My plan is currently to buy a property in that area (northern Miami Beach) as a primary residence, convert it to an investment property in 1-2 years. I was seriously considering putting an offer on an apartment there as I viewed it as fairly solid: beachside property, view of the water, building was old but not 1950s old, in a very upscale town, hurricane impact windows installed, HOA has cash reserves. Eventually, I decided I couldn't afford it since it would need renovation before renting it out and that put it above my budget.

I'm sort of shook. Not only is it a tragic occurrence (a kids bunk bed hanging out in a half-torn-apart apartment is just giving me goosebumps), but I just never would've expected something like this. How does one even do research to know that this building could be at risk?

Sources say that there was a construction site next door that was shaking the building constantly last year combined with a pre-Hurricane Andrew building design and some other factors. I'm honestly looking at every other water-side property I'm considering and wondering if any of them could be next.