you can get much bigger than a 2300 sq ft house. And you quotes for homeowners insurance and taxes is way off base too. What planet are you on???

NewfrontAlex-Do not listen to Bale. It's false information. Go on realtor.com and pull up zipcode 33156. You'll find plenty of houses less than $900k that will fit your needs with many options. I wouldn't go into Coral Gables as it's more tax wise and they have ridiculous "laws" there. You'll get more bang for your buck in Pinecrest. If you want to even go just a tad bit south-Check out Palmetto Bay-33157. Less money but just as good area as well.

You can DM me or respond here for more questions.

[himain]

Originally Posted by newfrontalex

Thanks Bale. I didn't actually like Pinecrest. Felt a bit sleepy IMO. CG is definitely good (any insight on silly zoning laws?), but I would love to know if Miami Shores/Upper East Side is similar in terms of quality of life since they're so close to my office? Thanks!

Pinecrest is not sleepy. They have A rated schools that many people lie to get their kids into. If you are looking for the right schools and right environment for your family, you cannot beat Pinecrest.

[newfrontalex]

Thanks Himain. I found some duplexes in CG for under 800k but wasn't sure how good that particular area was (Segovia St). Maybe we need to revisit Pinecrest (which we plan on in a few weeks again). Is there a part of Pinecrest (and CG for that matter) that are "rough"?

[himain]

I don't understand why you want to spend $800K on a duplex when you can clearly get a house with separate in law quarters for that same price. You need to do more research. No place in Pinecrest or CG is "rough". The "rough" people could never afford to live there.

[n2da2nd]

I vouch for Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay. Himain is right, why would you want to get a duplex while you can get a single home?