A Love Letter to Miami · The Buildings We Choose
Dear future condo owner,
You will fall for a view. Everybody does. The light on the bay, a balcony high enough to make the traffic disappear, a lobby that feels like a hotel. I fall for those things too.
But in Miami, you don’t only buy a unit. You buy a share of a building: its roof, its concrete, its elevators, its insurance and its savings account. Two towers on the same street can share a view and have very different futures. The listing photos rarely tell you which one you’re looking at.
I trained as an engineer before I was a Realtor, and I still read a building the way I used to read a maintenance plan: what has been done, what is due, and who is paying for it.
The view is the feeling. The building is the fact.
A unit is what you see on a showing. The building is what you live with for the next ten years. Before you compare prices, compare buildings. Here are the four documents I ask for first.
1. The structural integrity reserve study (SIRS)
Florida now requires condominium buildings three stories or taller to have a structural integrity reserve study, updated every ten years. It looks at the parts that hold the building up and keep the water out (roof, structure, waterproofing, windows, plumbing, electrical) and estimates what they will cost to repair or replace, and when.
What to look for: how much the association has saved compared with what the study recommends. A building that is saving on schedule is a building that plans. A building that is far behind may need to catch up through higher fees or special assessments.
2. The milestone inspection
Condominium buildings three stories or taller need a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year they turn 30, and every ten years after that. A licensed engineer or architect checks the structure. If they find signs of deterioration, a more detailed second phase follows.
What to look for: whether it is done, what it found, and whether any recommended repairs are finished or still waiting.
3. The association budget
The budget shows where your monthly fee goes and how much of it goes into reserves. Compare fees per square foot with similar buildings nearby. A fee that looks low can be a fee that isn’t saving enough.
What to look for: reserve contributions that line up with the reserve study, and board minutes that mention upcoming projects before they become surprises.
4. The insurance policy
Insurance is one of the biggest lines in a Miami condo budget. Ask what the master policy covers, its deductible, and how the premium has changed at the last few renewals.
What to look for: a building that can explain its coverage and its renewals clearly. Then ask your own agent what your unit policy needs to cover.
What you’re entitled to see
When you buy a resale condo in Florida, the seller must give you, among other documents, the inspector’s milestone inspection summary (if one applies) and the most recent structural integrity reserve study, or a statement that none has been completed. Read them before you fall any further. If something in them worries you, a real estate attorney is the right person to ask.
Before you commit
Love at first sight is great. Context is better. Date the building, not just the view: tour it, read its documents, ask the board’s questions, and compare it with the tower next door.
Love, Data, and the market right now
In September 2026, ZIP 33180 (Aventura) had 15.0 months of supply and a median of 83 days on market. That means buyers there have time to compare buildings before they choose. Source: RPR, ZIP 33180, September 2026. Information is not guaranteed.
Want help reading a building? Send me the building name and I’ll tell you which documents to ask for and what I’d look at first. WhatsApp me at (786) 788-3821, or start with Find Your Miami Match.
Read more letters in the Journal · Dear Aventura,
Love, Isolda
The City I Love. The Data I Follow. The Life We Build. Isolda Medina PA · Avanti Way Realty East Miami
Florida condominium rules summarized from Chapter 718, Florida Statutes, as amended by HB 913 (2025, effective July 1, 2025), per the Florida House of Representatives staff analysis. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm the requirements for a specific building with a Florida real estate attorney. Equal Housing Opportunity.