Vita Grove Isle

My first glimpse of the project through the developer’s renderings and videos. Curious to know more I visited the sale center. As I have 15+ years of experience selling real estate and sold hundreds of new construction units, I know what to pay attention to and what questions to ask. Being very familiar with Vita’s location, finishes, and floor plans and being able to stack this up against the competition, I believe I can give you an unbiased review.

This article is a starting point. Please contact me at (305) 508-0899 to get granular and discuss your personal needs and goals. Our motto is: ‘help the clients make a better decision’, and I hope this article will help you.

Construction Update as per Q1 2024

1, Direct Access to Floor Plans, Renderings, Prices and Condo Rankings

2  Video interview with Vita’s developer

3. The Location of Vita Grove Isle

First of all, the location of Vita Grove Isle in Coconut Grove. Coconut Grove is the most organic and charming neighborhood in Miami. The town is close to Brickell, the Beach, Coral Gables, and the airport. Coconut Grove is a homely neighborhood with a little town center where locals meet during the weekend to have breakfast or lunch. A casual yet high-end neighborhood, with a unique vibe. Coconut Grove offers predominantly single-family homes with a few luxurious condos. Demand for these luxury condos has been high. Supply is limited, plus condo sales in the Grove have been robust and are mainly purchased as primary residences, making the market more resilient. Luxury condos in the Grove sell quickly. Examples: Grove at Grand Bay, One Park Grove, and the Mr. C Residences. One Park Grove, which offers large bay-facing units, resale prices saw a massive jump, often at 100% of their original developer price. I am bullish about this project. The nature of this market and the unique features of Vita Grove Isle make it hard to replace.

Vita in Coconut Grove will sit on an island off the coast of Coconut Grove. Apart from this already unique feature, it also guarantees protected views. Views can never be blocked and protect the condominium’s resale values. Before anyone can access the island, visitors will pass a gated entry and guard house. Island location also comes with prestige, privacy, and security. Ugo Colombo will revamp the island with a new seawall, and the island will have a marina with boat slips.

4. The Finishes of Vita Grove Isle

The finishes at Vita are some of the best I have seen in my 15+ years of career. Vita offers finishes not often seen in Miami, not even in ultra-luxury condos. You can contact me for the full list of finishes but here are a few. Vita offers Lift-and-slide doors, that allow for a seamless transition between the indoors and the outdoors without the usual lip. This provides for a cleaner look and of course less dangerous situations with people falling over these lips. Furthermore, the living room doors at Vita can be completely open. Vita at Grove Isle boasts dropped ceilings throughout the entire unit meaning that you can put lighting or air conditioning diffusers anywhere. This is a very unique feature because most condos have dropped ceilings in a specific area. In the kitchen, the designers worked with custom Italian-designed and manufactured kitchen cabinetry and concealed large and small cooking and refrigeration appliances by means of integrated panels and pocket doors

My wife is an interior designer and owner of Design Solutions, a Luxury Interior Design in Miami. Her company spends a lot of time retrofitting and customizing pre-construction units. On average, consider 20% of the unit price to finish it. Vita will require less work to finish than any other condo as it already comes with many desired features, such as trim-less ACs, trim-less sliding doors, and custom millwork. Vita offers only 65 residences and is therefore considered a boutique condo. The limited amount of units allows the developer to spend more time per unit to finish it. A unique project that will be hard to replace.

5. The Floor plans of Vita Grove Isle

Vita at Grove Isle offers several different floor plans that work very well. These floorplans are functional and provide deep balconies and beautiful views. All the floor plans are large with at least three bedrooms, and are well-considered. There are no “cheap seats” in this condo. The residences enjoy 13’5” deep balconies, and all come with a private elevator. The buyers I brought to the project have told me they liked the project for its floating home experience. The residences resemble a house on the water due to their large floor plans and the fact that the condo only covers seven floors.

The developer behind this project is Ego Colombo, someone with a proven track record and high standards. Ugo Colombo’s condos differentiate themselves with large floor plans, which are more suitable for primary residences. Think of well-considered plans with good flow, spacious bedrooms, and enough closet space.

The Penthouses

While all units at Vita offer good floor plans, the choice basically comes down to your preferred view. The Vita penthouses carry an extra value as they are very spacious and come with large rooftop terraces. These large terraces are 40% of the total SF of the unit. Additionally, the penthouses come with proper 5ft pools. For the Penthouses the whole floor was raised 5 ft to have a pool that is deep enough and completely sinks in the terrace (40% of total SF). No glorified bathtubs or Jacuzzi-sized pools at Vita! With Vita Ugo really tried to get another level of sophistication to bring the Miami condo market to the next level.

Residences come with private, enclosed individual garages that allow for self-parking. Additionally, designed with provisions for electric vehicle charging stations and an optional lift for a second vehicle.

6. The Economics Make Sense 

Prices at Vita are attractive with the project selling at an average of $2,250 per SF, which is a competitive price for a condo of this caliber on the water. Firstly, Vita comes with state-of-the-art finishes and will need less time and money spent on customizing the unit for final use.  In the first screen below you can see how Grove Isle stacks up against the competition.

The second screen shows the average sales prices of resale condos in Coconut Grove. I assume you see the steep incline in prices. As mentioned Grove luxury condos are in demand, but there is nothing new coming to market while at desired condos such as One Park Grove, nobody wants to sell.

Comparing the prices of Coconut Grove to other top condos around Miami (Screen 3) you see the price is very competitive. Of course, many of these are located on the beach which gives them much more value.

The second screen in the carousel below shows you the steadiness of the Coconut Grove Luxury condo market. Unlike many other markets, the Coconut Grove market has shown a steady increase in value over the last decades. This primary market shows resilience, even in years when the overall Miami condo market did not perform well.

The last screen shows you the top Miami luxury condos. Vita belongs to this caliber of condos, and as you can see, the price range of these averages at $2,000 per SF.

7. Are there any Downsides?

Alternatives Condos to Vita?

If Vita does not work for you, you might want to consider: One Park Grove, Park Grove Tower Two, Grove at Grand Bay, or the Mr. C Residences.

8. Our Top 10 Condos of 2023-2028

9. Conclusions and Advice

Vita is by far one of my favorite projects in Miami and ranks within my top 3 New Miami condo projects. I’m very bullish about this brand-new condo for a number of reasons. First of all, Ugo Colombo has always been a pioneer in the Miami condo market. He understands what the market wants, does not cut corners, and has a track record of high-performing buildings. He is known for his large plans and that is what Vita offers. This is not a project in which you will see a high number of renters. This is a primary residence, in which there is a lot of attention to small details and finishes that make this condo really stand out in the market. In addition, the views at Vita  are superb and because of the project’s location on Vita, these views will be protected. I think Coconut Grove’s condo market has been waiting for a project like Vita Grove Isle since One Park Grove was delivered (in 2020). As mentioned property values for luxury condos in the Grove have gone up and up for years as demand is extremely high. I’m very positive this condo will not disappoint and is likely to appreciate in value over time.

Why Work with Us?

We enjoy full super-broker status with most of the developments. This means we get first access to information and inventory. As super brokers, we enjoy all the benefits of having this status but by using us you still get independent advice. We are not limited to just one project and are therefore providing you with what the entire market has to offer. We provide you with the pros and cons of the location and the floor plans and we will compare prices with other new and resale condos. There are subtle nuances when it comes to buying pre-construction and therefore it is essential you work with an independent agent who has 17+ years of experience in selling pre-construction. We know the reputation of developers, we know what to look out for and we know what questions to ask.

I have sold hundreds of new construction condos and resale condos over my career. I have provided independent advice about the new condo market for over a decade and I have observed consistent patterns and trends over that time. My experience will not only guide you towards the best unit but also protect you from terrible mistakes. I challenge you to quiz me on any building in any market. I will honestly give you the good, the bad, and the ugly no matter what the cost.