The Real Deal Miami

300 Ridgeview Drive

Today’s priciest new listing in South Florida is a 7,315 square foot single-family home at 300 Ridgeview Drive in Palm Beach, according to Condo Vultures. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home is on a 19,550 square-foot lot and offers floor-to-ceiling windows, wine storage and a three-car garage. James McCann of the Corcoran Group, Palm Beach has the listing, which is asking $12.5 million. (Condo Vultures data includes condos and single-family listings in the main metropolitan areas of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, as well as Monroe County that are newly listed. Listings are taken from the South Florida MLS.) — Guelda Voien

One South Florida real estate broker is thinking so far outside the box, he’s selling more than real estate. Kevin Dickenson of Florida Realty has combined his condominium listing at One Singer Island with a 1934 Mercedes Roadster that another client wants to sell.

“I had a seller with a very unique oceanfront condo and a Hollywood client with a very unique car to sell,” Dickenson said in a statement. “I put the two together and struck a co-marketing agreement that’s beneficial to both clients.” [more]

The Miami Heart Institute

Lionheart Capital has closed on the purchase of the Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach.

Lionheart, which is led by Ophir Sternberg, was the buyer in the $120 million bulk purchase of the remaining inventory at 2700 North Ocean on Singer Island. That property subsequently became the Ritz-Carlton Residences Palm Beach in November 2010. [more]

Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman has some choice words for Forbes magazine, WPTV reported. The magazine’s annual list of “most miserable” metropolitan areas listed West Palm Beach as the fourth-most-miserable in the nation, prompting Weisman to fire back today, calling their assertion “crap.”

“Screw Forbes,” Weisman wrote in an email obtained by the station, WPTV said. “If someone makes a decision not to come to or [they] think less of Palm Beach County because of that story, that’s bad judgment on their part.” [more]

Compiled by Condo Vultures Realty using the South Florida Shared Multiple Listing Service. Active listings are properties where no current sale contract exists; pending sales are properties in which a contract for sale has been executed, but not yet closed. Listing brokers control the status of a property listing. — Guelda Voien

The national existing home inventory has dropped significantly from just 12 months ago, returning to the level seen in mid-2005 before the slump, according to a chart by economics blog Calculated Risk featured by Slate. The drop may signify a return to long-term average levels of residential investment and construction employment, Slate said, which would be encouraging given the historically low levels of both investment and employment during both 2010 and 2011. [Slate]

Dennis Max

Restaurateur Dennis Max is opening another new restaurant in South Florida, with Assaggio del Forno set to open Feb. 20 in Boca Raton. The restaurant, which follows the opening of Frank & Dino’s in Deerfield Beach last month, will be located at the Regency Court at Woodfield. The 5,000-square-foot space will focus on Italian food and pizza. Max is perhaps best known for Max’s Grille in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park.  [SFBJ]

The Southland Mall in Miami

The Southland Mall’s owner has paid down $12 million in principal and modified the loan on the property, which had gone 60 days delinquent on its loan balance, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The mall, which is located at 20505 South Dixie Highway, was built in 1972. The 663,948-square-foot property had been placed in special servicing in January. According to data from analytics firm Trepp, occupancy at the project had been around 94 percent. [SFBJ]

Debbie Blasberg

One Sotheby’s International Realty has hired Debbie Blasberg as an associate to be part of the sales team at Bellini Williams Island. The firm is the exclusive agent for the project, which began vertical construction earlier this month. Bellini Williams Island, which has 24 stories and 70 units, is the last residential site on the island. Each unit at the project has its own private elevator. — Alexander Britell

Queen Latifah

The Miami Community Redevelopment Agency is working to bring singer and actress Queen Latifah to Wynwood, and her representatives have already toured the area and shown interest, according to Michelle Spence-Jones, Miami city commissioner. “It would be a great booster,” Spence-Jones said. “Atlanta gives her a 30 percent tax incentive, so we’re not talking about a big rebate here.” [more]