Miami Condos: The View from Up Here

Miami condo shoppers want to know exactly what they're getting with their new property. And that includes the view. In order to sell condos before they're built, developers are hiring low-altitude photographers to take pictures of what the view from the unbuilt balcony of Miami condo buildings will look like.

"In many cases, one of the biggest reasons people buy is the view," said Jerry Shaw, senior vice president of Opus South Corp. of Tampa, developer of the $130 million, 28- story "400 Beach Drive" tower in downtown St. Petersburg. "Developers like me are desirous of selling most, if not all, the units earlier on, and we don't have the luxury to wait until the building is finished to take people up and take a look at the view."