Miami is often referred to as the Magic City and is located on the northern Biscayne Bay, wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and the Everglades. With its proximity to the Gulf Stream, residents enjoy warm subtropical climate year-round. Seasoned sports fans can also choose among its varied franchises including the Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins and the Miami Heat. With a population of more than 360,000, it is the largest city in South Florida falling within Miami-Dade County lines.

With 1.5 million abundant acres of swamps, jungles and grasslands, Everglades National Park is a tourist favorite. Situated on Florida's southernmost tip, the park houses rare and endangered wildlife ranging from the American Crocodile to the almighty Florida Panther. For a more historical view of the city, visitors come to see the Freedom Tower on Biscayne Boulevard. Built in 1925 in the style of the Spanish Renaissance, this 16-story, 80,000-square-foot structure was once the headquarters of the city's first daily newspaper, the Miami News & Metropolis. In 1997, Cuban American political leader Jorge Mas Canosa purchased the structure and renewed it to its original splendor as a monument to the tribulations of Cubans in America.

An ethnic melting pot

Miami's expansion and cultural diversity owes much to the immigration and internal migration that has made it a quintessential ethnic melting pot. The city is home to one of the largest populations of Latin Americans, Caribbean islanders and Cuban exiles.

Thanks in part to the 1980s TV hit 'Miami Vice,' the city has enjoyed a reputation as the birthplace of cool. Tourists, celebrities and fashion mavens now make it their winter playground. The continued growth of real estate developments has fueled soaring home prices. The median home price in Miami is $319,000. Condominiums comprise more than half of South Florida's housing sales. The Miami real estate craze has also driven home prices up, making it a hot-spot for McMansions and upscale condos.

The thriving yet quaint streets of Little Havana accommodate the largest concentration of Cuban Americans. Its most popular street is officially named Southwest Eight Street, affectionately dubbed 'Calle Ocho.' The areas cafés, eateries, nightlife venues and cigar shops are unabashedly authentic and reminiscent of old world Cuba. Little Havana was also the second-ranked zip code with the greatest property-value appreciation in 2005, according to Forbes.com.

'America's Riviera'

For Miami home buyers seeking a more picturesque haven, Coconut Grove with its lush landscape, serene atmosphere and seascape views fit the bill. It is the oldest settlement in Florida and has been known as an artist colony for years. Houses for sale in this bohemian town average $530,000.

South Beach, known as 'SoBe' to locals, is becoming a hotspot for the younger, more raucous crowd seeking waterfront condos or commercial real estate property. Offering wide expanses of soft sand, warm crystal-blue water, vibrant Art Deco architecture and high-end fashion boutiques, South Beach has earned the moniker as 'America's Riviera.' This mod section of Miami Beach real estate lists a median home price of $379,700. Whatever your palate is, condominiums and luxury homes are going up at an alarming rate, and land is in short supply. So secure your piece of Miami real estate today!

'''Sources and more information:'''
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami
http://www.rumler.com/miami/
http://miami.about.com/od/traveltourism/tp/attractions.htm
http://www.hellomiami.com/History.Cfm
http://www.forbes.com/realestate/2006/03/09/home-price-appreciation-cx_sc_0310home_ls.html
http://www.coconutgrove.com
http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/snapshots/28212.html
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/13841536.htm
http://homes.point2.com/Neighborhood/United_States/Florida/Coconut_Grove/176697-Demographics.aspx
http://miami.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/freedomtower.htm