New Developments in Surfside: How to Compare Projects

When several new projects are selling at once in Surfside, the temptation is to compare them by price per square metre and by the amenity list. Neither is comparable until you first equalise what is being measured.

Two projects can advertise the same unit size and measure it differently: one includes the terrace and the wall thickness, the other counts only habitable interior space. One delivers a fitted kitchen, the other offers it as a paid option. One projects association budgets based on a full building, the other publishes none. Comparing before you equalise the unit of measure and the delivery standard produces a conclusion that looks financial and is merely copywriting.

In Surfside you buy by asking the building for paperwork before you ask the unit, and that is what sets it apart along this coast. Structural scrutiny of oceanfront condominium stock is, on this stretch, the most demanding in the county, and the practical consequence is that the building's file outweighs the buyer's: the lender and the carrier want to see inspection history, the reserve study, and the minutes in which the board decided what to repair and how to pay for it, before they look at the solvency of whoever signs. For someone who cannot show up in person that means two separate, mandatory counterparts: the manager or the board, which holds the minutes, the budget and the assessments already voted, and the town counter, which keeps the recertification file and any open correction orders. Ask the manager which assessments are approved and which are still under study; ask the town whether there are open files on that address; ask your closing attorney what the estoppel says about debts and pending approvals; and ask the lender what it requires from the building, not from you, in order to approve.

What is specific to Surfside

What to verify, step by step

1. Ask each project for its finishes schedule and lay them side by side: that is the document stating what is delivered installed and what is billed separately.
2. Ask each one how it measures the advertised area and request the dimensioned plan of the specific unit, not the typical floor.
3. Request the estimated association budget and the reserve study if one exists, and compare the line items rather than the total.
4. Compare orientation, height and the neighbouring unit on the full floor plan, because those cannot be changed later while amenity lists can grow.
5. Separate the verifiable from the promised: the permit and the land are checked at the county; a beach club or a hotel brand are clauses you have to read.
6. Run the comparison with a Florida-licensed broker who does not work exclusively for one of the projects.

Mistakes that cost money

• Comparing price per square metre across projects that measure area differently: the conclusion comes out backwards.
• Deciding on the amenity list, which is the easiest thing to change and the thing that later drives association dues up.
• Comparing a permitted project against one that only owns land as if they were the same offer.

Frequently asked questions

What can actually be compared between two projects?

The finishes schedule, the dimensioned unit plan, the orientation, the state of the permit file and the contract clauses. Those are documents, not sales arguments.

So price per square metre is useless?

It is useful only after confirming that both projects measure area the same way and deliver an equivalent finish level. Without that it is a figure with no common denominator.

Can association dues be compared before delivery?

You can compare the estimated budget each developer projects, requested in writing. It is their estimate, not a settled figure, and it is worth reading line by line.

Where to check it

• Miami-Dade Permitting and Inspection Center — open or closed building permits on an address
• Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser — record card, area, year built and parcel history
• Florida DBPR, Division of Condominiums — state rules on condominiums and associations
• Florida DBPR — whether a broker, appraiser or contractor holds a current licence
• Town of Surfside — the rules of the municipality Surfside belongs to

Official bodies. Specific figures are requested there, not copied from a listing.

Updated 2026-11-06