Florida Property Managers Scramble To Prepare For 2025 Condo Market Volatility

Miami Real Estate Investing Podcast With Peter Zalewski Of Condo Vultures®

The "Special Report: Florida's 2025 Condo Association Financial Cliff" series is brought to you by the Miami Real Estate Investing Podcast.

Expert Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Market Investing Club™ discusses the implications of the upcoming 2025 law requiring Florida condo associations to set aside reserves to prevent disasters like the Surfside condo collapse.

The podcast features Miami Condo Expert Peter Zalewski interviewing Jose Pazos of A-Smart CAM LLC property management in Miami.

Pazos’ property management firm handles the administrative responsibilities of more than 6,000 residences condo and homeowners associations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in South Florida.

It is an anxious time to be a property manager who advises, guides and provides support for condo associations in Florida.

With less 90 days to go until condo associations are forced to adhere to a series of new administrative and financial measures instituted by the Florida Legislature, property management companies are scrambling to prepare for what is expected to be a volatile 2025.

A lot has changed since June 24, 2021 when the Champlain Towers South collapsed on the barrier island in Miami-Dade County. Nearly 100 people died and a $1 billion settlement was reached with the families of the victims.

Some industry watchers have compared it to an inflection point on par with the Category 5 Hurricane Andrew that devastated South Miami-Dade County in August 1992 and led to more stringent building code requirements in South Florida.

Since the 2021 collapse, older units are said to be tougher to sell, insurance prices are spiking year-over-year and association maintenance fees and special assessments are squeezing owners to the brink.

In response to the Surfside disaster, Florida is requiring associations that govern older condo projects to study the structural integrity of all buildings on their properties and begin funding the necessary repairs by January 2025, ending the practice of deferring work and costs.

People are dubbing this moment as the 2025 Condo Association Financial Cliff as it expected to result in significantly higher costs for unit owners.

Industry watchers are at odds as to the direction of the South Florida housing market through the end of 2024 and into next year.

Bullish investors are predicting housing demand will reignite once the Federal Reserve begins to cut interest rates.

Bearish investors contend that condo prices are too high from the run up in work-from-home buyers during the pandemic years and likely to collapse in the months ahead if the economy slows and these transplants leave South Florida.

To stay abreast of the volatile South Florida condo market, we would encourage you to join the newly launched Miami Condo Market Investing Club™ at PeterZalewski.substack.com.

The objective of the Club is to create a community that shares realtime, actionable information on the latest real estate trends, opportunities and service providers in South Florida.

The Club is ideally suited for Do-It-Yourself (DIY) condo buyers who can rely on our latest statistics, expert opinions and access to consulting services.

Additionally, we encourage you to listen or view our podcast wherever you get podcasts. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and/or YouTube.

As a reminder, we are always available for consulting, expert witness work and buyside brokerage services just as we have been since 2006.

For South Florida condo resale information, please call 305.865.5859 or visit CondoVulturesRealty.com