Ocean Reserve, Sunny Isles Beach: What Buyers Should Check

Ocean Reserve is the building in this sweep where the address tells you the least and the side of the street tells you the most. It sits at 19370 Collins Avenue — but on the west side of Collins, the Intracoastal side, with the beach across A1A about a five-minute walk away. It is not oceanfront, despite the name and despite several directories calling it an oceanfront condominium. What it is: a 16-story, 398-residence tower built in 1972 as rental apartments and converted to condominiums in 2001, with unusually large one- and two-bedroom floor plans (1,005 to 1,665 square feet), a full resort-style amenity program, and the most flexible rental rules on this stretch of the strip — short-term rentals are permitted, with building profiles describing a one-week minimum and no cap on how often an owner may rent, and Airbnb-licensed units operating in the building today. The numbers are the cheapest on the north end by a wide margin: 13 recorded sales in the twelve months to October 26, 2026 at a median of $460,000, or $381 per square foot, with 48 homes listed for sale in November 2026 at an average asking price of about $424 per square foot — but 32 months of inventory, so it is a deep, slow market, not a hot one. Monthly dues run about $1.13 per square foot — roughly $1,127 to $1,133 a month on a 1,005-square-foot one-bedroom — and they include air conditioning, cable, internet, water, and hot water. Two things a buyer must look into before anything else: a building-wide exterior concrete restoration program was scheduled to start in the summer of 2025, and whether that work is assessed to owners is not verified anywhere in public sources — and as a 1972 building, its milestone inspection cycles began decades ago, so the most recent report, the reserve study, and the 40-year certification status are the documents that decide whether the low price is a bargain or a bill waiting to happen. Pets are cats only — no dogs.

The facts

• Address: 19370 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160
• Completed: 1972 (county-based record; one directory says 1988, another says 1990)
• Stories: 16
• Residences: 398 homes plus 12 commercial units — 410 folios at the address on the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser record (counted September 23, 2026)
• Developer: The Feurer Companies, Chicago — one broker directory names Adler-Donner Associates instead
• Architect: Gibbs & Wang (one broker directory only — not independently corroborated)
• Unit mix: one- to four-bedroom residences
• Unit sizes: 1,005 to 1,665 sq ft
• Waterfront: NOT oceanfront — the tower stands on the Intracoastal (west) side of Collins Avenue, and residents reach the beach through the public access directly across A1A, about a five-minute walk. Several directories call it oceanfront; the listing record and the building's own location descriptions say otherwise, and this page follows the listing record.
• Parking: one parking space is listed for at least one residence (#1504); valet service is available building-wide
• Association: Ocean Reserve Condominium Association, Inc., (305) 792-1331 ext. 103, apm@oceanreserve.com

Amenities and day-to-day living

Ocean Reserve runs a full resort-style program for its price point: a heated pool with cabanas, tennis courts, a gym and fitness center, a barbecue area, a restaurant and café (the Ocean Reserve Cafe), a convenience store and mini-market, a hairdresser, a kids' area and playground, a basketball court, laundry facilities on each floor, and a clubhouse. The building has a 24-hour front desk and security, valet parking, and assigned parking. Day to day, this is a busy, investor-heavy building — 41 units were listed for rent in November 2026 alongside the 48 for sale, and short-term guests cycle through the lobby with the $51 one-time check-in fee the building charges for access fobs and wristbands. That is either the point or the problem, depending on the buyer: the rental flexibility is the investment case, and the turnover is the lifestyle trade. The market is the deepest on the north end. Thirteen sales were recorded on the county record in the twelve months to October 26, 2026, at a median of $460,000, or $381 per square foot; the MLS count for the same period is 18 sales. By bedroom: one-bedrooms (1,005 sq ft) listed at $350,000 to $550,000 with a last sale at $445,000 in October 2026; two-bedrooms (1,005 to 1,665 sq ft) listed at $515,000 to $747,000 with a last sale at $630,000 in July 2026; three-plus bedrooms (1,505 to 1,665 sq ft) listed at $560,000 to $739,000 with a last sale at $575,000 in March 2026. Forty-eight homes were listed for sale in November 2026 at an average of $423.57 per square foot, and 41 were listed for rent — roughly $2,690 to $5,000 a month for one- and two-bedroom units. At the current sales pace, that is about 32 months of inventory.

What to check before you buy

• The west-side fact — beach access is across the street, not out the door. This is the single most important correction in this page. Ocean Reserve stands on the Intracoastal side of Collins Avenue. The beach is a roughly five-minute walk across A1A via public access. Several directories describe it as oceanfront, and at least one listing calls it 'steps from the ocean' — but the building's own location descriptions, the rental listings, and the New Construction South Florida profile all place it on the Intracoastal side. Do not pay an oceanfront price for a west-side building: compare it against the Oceanview towers next door, which share the same side of the street, not against the direct-beachfront towers.
• Monthly cost — the dues are consistent, but confirm them. No verified building-wide dues figure was found. Per-unit examples are remarkably consistent: one-bedroom units at $1,127 to $1,133 a month (#1612, #614, #1014, #407), and two-bedroom units at $1,395 to $1,877 a month (#1026, #1502, #1216) — about $1.13 per square foot per month on the one-bedroom lines. Dues include air conditioning, cable TV, internet, water, hot water, insurance, maintenance, pest control, security, and trash. Confirm the dues for the specific unit against the adopted budget, including whether any special assessment is running.
• The concrete restoration — ask what it costs and who pays. A vacation-rental listing for a unit here states that the building 'will be undergoing a building wide exterior concrete restoration program starting during the summer of 2025.' That is the only public mention found, and no cost, scope, or assessment figure was verified anywhere. A building-wide concrete restoration on a 1972 tower is exactly the kind of project that becomes a special assessment. Ask the association for the project scope, the cost, the funding source, and whether any assessment has been levied or is planned — and read the last three years of board minutes.
• Milestone inspections — cycles began decades ago; ask for the latest report. Built in 1972, this building's milestone inspections began decades ago (first around 1997 on the 25-year coastal rule, then every ten years). Ask for the most recent completed milestone report and the Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS), and confirm the 40-year certification status — no verified 40-year certification or milestone report was found in public sources. Under Florida's SIRS rules, reserves for SIRS items are no longer waivable — but confirm this building's position with its association.
• Reserves and assessments — unverified. No building-wide reserve figure or assessment history was found in public sources. One 2013 listing's fee breakdown includes a reserve-fund line, which suggests reserves existed at some point, but that is a thirteen-year-old listing, not a current fact. Given the building's age, the concrete restoration, and the milestone timing, the reserve study and the last three years of board minutes are essential reading.
• Rentals — the selling point, but verify the minimum stay. Short-term rentals are permitted — that is well documented: building profiles describe a one-week minimum with no restriction on how often an owner may rent, Airbnb listings in the building carry City of Sunny Isles Beach short-term rental licences (STR-01937, STR-01663, STR-02482), and one listing states 'No restrictions to rent from 1 day to 365.' But the minimum-stay figures conflict: one week per the building profiles, three nights per an Airbnb listing, one day per the 'no restrictions' listing. Confirm the current minimum stay, any frequency cap, the association approval process, and the city's short-term rental licence requirements with the association before buying for income — the rental flexibility is the investment case here, and it needs to be verified in the documents, not in a listing.
• Owner-occupancy and financing. No owner-occupancy ratio was found in public sources. With 48 of 398 homes for sale (about 12% of the building), 41 for rent, and a heavy investor mix, financing may be tighter than the price suggests — confirm the ratio with the association and talk to your lender early, before you are under contract. Note also that at least one recent sale was listed as all-cash terms.
• Pets — cats only, no dogs. One broker directory states pet-friendly, cats only, no dogs. Confirm the current rules — including any size or count limits — with the association before you buy if a pet is part of the plan.

Who this building suits

Ocean Reserve suits an income-focused buyer who wants the lowest-priced entry on the north end of Sunny Isles Beach, understands that the beach is across the street rather than out the door, and has done the math on dues of about $1.13 per square foot against realistic short-term rental income — with the rental flexibility verified in the association documents, not assumed from a listing. It also suits a part-time resident who wants a large one- or two-bedroom (1,005 square feet and up) with a full amenity program at a fraction of the oceanfront price. It is not for a buyer who wants direct beach access, a quiet residential building, a dog, or a straightforward resale story: the beach is a five-minute walk, short-term guests cycle through the building, dogs are not permitted, and 32 months of inventory means selling is a crowded field.