1. Start with the line
In most Miami towers the unit number combines the floor and the line: 2402 is line 02 on the 24th floor. Units of the same line share a plan, an orientation and usually a recorded area, so comparing two units of the same line isolates floor, condition and history. Comparing two lines is a different exercise: plan, exposure and size all change at once.
Bedroom count alone can mislead. At Solimar in Surfside, for example, the county records lines I and J as three-bedroom plans of about 1,650 to 1,750 square feet, smaller than the two-bedroom line H at about 1,980. See the Solimar guide.
2. Floor and view
A higher floor usually carries a premium, but the value of height depends on what it opens onto and whether that view is protected. Check the exposure on the floor plan, visit at the hours that matter to you, and look at what could be built across the street or the water. A view that depends on a neighbouring lot staying low is worth less than one that does not.
3. Recorded area versus marketed area
The Miami-Dade Property Appraiser records an area for each unit; developers and listings often quote a different figure, which may include balconies or be measured differently. Compare like with like: either both units' recorded areas or both units' figures from the same plan set. A price per square foot built on mismatched measurements is not a comparison.
4. Combined and altered units
Upper floors in particular may hold units combined from two originals. The legal description on the county record shows the combination; the association's approvals for the works, and any permits, should be in the file.
5. Condition
Renovations, the age of air conditioning and water heaters, windows and doors, flooring, and whether work was permitted and approved. Two units of the same line can be a renovation budget apart.
6. What comes with the unit
Parking spaces, storage, cabanas and similar rights may be assigned, limited common elements, or separate units with their own parcels and taxes. Confirm in the documents what transfers with the sale.
7. Costs
- Assessments. The declaration sets each unit's share of common expenses; the legal description states its undivided share of the common elements. A larger unit usually carries a larger share.
- Special assessments. Check the balance due on each unit, not just the building's decision.
- Property tax. Do not compare the two units' current tax bills: each reflects its owner's history and exemptions, and both will be reassessed after a sale.
8. Then the sales
Closed sales in the same line, then in the same building, are the most telling comparables, adjusted for floor, condition and date. Asking prices show the competition, not the value.
General information as of November 9, 2026. Recorded areas and legal descriptions: Miami-Dade Property Appraiser.