LeBron James heading to Gables Estates?

LeBron James and his new superstar teammate, Dwyane Wade, are looking for new homes.

LeBron James has not even officially signed yet, but all eyes are
pointed on his next move: what neighborhood of Miami he intends to
“take his talents” to.

While
this next decision likely won’t garner its own television special,
rumors are that the scene will be Coral Gables, specifically the
exclusive Gables Estates community.

“The speculation is he’s
looking in Coral Gables,” said Chris Basick, a realtor with
Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell. “It’s just a question of his preference.”

Daniel de la Vega, a broker with One Sotheby’s in Coral Gables, said his office was currently in talks with James’ people.

“We
had some talks, and we’re building a relationship with him,” he said.
“But everything about him making offers already is not true. We’re
beginning negotiations with his people, but we haven’t exactly taken
him anywhere yet.”

De la Vega said he thought James could end up in Gables Estates.

“They’re nice big lots — they’re all at least an acre; it’s on the water; it’s a gated community.”

But
it’s certainly possible that he could find a spot on Miami Beach. And
he’s not alone — fellow Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, too, is looking
for a new home in Miami.

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Realtor Nelson Gonzalez, who recommended the home at 1647 North View Road
on Sunset Island #1 in Miami Beach for LeBron, said he was in talks
with the agent that is working with Wade, who was not named.

“I’ve
already shown his agent several houses dating back to three or four
months as well,” he said. As for James, Gonzalez said it was early to
say.

“I’m not sure LeBron’s ready to make a move and buy
something this quickly. I’m sure he’s going to come here first and get
the lay of the land.”

But Rumors continue to swirl that James is
looking at sales listings in the Bayfront portion of Coral Gables, home
to Gables Estates.

There are currently seven properties listed
for sale by EWM in Gables Estates on Multiple Listing System, with the
most expensive being a 14,946-square-foot home with an asking price of
$17.9 million. The next-highest is a 5,980-square-foot, five-bedroom
home offered for around $7.7 million. There is also a home listed by
Avatar Realty in the development for $49.5 million.  

Several
of the top Gables Estates homes are listed with EWM’s Jo-Ann Forster,
although Carleen Smith, a realtor associate with Forster’s team, said
while she had heard the Gables Estates rumor, she had not heard it from
anyone at the firm.

“I also heard the rumor [of James looking
in Gables Estates],” said broker Consuelo Stewart of Shelton &
Stewart in South Miami, who is currently showing homes in Gables
Estates and in nearby and equally ritzy, Cocoplum. She said former Heat
center Shaquille O’Neal, who is currently a free agent, had also looked
in the area until choosing his home on Star Island when he first came
to the Heat.

“What I heard, and I don’t know if it is true, is
that he’s looking at a house in Gables Estates. He wants a big house
and a couple of those houses are pretty big. There’s a lot of
speculation. A lot of people would like to get a client like him. He
has the cash, for sure.”