A strong team, unique projects and an innovative approach has helped Habitat Group fulfill its goal of providing exceptional real estate management services that seek to provide solid returns and a positive investment experience for their clients, resulting in satisfied customers confident that their objectives will be fulfilled.
Habitat Group’s story is similar to that of the typical American Dream. An immigrant who arrived in a new country with the vision of creating his own company started off with only a small project, then a small building. He then realized that it was possible to continue growing while being able to generate new employment opportunities.”Having started with only very elementary foundations, I created a work team and expanded my property portfolio,” says Habitat Group President Santiago Vanegas. “Habitat Group survived the economical crisis of 2006which was one of the most significant crisis in the world’s economy. We not only survived, but the company came out strengthened and with the expertise needed to continue thriving in the market.” Vanegas and his team like nothing better than to transform a property from “nothingness into a productive real estate gem.”
They purchased the Historic Miami River Hotel when it appeared to be stuck in time, restored it and joined it with an additional property. A few months later, it had a high occupancy rate for its75 rooms and a high ranking in its sector. Since then, it has increased the value of the area and has become one of the most important properties in their portfolio. Similarly, they transformed a condo building into a condo hotel in2007. In doing so, they managed to save the property as well as the deposits of its initial buyers and the capital of its investors. Today, it too is a highly valued and profitable property.
“Our projects are special and elaborate with superior quality, seeking to go above standard value,”he says. “We contribute in urban development, always seeking to strengthen and respect the cultural roots of each area.” Perfect examples of this areThe Havana Club Hotel and the Historic Miami River Hotel restorations, which have been made in Little Havana. “We also plan projects with the district, which seek overall improvement of the localities and in turn increase property taxes for the city’s revenue that benefits the same communities.”
Habitat Group divides the style and design of its activities in two parts. One part is the 5 principal services hey offer: development services, capital investments, realty, property management and hotel operations of personal projects and of third parties. The other part is the types of projects they carry out, such as boutique apartment hotels, modern technological concept offices and great valorization buildings. The company’s principal idea is to unite all of the areas of investment, such as its processes and development, under the same roof.
They are a small-medium sized company with flexibility in the market, as opposed to large companies that have a more rigid structure. “We have the ability of migrating between different products that real estate has to offer,” he explains.”We can step from new construction to hotel operations, to propertymanagement and commercial properties, among others, while offering horizontaland vertical movements in the market, which are not easily carried out by othercompanies. In doing so, we offer our expertise and experience in the diversesegments of real estate, accompanied by the varied services that may be neededin each operation.”
To date, the company has an outstanding 15-year trackrecord of more than a dozen successful transactions, giving individuals theconfidence to invest and re-invest with them. “Our credibility is built onreturns paid, returned capitals as well as successful transactions with diversepartners and investors,” says Vanegas. “Our reputation and ourexperience have generated confidence and credibility from our partners andresulted in their continued loyalty to our investment opportunities. HabitatGroup’s main policy is to protect its investors’ capital over the company’s owncapital.”
What’s more,their target is medium-sized transactions that aren’t “enormous” butrather compatible and accessible for a medium-sized Latin American familylooking to invest. “Our sale prices are never at the extreme high so we’realways giving our buyers an upside, which is why our portfolio is fast inrotation, thanks to the attractive sales prices for our final clients,” hesays. “An example is if the market is generating 5010 returnsin rentability on rental buildings, we have the capacity of selling it at a5.500 or Pro rentability for our potential buyers, generating our own utilityprevious to this. Added to this is the confidence our consumers feel due to ourtrack record that reveals solidity and seriousness.”
The HabitatGroup story is a tale of growth. They began as a development company that specialized in small and medium construction projects. These projects began toexpand and evolve into new services due to the company’s adaptability. This inturn progressed the company into becoming a hotel-operating enterprise.”We stepped our way up from being a development company, to a property construction company, a property management company, and finally a hoteloperator,” says Vanegas. “We continue to expand our business by adapting our needs to those of the market, seeing new opportunities in times ofcrisis and taking advantage of each step in our development. We use vision andmarket analysis to detect and carry-out successful transactions, and this hashelped us branch out into additional services such as realty as well asproperty and capital management.”
Moving forward, their next focus is exploring the real estate market of West Brickell and Little Havana “We’re betting on the analysis of investments in East Little Havana as well as in the office marketof the Brickell and Downtown areas,” affirms Vanegas. “Our aim is to take advantage of the supply deficit that the market is currently experiencingdue to an over-demand for office spaces. ”
Vanegas concludes that real estate has higher operatingreturns than bond yields and inflation rates, and there’s appreciation of the asset over time. “Real estate investments are also superior because whenyou invest in real estate, you’re investing in a tangible good,” he says.”When you analyze and buy properly, the risk is very low and comparable tothat of bonds.”
Habitat Group is located at 175 SW 7th St., Ste. 2201-2, Miami, FL 33130. For more information, call 786.5774394 or visit HabitatGroup.com.
“When you invest in real estate, you’re investing in a tangible good and when you analyze and buy properly, the risk isvery low.”