What affects which comparable sales an agent selects for my property?

Florida's housing stock is a wide mix: concrete block and stucco single-family homes, a very large condominium inventory, townhomes, villas, manufactured homes and 55+ communities. Construction ranges from mid-century and 1970s–1980s buildings to 1990s–2000s master-planned HOA development and newer post-2002 Florida Building Code homes. A newer code-built home and an older one on the same street may not be good comparisons for each other, because insurance and wind-resistance characteristics can differ.

Location is also more than a street name. Flood zone designation and elevation, roof age and condition, and documented wind-mitigation features can change buyer demand and insurance cost, so an agent may favor comps with a similar profile. For condominiums, association fees, reserve funding, special assessments, milestone inspection findings and structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) results can move a unit away from otherwise similar units in a different building.

Timing matters too. Valuation requests tend to cluster in late winter and spring and again after TRIM notices and tax bills arrive. Market conditions change, so recent sales generally carry more weight than older ones. Keep in mind that assessed value for tax purposes, which homestead and Save Our Homes caps can hold well below market value, is not a comparable sale price.