Miami is a fast-moving, hyper-local market where the right block can make a big difference in price, rent potential, flood risk, and zoning. A map-first platform like EarthPlat helps you see parcels, regulations, and comps in one place so you can move from idea to offer with fewer surprises. This guide lays out a step-by-step Miami workflow you can adapt whether you’re a homebuyer, investor, or developer.

1) Set your brief and budget
- Property goal: primary home, short- or long-term rental, value-add flip, or development.
- Geography: pick 2–4 target areas (for example, Brickell/Edgewater for condos, Little Havana/Allapattah for multifamily, Coconut Grove/Coral Gables for single-family, Doral/Kendall for newer suburban inventory, Miami Beach/Aventura/Sunny Isles for waterfront/condos).
- Constraints: purchase price, monthly budget, financing type, timeline.
- Investor targets: minimum cash-on-cash or IRR, unit mix, renovation budget, hold period.

2) Map your search in EarthPlat
- Draw or select target polygons so you can monitor only the blocks that matter.
- Filter by property type, year built, square footage, lot size, price, days on market, and other relevant fields.
- Save searches and set alerts so you see new or price-reduced opportunities in real time.

3) Add Miami-specific risk and regulation layers
Use the relevant layers available in your EarthPlat account and verify critical items with official sources.

- Flood and storm exposure
- FEMA flood zones (AE, VE) and base flood elevation.
- Storm surge and sea-level rise projections.
- Elevation and distance to tidal waters or Biscayne Bay.
- Insurance impact: coastal VE zones and older roofs can materially raise premiums.

- Zoning and land use
- City of Miami’s Miami 21 (transects T3–T6), Miami Beach, and other municipal codes.
- Overlays: historic districts, design review, special area plans, coastal construction control line.
- What to confirm: allowed uses (multifamily vs single-family), density/FAR, height, setbacks, parking, lot coverage, and whether short-term rentals are permitted.

- Environmental and infrastructure
- Known contamination sites or septic areas, if available.
- Proximity to rail/transit, hospitals, schools, and major employment nodes.

4) Value the deal: comps, rents, and carrying costs
- Sales comps: pull recent, nearby, like-kind sales and normalize for size, condition, view, parking, and HOA amenities.
- Rental comps: for long-term rentals, compare effective rents (after concessions). For furnished or short-term, verify legality first, then use true achieved rates and occupancy where available.
- Operating costs: estimate property taxes (note homestead vs non-homestead), HOA dues, special assessments risk, wind and flood insurance, utilities, maintenance, and management fees.
- Underwriting: build a conservative pro forma. Stress-test with higher insurance, taxes reset to your purchase price, and realistic vacancy.

5) Condo and HOA diligence (critical post-Surfside)
Florida’s safety reforms (including milestone inspections and reserve requirements) make condo diligence essential.
- Review association budgets, reserve studies, milestone inspection reports, and special assessments.
- Check for concrete restoration, elevator, roof, and facade projects in the pipeline.
- Confirm rental rules, pet policies, and minimum lease terms.
- Compare HOA fees to peer buildings and adjust your pro forma.

6) Short-term rental feasibility
Rules vary widely by municipality and zoning district, and HOA rules can be stricter than city code.
- Use zoning layers to screen blocks where nightly rentals may be considered hotel/transient or prohibited.
- Confirm licensing steps, occupancy limits, and tax collection with the relevant city and Miami-Dade County.
- Verify association bylaws; many condo buildings restrict rentals under 30 days.

7) Parcels for value-add and development
- Target by lot size, corner lots, alley access, and existing unit count to find upzoning or ADU potential.
- Check zoning capacity: allowable units, height, FAR, and whether bonuses or transfer mechanisms apply.
- Constraints to review: historic or conservation overlays, tree protection, parking minimums, flood elevation requirements, coastal construction line, and utility capacity.
- For assemblages, use ownership records to identify adjacent owners and LLC principals, then plan outreach.

8) Permit, lien, and condition signals
- Scan permit history for roof, electrical, plumbing, structural, and substantial improvement flags (important for flood compliance).
- Look for open permits, code violations, expired permits, or unsafe structure notices.
- Cross-check year built, effective age, and recent major systems to triangulate remaining useful life.

9) Neighborhood positioning and livability
- Travel-time isochrones to major employers, universities, or the airport.
- School zones and magnet programs.
- Noise corridors (interstates, rail), nightlife, and event venues if sensitive to noise.
- Walkability and access to parks and waterfront.

10) Outreach, tours, and offers
- Prioritize a short list based on risk-adjusted returns or fit.
- Use ownership contacts for off-market inquiry where appropriate.
- Export packets with parcel sheet, comps, zoning summary, flood profile, and your underwriting.
- On tours, verify views, noise, elevator count, parking, and structural cues; in houses, check elevation, drainage, and wind protection (impact glass, shutters, roof shape/age).

11) Closing checklist for Miami properties
- Insurance: bind wind and flood early; get multiple quotes and confirm wind mitigation credits.
- Title and liens: association estoppel, special assessments, municipal lien search, open permits.
- Taxes: confirm estimated new tax based on purchase price; understand homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap for primary residences.
- Financing: condo warrantability if using conventional loans.
- For foreign sellers/buyers: confirm FIRPTA and any withholding implications.

Quick Miami-specific tips
- Flood and insurance can swing the deal; model worst-case premiums.
- Verify short-term rental legality before pricing nightly rates.
- For condos, budget for assessments even if none are announced; study the last 3–5 years of board minutes if available.
- In older single-family housing, elevation, drainage, and roof age matter as much as interior finishes.
- Taxes reset after a sale; prior owner’s tax bill may be much lower than yours will be.

Building your EarthPlat workspace
- Save layered map views for Flood + Zoning, Comps + Rents, and Development Capacity.
- Set alerts for your polygons and price bands.
- Keep a due diligence template so each target property is evaluated consistently.
- Share live maps with your team and annotate parcels to track conversations and offers.

Data you may want to verify externally
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center or county flood viewer for official flood determinations.
- Municipal zoning codes (City of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, etc.) for permitted uses and STR rules.
- Miami-Dade Property Appraiser and Clerk of Courts for taxes, deeds, and record searches.
- Building department portals for permits and inspections.

Final word
Miami rewards a block-by-block approach. By combining EarthPlat’s parcel-level search and layers with disciplined local due diligence, you can screen faster, price more accurately, and avoid costly surprises—whether you’re chasing a Brickell condo, a Little Havana duplex, or a redevelopment site along the river.