Nukondo: Capturing the International Buyers Market in Miami

South Florida has and continues to be a hotbed for international buyers, according to the 2017 Survey conducted by the Miami Association of REALTORS. Foreign buyers purchased 15,400 residential units (between August 2016 - July 2017), totaling over $7.2 billion in sales in the Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties.

A new real estate tech company called Nukondo is attempting to capitalize on this market segment. Their app provides a platform for real estate developers and new construction brokers to stay informed on the latest luxury projects. It standardizes and distributes this information globally, so that buyers and their agents can decide which condominium is most suited for their needs.

After three months of beta-testing, Nukondo has successfully on-boarded 72 of the most prominent projects in Miami such as One Thousand Museum, Missoni Baia, and Turnberry Ocean Club, with over 10,000+ units in inventory. “Our app helps developers expose their projects globally 24/7, allowing them to speed up sales and cut marketing costs,” says founder Jorge Brugo. “Be informed when you’re searching for that special new condominium and make sound buying decisions.”

Nukondo exposes international buyers to the Miami and Florida markets and directs them to a condominium sales team. In Miami, these international buyers are primarily coming from:

1. Argentina: 15%

2. Venezuela: 11%

3. Canada: 11%

4. Colombia: 9%

5. Brazil: 8%

The company will move into its full release once user feedback and content curation have been finalized. The company plans to scale beyond its pilot market of Miami, into other major U.S. and international metropolitan cities.

Article by: Katya Demina & Stephanie Warren

South Miami Becomes First City in Florida to Mandate Solar Panels on New Homes

South Miami has become the first city in Florida to mandate solar panels on new homes, joining 3 cities in California including San Francisco as the only cities in the U.S. to implement the legislation. The mandate also applies to those seeing to increase the square footage of their home by 75% or more. The legislation states that there must be 2.75 kW for every 1,000 SF of roof space.   

“This is about my children and my grandchildren and your children and grandchildren. We are running out of time. It benefits everybody except auto companies and the utilities,” said South Miami Mayor Phillip Stoddard.

The mandate has been met with opposition from residents, developers and city officials alike, as some feel that it is another case of government overreach. Others argue that the new mandates push the cost of living higher, hurting affordable housing and development in the city.

“All over South Miami, houses are being torn down,”said South Miami City Commissioner Josh Liebman. “This is government bureaucracy on the most micro-level. We must protect freedom of choice.”

Stoddard has advocated for implementing renewable energy solutions and reducing carbon emissions to help combat environmental factors such as global warming and rising sea levels. The final vote is on July 18, 2017 and is expected to pass after city commissioners approved the legislation 4-1 in early July 2017. Tesla's sister company, Solarcity, headed by Elon Musk has made major inroads bringing renewable energy to consumers offering solar panels, an integrated "Solar Roof" that is blended into the roof shingles, and a Powerwall that acts as a generator. Images via Solarcity. 

Tesla Introduces New Powerwall Integrated Solar Panels for Homes to Roll-Out This Summer

Tesla has introduced new Solar Panels designed for residential home use which are integrated with their Powerwall home battery storage system. This major shake-up makes Tesla's solar power technology more attainable for those who do not wish to replace their entire roofs. The Solar Panels will be low profile with no visible mounting hardware and front skirts to hide the panels. They link directly into Tesla's Powerwall home battery storage system. Tesla acquired SolarCity last year in a merger that had many skeptical, but since the partnership has been progressing quite nicely as the panels will be available to consumers this summer.