Licensed Florida real estate brokerage
Buying a Home in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Buy a Home in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area, with a licensed real-estate professional. No obligation.
Fort Lauderdale is a city of roughly 184,000 people built around hundreds of miles of canals and Intracoastal frontage — the reason it is called the "Venice of America." According to Census data (ACS 5-year, 2022), the median home here was built around 1972, and a slight majority of occupied homes are owner-occupied. That mid-century stock is largely single-story concrete block and stucco on slab, sitting alongside beachfront and Intracoastal high-rise condominiums and newer townhome and infill construction. Buying here means evaluating the age of the roof and systems, the flood picture, and — for condos — the building's finances, before your inspection period ends.
A licensed real-estate professional — Premier Real Estate Group Inc or a licensed agent we refer you to — will contact you by phone or email to start a home search built around your budget, bedroom count, commute and must-haves. We show homes in person or by video, put a written buyer agreement in place, write offers, guide the inspection period, review condo and HOA documents, and coordinate with your lender and title company through closing. The consultation is free and there is no obligation.
Three local items drive most Fort Lauderdale purchase decisions: insurability, flood, and association finances. Because so much of the single-family stock predates modern building codes, insurers commonly request a four-point inspection (roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC) on older homes, and roof age and condition are frequently the deciding factor in whether coverage is offered at all. A wind mitigation inspection can support premium credits for features like roof-to-wall connections and impact-rated openings — relevant in a city where hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 and salt air off the Atlantic and the canals accelerates corrosion on exterior hardware. Flood damage is generally excluded from standard homeowners policies and requires separate coverage through the NFIP or a private carrier, so flood zone, elevation and insurability review belong early in the contract timeline.
What to know in Fort Lauderdale
Flood zone and lender requirements
Waterfront and canal-front properties are common in Fort Lauderdale, and a lender may require flood insurance depending on the zone. Review the flood zone, elevation and quoted coverage before your inspection period ends, and confirm requirements with your insurance agent.
Insurability on 1970s-era homes
With a median year built around 1972 (Census), many homes will need a four-point inspection and will be judged heavily on roof age and condition. Order insurance quotes early rather than waiting until just before closing.
Wind mitigation and storm hardening
A wind mitigation inspection documents features such as roof-to-wall connections and impact-rated openings that can support premium credits. Older garage doors and gates are common upgrade targets ahead of hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30.
Condo and HOA approval
HOA-governed condo buildings and gated communities are widespread here, and purchases can involve an association application, interview or approval process plus transfer fees. No one can promise association approval, so build the process into your contract timeline.
Milestone inspections and reserve studies
Milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study requirements affect many older, taller condominium buildings and can trigger assessments. Ask for the association's budget, governing documents, disclosure summary and any inspection or reserve study results, and confirm current requirements with the association.
Salt air and humidity wear
Constant salt spray from the Atlantic and the canals corrodes garage door springs, gate operators, hinges and lock cylinders faster than inland, and high indoor humidity keeps dryer vents and duct systems prone to lint buildup and condensation. Add these to your inspection list.
Seasonal competition
Buyer activity in Florida is strongest from roughly January through May, boosted by seasonal residents and out-of-state relocation. Inventory choices and negotiating room often improve in the slower fall months.
How we help
- Define the searchWe build the search around budget, bedrooms, commute and must-haves, and sort single-family block-and-stucco homes, townhomes and condominiums by what each will mean for insurance and association obligations.
- Showings your wayShowings are arranged in person or by video, which helps if you are relocating from out of state during the November-to-April season when many seasonal residents are in town.
- Agreements and offersWe put a written buyer representation agreement and brokerage relationship disclosure in place, then prepare written offers with financing and inspection provisions suited to the property type.
- Inspection period guidanceWe help you sequence inspections, insurance quotes, four-point and wind mitigation reports, and flood zone review so decisions happen inside the contract deadlines.
- Condo and HOA document reviewWe help you request and read governing documents, budgets, rules and association disclosure summaries, including milestone inspection and reserve study material where it applies.
- Lender and title coordinationTitle work, lien searches, estoppel letters and closing are generally handled by a title company or closing attorney, and we keep those parties and your lender on the same timeline.
Florida rules and paperwork in Fort Lauderdale
Florida real estate is regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Real Estate, under the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC). Buyers are typically represented by a licensed sales associate working under a broker, or by a broker directly, and the brokerage relationship offered must be disclosed — transaction broker is the default presumption in Florida unless another relationship is established in writing. Expect seller disclosures including known material defects and the residential flood disclosure. A statutory right to cancel can apply to condominium resale contracts for a short period after the required documents are delivered; verify the current window with a Florida attorney. If the home will be your permanent residence, the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap (and portability) are filed with the county property appraiser after closing. Verify license status with DBPR, and confirm insurance questions with your insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
Premier Real Estate Group Inc is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage (broker license BK3314523). Verify at Florida DBPR.
Timing and next steps
Buyer activity in Florida is strongest from roughly January through May, with a secondary summer push and more inventory choice and negotiating room in the slower fall months — in Fort Lauderdale that overlaps with hurricane season, so storm-related insurance and inspection questions often come up in the same window. On closing taxes, documentary stamp tax on the deed is 70 cents per 100 dollars of the price (s. 201.02, F.S.), documentary stamp tax on a new mortgage note is 35 cents per 100 dollars financed (s. 201.08, F.S.), and nonrecurring intangible tax on a new mortgage is 2 mills (0.2%) of the amount (s. 199.133, F.S.); who pays each item is set by the purchase contract and is negotiable. Estimate them with the free Florida Doc Stamp & Closing Tax Calculator at /tools/florida-closing-costs, then call (954) 703-4504 or send the request form on this page for a free consultation.
We work across Victoria Park, Rio Vista, Coral Ridge, Las Olas Isles, Colee Hammock, Sailboat Bend, Flagler Village, Imperial Point, Poinsettia Heights, Tarpon River, Croissant Park and Galt Ocean Mile, as well as nearby Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Pompano Beach, Plantation, Dania Beach, Davie and Hollywood.
Buy a Home in Fort Lauderdale: common questions
- Do I need flood insurance in Fort Lauderdale?
- It depends on the flood zone and your lender's requirements. Flood damage is generally excluded from standard homeowners policies and requires separate NFIP or private coverage, so review the zone, elevation and quoted coverage during the inspection period and confirm with your insurance agent.
- Why do insurers ask for a four-point inspection here?
- The median Fort Lauderdale home dates from around 1972 (Census), and insurers commonly request a four-point inspection of roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC on older homes. Roof age and condition are frequently the deciding factor in whether coverage is offered at all.
- What is a wind mitigation inspection worth to me?
- A wind mitigation inspection documents features such as roof-to-wall connections and impact-rated openings that can support premium credits. Credits vary by carrier, so ask your insurance agent what a specific report would mean for your quote.
- What should I ask about a condo building?
- Request the governing documents, budget, rules and association disclosure summary, plus any milestone inspection results and structural integrity reserve study, which affect many older, taller buildings and can trigger assessments. Also ask about the application, interview or approval process and transfer fees.
- How do I get the homestead exemption?
- If the property will be your permanent residence, you file with the county property appraiser after closing. The Save Our Homes cap and portability may also apply; verify current filing deadlines and eligibility with the county property appraiser.
Tell us what you're looking for — Fort Lauderdale
Budget, bedrooms, area and timing. A licensed real-estate professional will contact you to start the search.
Licensed brokerage
Premier Real Estate Group Inc
Broker of record Maxim Bohadana, Florida broker license BK3314523
(954) 703-4504