Miami vs. the Caribbean: The New Second-Home Equation for Ultra-Wealthy Buyers
Miami’s second-home story has shifted from lifestyle upgrade to strategic positioning. In recent residential real estate analysis, Miami was ranked as the global epicenter for ultra-wealthy second homes, with roughly 13,200 ultra-high-net-worth individuals reported to own second homes here. At the same time, tax policy headlines, including a proposed California “Billionaire Tax Act” framework described as a one-time 5% excise tax on worldwide net worth above $1 billion, have sharpened the contrast between U.S. metros and offshore alternatives. For South Florida buyers, the real comparison is not “Miami or an island.” It is “Miami plus an island,” or “Miami as the operational base with optionality elsewhere.” The Caribbean remains compelling for privacy, seclusion, and residency pathways in certain jurisdictions. Yet Miami’s advantage is institutional: depth of healthcare, market liquidity and transparency, aviation and marine services, and a year-round social and cultural calendar. This is why the conversation has become less about pure escape and more about building a second-home portfolio that performs under scrutiny, whether that scrutiny is financial, familial, or geopolitical.
Florida Keys Luxury Real Estate in 2024: What the Market Is Really Signaling
From Key West to Key Largo, the Florida Keys luxury market is proving resilient in a more negotiated cycle. Here is what the latest sales, pricing, and waterfront trends suggest for buyers thinking like owners, not speculators.
Quiet Coastal Enclaves in South Florida: Where Privacy Still Feels Personal
South Florida’s most enduring luxury addresses are not always the loudest. Beyond the globally branded islands and headline listings, a second map of wealth runs along barrier islands and Intracoastal towns where scarcity is geographic, not promotional. This guide looks at the enclaves where low density, ocean access, and club culture create privacy by design, and where new, service-forward residences are adding a modern option for buyers who still value discretion.
Gables Estates vs. Star Island: Two Ways to Own the Very Top of South Florida
In South Florida, “best address” can mean two very different things. One is a private, guard-gated mainland enclave in Coral Gables where estate lots, governance, and year-round residency dominate the conversation. The other is a controlled-access island in Biscayne Bay, synonymous with celebrity lore and record-setting trophy trades. Gables Estates and Star Island each represent extreme scarcity, but they express it differently: one through a limited, community-like waterfront inventory, the other through a single causeway and a head-turning public narrative. Below, MILLION Luxury frames what the recent headline deals, home-value data, and neighborhood structure suggest for buyers who want discretion, security, and long-term positioning.
Tennis Courts as the New Luxury Signal in South Florida Real Estate
From Miami Beach compounds to Key Biscayne resort communities, tennis courts have become one of South Florida’s clearest indicators of a lifestyle-first, amenity-driven luxury home. This editorial examines why courts command attention, how private and shared facilities impact value, and what discerning buyers should verify before making an offer.
The Mansion-in-the-Sky Standard: Where South Florida’s Most Private Penthouses Now Compete With Estates
From Fisher Island’s ferry-served seclusion to Sunny Isles’ engineered privacy and Brickell’s service-driven towers, South Florida’s top penthouses increasingly deliver estate-level living in the sky. This guide breaks down what sophisticated buyers should look for: layered arrival, full-floor planning, terrace-first living, staff infrastructure, and the subtle design choices that protect discretion without sacrificing the city’s best views.
