Miami Becomes The Next Singapore in Finance

That's nothing new really, been going on for the last 15yrs already. Miami will always be a hot area when it comes to real estate and urban development. Does not mean the city will become the next Wall St though.


hence the reason I said what I said in my post. Maybe reading is not your thing. :). What is going on now is much bigger than 2000-2006. much bigger.
 
Very possible! But, Cuba will need a Lee Kwan Yew. Unfortunately, America might call him a New Communist and undermine him. We have a problem with absolute power.

Just a few generations ago, Singapore was a fishing village on a hunk of rock without deep ties to Chinese money. Malaysians laughed when they declared independence and said that they would starve in a few years. Cuba has so much more going for it.
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Been to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur this week, KL is about 50% Chinese, the locals must be bitter in KL their parents/grandparents didn't move to Singapore when it was still Malaysian, the wealth gap between both cities looks huge now. Singapore is one of those striking instances that casts doubts to the idea western style pseudo democracies are the panacea.
Go see fat guy to all fellow traders btw.
 
hence the reason I said what I said in my post. Maybe reading is not your thing. :). What is going on now is much bigger than 2000-2006. much bigger.

Nope, all relative, just a continuation of what started years ago and got interrupted by the crash.
 
Nope, all relative, just a continuation of what started years ago and got interrupted by the crash.


Years ago buyers put 5% down and bought, today The Related group ( biggest condo developer in Florida and perhaps the US ) takes 50% down payments on Condos that are years from being built and some are 100% sold. So no its not all relative. Not only that but the cities infrastructure is being enhanced to accomadate the explosion. Come on down and see for yourself. Miami World and Brickell city center are humongous projects. Brickell City center has 3000 condos , 8 million sq feet of malls , restaurants, hotels etc....and that in a 3 city block area only. Dont even get me started on Miami World and they rest of south florida..The design district once a place you couldnt get out of your car without being mugged now houses , Gucci, Tom Ford, Louis Vitton, Rolex. Once $200 a sq ft for retail space is now going for $1600. Higher end condos are fetching $2000 a sq ft. All this with Banks not lending like back in the hey days.Thats real change brah.peace
 
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Years ago buyers put 5% down and bought, today The Related group ( biggest condo developer in Florida and perhaps the US ) takes 50% down payments on Condos that are years from being built and some are 100% sold. So no its not all relative. Not only that but the cities infrastructure is being enhanced to accomadate the explosion. Come on down and see for yourself. Miami World and Brickell city center are humongous projects. Brickell City center has 3000 condos , 8 million sq feet of malls , restaurants, hotels etc....and that in a 3 city block area only. Dont even get me started on Miami World and they rest of south florida..The design district once a place you couldnt get out of your car without being mugged now houses , Gucci, Tom Ford, Louis Vitton, Rolex. Once $200 a sq ft for retail space is now going for $1600. Higher end condos are fetching $2000 a sq ft. All this with Banks not lending like back in the hey days.Thats real change brah.peace

Dude, we got it, clearly you are one of those who gets an erection every time you see a new tall bulding, however this is about whether or not Miami will become the next big financial hub. Let us know once you have something to contribute to the actual topic. In the meantime, I am sure you will find plenty of forums with fellow realtors out there.
 
Very possible! But, Cuba will need a Lee Kwan Yew. Unfortunately, America might call him a New Communist and undermine him. We have a problem with absolute power.

Just a few generations ago, Singapore was a fishing village on a hunk of rock without deep ties to Chinese money. Malaysians laughed when they declared independence and said that they would starve in a few years. Cuba has so much more going for it.

However, there is this thing about every ex-Spanish colony.....Some kind of ingrained corruption that is hard to overcome. It's centuries of indoctrination....constabulary abuse, graft, corruption etc etc. Take the Philippines, for example. The number one economy (and a protectorate of the US) after we layed waste to Japan with nukes in WWII. They didn't drop the ball, they forgot to pick it up.

I see on the BBC that Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary of Independence this year, so that is more than it took to make a difference. I remember in 1978 going from Malaysia to Singapore and a Malaysian dollar (ringgit? Not sure when that started) was worth less than a Singapore dollar, about 1.10:1.00. Per capita GDP was not so much different. Haven't been to either place for 8 years now but last time it was 3.3+ ringgit to 1 USD and 2.2+ Sing dollars to the USD. Per capita GDP is hugely different. I am an unabashed fan of Lee Kuan Yew; he may not be the worlds most exemplary democrat, but he is a great example of a leader who delivers what the majority of his people want. I have lived and worked there and the vast majority of Singaporeans I know are quite happy with the way things are done. That was the essence of the deal, if you would let him, LKY promised he would get things done and deliver all you could reasonably expect. Some liberals may complain, and I am not faulting them, but the locals are happy and it is good enough to attract the likes of Jim Rogers. Income disparity is becoming a bit large, but I'm sure they will address that in the same way they have addressed all the other issues.

As for Miami, they obviously have some fabulous weed there and Surf was smoking that when he posted; imagination can run wild with a good joint.
 
They probably downloaded his programming to Goh Chok Tong since they worked together for a long time. : ) So, there succession system has a lot of stability. I am not versed in political economy to say that their system will lead to it's own decline.

But, the income disparity can probably be fixed by simple social engineering which they have a lot of flexibility of doing. Don't they have a social safety net better than our American SS?

My impression was that old lady who cleaned the lavatory for dime tips drove off in a Benz at the end of the day.
 
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I am from Miami, work in finance and been following the mkts since 2005 or so. This story has been going on since I can remember. It is BS. First of all, Singapore became hot because of the extremely favorable taxation for corps and funds, and because it was for many a place to hide money.

Other than the no state tax thing, Miami does not have any of that. All I see in Miami is a bunch of big firms with their financial advisers flirting with South American clients, that's it. Hedge Funds and prop trading firms come and go and the talent is simply not here. Spoke to at least two prop trading firms that were here (First NY and Trillium) and in both cases they were either shutting down or downsizing.

Plenty of rich people in Miami, but most of them spend only a few months per year here to have fun, then they go back north were they really make their money and usually use their local broker there. The rich money that stays here is old money, people retiring...nothing exciting in other words.

Btw the firms that deal with Latin clients (UBS, Credit Suisse, HSBC and Merrill) are under so much scrutiny all the times that it is a pain in the ass to transact business that way. Already Brazil has gone after a few clients and Merrill brokers for helping Brazilians hide money here. It is only going to get worse with time.

That's a valuable, feet on the ground with local knowledge post. But there have been lots of news of hedge funds setting up in Palm Beach. I live in Manhattan and hate the taxes and weather and overall cost of living. I can see the allure. Good post, thanks
 
Let me add that Latin America has a lot of dirty money. Miami can be the next Switzerland if it overcomes the new Anti-terrorism and money laundering laws (Not Likely).

But to play things "straight up" like Singapore. no way. GS had 3 analysts in NY for ASEAN markets during the 1990's economic miracle. The game is played locally with road shows, hookers and blow ( well, scotch really which I may have had too much.)
 
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