SOUTH FLORIDA NEWS - Larry Mastropieri

A Luxury 'Auto Condo' Club Is Coming to West Palm Beach

A Miami developer wants to turn a 1950s bowling alley into a members-only country club for cars, where collectors buy a private garage rather than rent one. Here is what Palm Beach Auto Haus is, and why it fits West Palm Beach so well.

Key Takeaways

• Palm Beach Auto Haus would bring 20 private car-storage condos across two stories to West Palm Beach.
• Buyers own their unit outright and share amenities like padel courts, a co-working space, and a racing studio.
• The roughly 111,637-square-foot project, by Miami's Newgard Group, would replace a 1950s bowling alley.

A Miami-based developer has filed plans for Palm Beach Auto Haus, a two-story building of private, high-end car-storage units at 2500 North Florida Mango Road in West Palm…

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Florida Property Tax Cut Approved: The 2026 Buyer Deadline

The Florida Legislature just approved Governor DeSantis's property tax cut plan and sent it to the November 2026 ballot. If voters approve it, homesteaded homeowners could see their property taxes dramatically reduced or eliminated. But there's a catch: if you buy after January 1, 2027, you may have to wait 5 years to qualify.

Key Takeaways

• The Legislature voted 75-26 in the House and 30-9 in the Senate on June 2, 2026, sending the measure to the November ballot.
• The plan raises the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, eliminating property taxes for approximately 60% of Florida homesteaded homeowners.
• If you buy after January 1, 2027, you may have to wait up to five years to qualify for the full exemption.

On…

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Deerfield Beach vs Pompano Beach: Quiet Luxury or Boom Towers?

Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach sit side by side on Florida's Atlantic coast but offer two completely different versions of luxury living. Here is how their high-end real estate markets, waterfront access, new construction, and lifestyle actually compare.

Quick verdict: Deerfield Beach vs Pompano Beach luxury

Choosing between Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach for luxury comes down to whether you want established quiet or emerging growth, and how much premium you are willing to pay for new construction. Deerfield Beach is a low-key, residential luxury market built around boutique oceanfront condos near the pier and Intracoastal estates, with the famed Hillsboro Mile luxury corridor in the adjacent Town of Hillsboro Beach next door. Barrier-island…

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Pierre Delray II Upgrades Downtown With a Class A Building

A parking lot at the busiest end of Atlantic Avenue is becoming a 3-story Class A building with ground-floor retail. Construction is underway in downtown Delray Beach, and here is everything you need to know.

Key Takeaways

• A building permit was issued in July 2025, with completion targeted for 2027.
• Pierre Delray II is an expanded version of the first plan, adding a second lot next door so a larger building could go up.
• New Class A commercial space rarely opens directly on Atlantic Avenue.

One of the last surface lots on the prime stretch of Delray Beach's main commercial strip, at 298 East Atlantic Avenue, is being replaced by a three-story mixed-use building. The ground level will hold shops, and the floors above will hold something…

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The Domaine at SoSo: 30 Townhomes From $900K in West Palm

Yes, the neighborhood is actually called SoSo. No, we're not making that up. But the name aside, PulteGroup is building 30 luxury townhomes here starting in the low $900,000s, and when a national public builder makes that kind of bet, it's worth paying attention.

Key Takeaways

• PulteGroup has started construction on The Domaine at SoSo, a gated community of 30 three-story luxury townhomes at 432 Nottingham Boulevard.
• Pricing starts in the low $900,000s, with two floor plans ranging from approximately 2,100 to 2,400 square feet.
• The project is located west of Federal Highway, a location choice that signals SoSo's expansion as a luxury submarket.

According to the South Florida Business Journal, PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM) has launched…

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Why Deerfield Beach Is South Florida's Next Luxury Hotspot

This stretch of Broward coastline sits quietly between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, and buyers chasing oceanfront value are starting to circle it. With small boutique condo buildings, a Blue Wave beach, and prices well under the big-ticket markets next door, more investors keep adding the city to their shortlist.

Key Takeaways

• Deerfield Beach's citywide median sale price was about $366,000 as of November 2025, up 4.6% from a year earlier.
• Barrier-island homes ran near a $610,000 median in the three months through April 2026, taking close to 140 days to sell.
• Slower sales point to buyer leverage today, while scarce beachfront land protects values over the long run.

For years the South Florida luxury talk centered on Miami Beach,…

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$11M Hammocks HOA Fraud Case: What Homeowners Need to Know

The former president of South Florida's largest HOA pleaded guilty to racketeering and grand theft. $11 million stolen. 18,000 residents affected. If you're buying into an HOA, here's what this case reveals about the risks and realities of association living.

Key Takeaways

• Marglli Gallego, former president of the Hammocks HOA, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for stealing $11 million from residents.
• The fraud ran from 2017 to 2021 using shell companies, ghost employees, and inflated invoices.
• This is the longest prison sentence ever given to an HOA board president in the United States.

According to The Real Deal, Marglli Gallego pleaded guilty to racketeering and grand theft on April 30, 2026. She was sentenced to 7 years in prison…

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South Florida Bankruptcies Up While Luxury Thrives: Explained

Luxury condos are selling. Construction loans are closing. Record prices keep making headlines. But behind that, 836 South Florida businesses filed for bankruptcy in 2025, up 30% from the year before. Two economies, same zip code. Here's what's actually happening.

Key Takeaways

• South Florida recorded 836 business bankruptcy filings in 2025, up approximately 30% from 2024.
• Florida ranked third nationally for business bankruptcies with 2,480 filings, behind California and Texas.
• The increase reflects a normalization from artificially low pandemic-era levels, not a collapse.

According to the South Florida Business Journal, citing a new study by The Kaplan Group analyzing federal judiciary data from 2019 through 2025, South Florida's…

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Buyer Beware: Aston Martin Residences Faces Two Lawsuits

The world's first Aston Martin-branded residential tower in Downtown Miami is now facing two separate lawsuits filed within ten weeks of each other. One alleges fraud. The other alleges construction defects. Here's what's actually happening.

Key Takeaways

• The condo association filed two lawsuits against the developer and contractors in February and April 2026.
• The first lawsuit alleges fraud, self-dealing, and the omission of amenities, including a marina and a helipad.
• The second lawsuit alleges construction defects including cracked balcony concrete, waterproofing failures, and seawall corrosion.

Aston Martin Residences at 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way in Downtown Miami is a 66-story, 391-unit tower that opened 99% presold in April…

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Related Group Downsizes Plantation Project by 127 Units

The approved Plantation mixed-use project from Related Group and BH Group is being cut from 512 units to 385, along with other retail reductions. Why is this strategy so different from their $360 million bet in Hollywood? Here's the breakdown.

Key Takeaways

• Related Group and BH Group are seeking city approval to shrink their project at 8601 West Sunrise Boulevard from 512 units to 385.
• Commercial space is being cut by 51.5%, and the height is dropping from 8 stories to 6.
• The same developers just closed a $360 million construction loan for Icon Beach in Hollywood, signaling confidence in for-sale luxury but caution in Broward rentals.

Related Group and BH Group paid $13 million in 2023 for a 13.7-acre former AT&T training center at…

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