Ah, it’s good to be loved. It seems yours truly was the subject of a “mini-rant” over at South Beach Condos Blog. There, it was kindly pointed out that they did not like my recent post on the future of Miami real estate, and furthermore, that Miami and Miami Beach are two separate cities (not that I ever stated otherwise).

So the following list is our effort to alleviate any further confusion and save the readers of blogland from future mini-rants (OK, well probably not, but it’s a goal):

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MIAMI AND MIAMI BEACH

1) The city of Miami was incorporated in 1896, while the city of Miami Beach was founded in 1913.

2) Miami has 362,470 residents, according to the 2000 census, whereas Miami Beach only has 93,535.

3) Miami Beach claims the beaches. Period. There are technically no beaches in Miami proper. At least, that’s the word over at South Beach Condos Blog.

4) The official web site of the city of Miami Beach appears much more colorful and user-friendly than the city of Miami’s.

5) Miami Beach remains one of the most lucrative neighborhoods in the United States, according to Forbes magazine. In fact, property values in Miami Beach have escalated 1,532% since 1990, a faster appreciation than any other U.S. market. Property values in the city of Miami, meanwhile, still pretty much just stink. The city is facing a projected 15.2% market depreciation this year as it tops the list of worst real estate forecasts among major metro U.S. markets. However, to its credit, the city of Miami is spinning the grim news into a positive thing. Foreign Direct Investment magazine named the city of Miami one of the top five most cost-effective major cities in North America for developers. That sounds about right.