Saddy Abaunza Delgado has sold luxury real estate in South Florida for over three decades, typically to doctors or family business owners ready to spend as much as $8 million on a home in the Miami area.

Almost overnight, that’s changed. Her phones are ringing with billionaires — titans of tech and finance — looking to drop nine figures on waterfront properties.

“I got a flurry of requests and inquiries,” Delgado, who has landed two billionaire clients recently, told Business Insider. “I had a lot of Zoom calls with people coming in January after the holidays.”

While the Florida migration among everyday people may have cooled following a pandemic-era boom, billionaires are fueling a spree of massive purchases. They are largely looking to avoid a proposed California wealth tax, which Delgado said led to the busiest January she’s ever experienced. She’s not the only one; three other agents told Business Insider that inquiries picked up at the end of 2025 and continued into 2026.

Google cofounder Larry Page dropped nine figures on properties in the 305 over the past few months, sparking a series of news articles about who might follow. His cofounder, Sergey Brin, is reportedly close to closing on a $50 million property, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly looking in the area.

“The Californians were never really a target market for us,” Delgado said. “California’s a beautiful state, but now, because of all the political situations and all the tax laws, it’s just coming in our favor.”

Florida’s billionaire population is growing. The state had 123 as of the start of the year, up from 110 in January 2025, according to Forbes data compiled by Americans for Tax Fairness.

California’s billionaires aren’t the only ones taking an interest. With Palantir planning to move its HQ from Denver to Miami, CEO Alex Karp may soon be putting down roots.

When Big Tech comes to call

People moving to Florida for tax reasons is nothing new. The state — which has a 0% income tax, including capital gains, and limited business regulation — has seen waves of ultrawealthy migration.

During the pandemic and shortly after, Miami boomed, attracting people from the northeast and Chicago who were drawn by lax COVID-19 restrictions and lower taxes.

Big names from the world of finance, like Citadel’s Ken Griffin and Thoma Bravo, moved themselves, and then their companies, to the city. Crypto firms flocked to take advantage of Florida’s friendly policies — FTX, pre-fall, made a grand entrance by buying the naming rights to the local arena — and many big-name VCs ensured they had at least one partner on the ground to make deals.

The proposed billionaire tax is helping propel the latest wave.

At the end of last year, some billionaires began cutting ties with California ahead of a proposed Billionaire Tax Act deadline, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on California residents worth over $1 billion, including those who moved after January 1. The proposal hasn’t yet garnered enough support to make the November ballot, but that doesn’t mean rich residents haven’t threatened to leave the state.

Page spent over $180 million on three properties in Coconut Grove. Brin looks set to follow, with outlets including the New York Post reporting he’s in talks to buy a $50 million waterfront property on Allison Island. Zuckerberg, too, is looking to make a deal on billionaire bunker Indian Creek, as The Wall Street Journal reported.

Representatives for Page and Brin did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on Zuckerberg’s potential move to South Florida earlier in February.

Finance set the table, now it’s tech’s turn to eat — and their meals are the most expensive yet.

“Before, having a $20 million or $30 million sale was an outlier,” Ana Teresa Rodriguez of Coldwell Banker Realty told Business Insider. “You needed to be very lucky to sell that.”

Data from Miami real estate research firm Analytics Miami shows that in 2018, one single-family home over $30 million sold in Miami-Dade County. In 2025, 19 homes priced over $30 million sold — a 1,800% increase.

Empty lots are even selling for $100 million, a price point unheard of in Miami before 2020, according to Analytics Miami.

Water frontage has become the ultimate target for the ultrawealthy, and since there isn’t that much of it, it’s going for whatever someone is willing to pay.

“The prime single-family waterfront areas, like Star Island, Indian Creek, and the Venetian Islands, all those places, that’s prime scarcity,” Analytics Miami founder Ana Bozovic told Business Insider. “The influx of billionaires from California,” she said, will likely add to the “escalation of the market.”

More than mansions

Billionaires are famously high-maintenance, and attracting them is no small feat.

Douglas Elliman agent Dina Goldentayer said that the latest crop of Miami movers — coming from an already sunny state — aren’t just fascinated by the sun rays and glamour of South Florida.

“Miami has never been as sophisticated and as diverse as it is in 2026, and the level of wealth moving here is making Miami level up,” Goldentayer told Business Insider.

Though the number of billionaires arriving in Miami enclaves is small relative to those neighborhoods’ total populations, their wealth is not. A dozen billionaires can have an outsize influence on a local economy.

“Wealthy people like to have access to really good financial advice; they want to have access to good legal advice,” Liam Bailey, the global head of research at Knight Frank, told Business Insider.

To attract that infrastructure, Billionaire Florida transplants Griffin and Stephen Ross put a combined $10 million toward a new effort to bring talent and companies to Florida’s “Gold Coast,” the stretch from Miami to Palm Beach.

Their push, called “Ambition Accelerated,” aims to attract tech and business sectors by working with founders, CEOs, and investors, CEO Mike Simas of the Florida Council of 100, which is running the initiative, told Business Insider. He pointed to the region’s expanding educational and healthcare options, such as new private schools and a Cleveland Clinic branch in West Palm Beach, as key selling points.

And of course, money — from tax savings to utility costs — is a big part of the pitch.

“You’ve got a partner in government for your growth rather than a government that’s trying to cap that success with regulation or tax, or other burdens,” Simas said.

To be sure, Miami has been trying to make Miami happen for quite some time — and it’s a long way from becoming the next Wall Street or Silicon Valley.

“Even if compared to the size of the financial cluster in New York, it’s tiny, and the tech cluster in California, it’s tiny. What’s going on at the moment, in Miami, is embryonic,” Bailey said. “Over time, if you get enough of this kind of activity, you are basically constantly enhancing the depth of talent pool and the depth of opportunities.”

After all, a tanned and McMansion-filled Rome wasn’t built in a day.

A 6-year-old boy with autism who police said was severely abused by his mother’s boyfriend in North Miami Beach has died after spending weeks in the hospital, family members said.

The boy, Mason, had been hospitalized in critical condition last month, but his grandmother told NBC6 on Friday that he’d been taken off a ventilator and passed away.

Police had responded to a home in the 1400 block of Northeast 179th Street for a report of a child in cardiac arrest.

In body camera footage released by police, Mason was seen wrapped in a blanket and had no detectable pulse.

Mason was given CPR until Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived and regained a pulse, and he was taken to Jackson North Hospital in critical condition.

Doctors reported internal bleeding in the brain, lacerations to the liver and kidney, a broken arm, and bruises covering his entire body.

His mother’s boyfriend, 34-year-old Daniel Eduardo Romero, was accused of severely abusing the boy, and was later arrested on charges including aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm involving torture, child neglect causing great bodily harm, and tampering with a victim.

According to an arrest report, Romero gave conflicting stories about how Mason was injured, first claiming he was teaching the boy how to ride a bicycle when he fell, then changing his story and claiming they were using a wagon.

Romero said the boy didn’t appear to be seriously injured and medical care was not sought but he woke up lethargic the next day and progressively weakened and when he became unresponsive they called 911, the report said.

Miami-Dade Corrections

Miami-Dade Corrections

The boy’s mother, 32-year-old Cynthia Hernandez, was later arrested on charges including child neglect, failure to report child neglect and providing a false statement to law enforcement, officials said.

Police had previously said Hernandez was cooperating with the investigation and told officers Romero would become frustrated with Mason because of his neurodevelopmental condition. Records also show Romero has two prior convictions for domestic violence.

In the arrest report, Hernandez told detectives that Romero had a short temper and anger problems.

Hernandez’s attorney criticized her arrest, saying she was also a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Romero.

Her mother also said Hernandez was a domestic violence victim.

Romero pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond while he awaits trial. It’s unknown whether he’ll face new charges following Mason’s death.

Miami’s most trusted family-owned cleaning service opens a new South Miami location at 2000 S. Dixie Hwy. Serving Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, and surrounding areas.

MIAMI, FL – The Prime Cleaner, one of Miami’s fastest-growing residential cleaning services, officially announces the opening of its new South Miami office located at 2000 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100B-A, Miami, FL 33133. The expansion marks a major milestone for the family-owned business, which has completed over 9,000 cleanings and earned 500+ five-star reviews since its founding in 2021.

The new South Miami location positions The Prime Cleaner to deliver faster response times and same-day availability to homeowners and property managers across South Miami, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Key Biscayne, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Miami Beach, Edgewater, Midtown Miami, the Miami Design District, and Aventura.

A Family Business Built on Trust

Founded by Jay and his mother Ana, The Prime Cleaner was built on a straightforward belief — that every Miami homeowner deserves a cleaning team they can genuinely trust. From day one, the business has operated with background-checked professionals, non-toxic products safe for families and pets, and a consistent crew model that ensures clients see familiar faces on every visit.

“Opening our South Miami office is something we’ve been working toward for a long time. South Miami and the surrounding neighborhoods have been part of our story since the beginning. Having a physical presence here lets us serve our clients faster, respond same-day, and continue building the kind of relationships this community deserves.”— Jay McGough, Co-Founder, The Prime Cleaner

Comprehensive Cleaning Services for Miami’s Finest Homes

From the South Miami office, The Prime Cleaner offers its full suite of professional cleaning services:

• Deep Cleaning — Top-to-bottom resets for homes that need a thorough refresh
• Standard Recurring Cleaning — Weekly, biweekly, and monthly housekeeping plans
• Move In / Move Out Cleaning — Built to landlord and property standards
• Post-Construction Cleaning — Dust, debris, and construction residue removal
• Event Cleaning — Pre and post-event cleanup for homes and venues
• Exterior Window Cleaning — Streak-free results for interior and exterior glass
• Tile & Grout Restoration — Deep cleaning that restores original color and shine
• Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning — Stain removal and odor elimination safe for pets and kids
• Post-Fumigation Cleaning — Full sanitization after pest control treatments
• Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Cleaning — Turnover cleaning to maintain five-star ratings

Every service is backed by The Prime Cleaner’s 100% satisfaction guarantee — if a client isn’t satisfied, the team returns and corrects it at no additional charge.

Rapid Growth Driven by Five-Star Service

Since launching in 2021, The Prime Cleaner has become one of Miami’s most reviewed and most trusted residential cleaning services. With over 9,000 cleanings completed and more than 500 five-star Google reviews, the company continues to grow month over month — driven entirely by client referrals, repeat bookings, and a reputation built one home at a time.

The South Miami expansion is part of a broader growth strategy that includes new neighborhood service pages, an expanded team of background-checked cleaning professionals, and an ongoing commitment to raising the standard of residential cleaning across Miami-Dade County.

About The Prime Cleaner

The Prime Cleaner is a family-owned residential cleaning service based in Miami, Florida. Founded in 2021 by Jayger and Ana, the company specializes in deep cleaning, recurring housekeeping, move in/out cleaning, post-construction cleanup, and specialty cleaning services across Miami-Dade County. Licensed, insured, and BBB accredited, The Prime Cleaner serves homeowners, landlords, Airbnb hosts, and property managers across South Miami, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Key Biscayne, Kendall, Miami Beach, Edgewater, Midtown Miami, the Miami Design District, Aventura, and surrounding neighborhoods.

New South Miami Office

2000 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100B-A | Miami, FL 33133 | (786) 420-4273 | www.theprimecleaner.com/location/south-miami

Media Contact
Company Name: The Prime Cleaner
Contact Person: Jay Tomasino
Email: Send Email
Phone: (305) 575 – 2776
Address:2701 Biscayne Blvd
City: Miami
State: FL
Country: United States
Website: www.theprimecleaner.com

Press Release Distributed by ABNewswire.com

To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: The Prime Cleaner Opens New South Miami Location, Expanding Premium Cleaning Services Across Miami-Dade County