If you’re a current Miami homeowner, or a potential buyer; I’ve got good news for you: Miami home prices increased an incredible 9.5% in 2014!

According to the S&P Case-Shiller indices, of the 20 largest cities in the United States; Miami home prices rose more than any other city. The National S&P Case-Shiller index gained only 4.5% percent year-over-year, but Miami more than doubled that average. If you’re a current Miami homeowner, or potential seller; your investment is doing quite well! For those of you that are looking to buy real estate in Miami, you can be happy that, in at least the short-term, your new investment is likely to continue appreciating. Now is a great time to get into the Miami real estate market!

Miami median home sale prices 1993-2014

Miami home prices are the highest that they have been since May 2008, right before the market declined, but even with these impressive value increases, homes are still 32% below their 2006 peak.

While Miami home prices rose in October 2014, prices aren’t increasing quite as fast as they did in 2013. 2015 is likely to bring back that fast pace in prices though, because so much new construction inventory will become available this year in Brickell, Downtown and Miami Beach.

Check out our Westside Estate Agency Miami monthly Miami real estate market update for more statistics!

If you, or anyone you know would like assistance with buying or selling luxury property here in Miami or Miami Beach, please feel free to Contact Stavros Mitchelides at Westside Estate Agency Miami.

Miami Beach consistently ranks in the top 100 most livable cities in the United States, according to rankings by Livability.com.

Livability cites Miami Beach’s seven miles of beach, three golf courses, 20 parks, endless shopping, dining, nightlife, museums, and cultural attractions among its best features.

“Sultry beaches, sizzling restaurants, wild nightclubs and the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world make Miami Beach one hot place to live,” Livability said. “Golf courses, museums and shopping centers provide more entertainment options. Miami Beach has attracted a diverse group of residents and draws thousands of tourists.”

So for all of those that now want to move here, the big question is…

Should you rent or buy a home in Miami Beach?

The Miami Beach median household income is $47,216 a year. The US average is $28,555 a year. Miami Beach currently has a median home price of $376,000, and a population of 91,784. The average rent in Miami Beach is $2086. So should you rent or buy a home in Miami Beach? Using these figures, it makes much more sense for you to buy a home in Miami Beach, rather than rent a home in Miami Beach, with a savings of more than 35% by buying rather than renting. Trulia found in a study in October 2015 that buying is 23 percent cheaper than renting nationally, but in Miami there’s an even bigger difference: it is 43% cheaper to buy a home here rather than rent.

Miami Beach home buying isn’t without risk though; many of the home sales here are discretionary purchases, meaning that they are purchased as investments or as vacation properties; both of which are highly subject to economic booms and busts. Additionally, when politics in Latin American countries become volatile, those foreign buyers flock to Miami to park their assets in Miami Beach real estate. This fluctuation in foreign property investment typically will profoundly boost the local market at times, and hurt it at others.

Contact Stavros Mitchelides, Miami Beach Realtor to chat about your needs, or if you’re ready to begin looking for your new Miami home, start your Miami real estate search now!