Licensed Florida real estate brokerage
Buying a Home in Washington Park, FL
Buy a Home in Washington Park and the surrounding area, with a licensed real-estate professional. No obligation.
Washington Park is a small unincorporated community of roughly 1,775 residents in Broward County, sitting a few miles inland from the Atlantic. Housing here is predominantly modest single-family homes built from the 1950s through the 1970s, largely concrete block with stucco and low-slope or shallow-pitch roofs. Carports and converted garages are at least as common as full attached garages, and because this is not a master-planned development, formal HOAs and gated subdivisions are uncommon compared with newer western Broward suburbs. That mid-century stock shapes almost every part of a purchase here, from the inspection period to what an insurer will agree to write.
Premier Real Estate Group Inc is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage serving all of Florida — a Florida brokerage license is valid in every county. We help with the home search by budget, bedrooms, commute and must-haves, showings in person or by video, a written buyer agreement, writing offers, inspection-period guidance, association document review where it applies, and coordination with your lender and title through closing. Requests may be handled by Premier Real Estate Group Inc or referred to a licensed real-estate agent, who will contact you by phone or email. The consultation is free, with no obligation.
The main variables in a Washington Park purchase are insurability, flood and the condition of decades-old construction. Florida insurers commonly ask for a four-point inspection covering roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC on older homes, and roof age and condition are frequently the deciding factor in whether coverage is offered at all — which matters on homes with low-slope or shallow-pitch roofs that have been through many hurricane seasons. A wind-mitigation inspection, documented by a licensed inspector on the uniform mitigation form OIR-B1-1802, can support premium credits for features such as roof-to-wall connections and impact-rated openings (s. 627.0629, F.S.). Salt-laden air still reaches hardware this far inland, so corroded exterior hardware, and garages or carports that were enclosed as living space over the years, are worth flagging to your inspector before the inspection period ends.
What to know in Washington Park
Insurance before you remove contingencies
On 1950s–1970s block homes, start insurance quotes early; carriers commonly require a four-point inspection and weigh roof age heavily. For market-of-last-resort questions, verify with Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
Flood zone and flood insurance
Flood zones come from FEMA flood maps, and a lender generally requires flood insurance on a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area — though homes outside one can still flood. Florida sellers must provide a flood disclosure under s. 689.302, F.S.
Enclosed garages and carports
Many homes here have had carports or garages enclosed as living space, which can raise permitting and appraisal questions. Ask what was permitted and verify records with the Broward County or applicable building department.
Hurricane-season readiness
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, so wind-rated garage doors and impact protection are practical concerns. Insurers may treat documented openings differently, so confirm with your insurance agent during the inspection period.
Humidity, HVAC and moisture
Freezes are essentially nonexistent here, but year-round humidity and near-constant air-conditioner operation make duct and dryer-vent moisture, mildew and lint buildup the common issues. Buyers often add mold and moisture items to their inspections.
Homestead exemption after closing
If the home will be your permanent residence, Florida's homestead exemption reduces taxable value and caps assessment increases under Save Our Homes, with portability in some cases. You apply to the county property appraiser, generally by March 1 of the year after moving in.
How we help
- Define the searchWe build the search around budget, bedrooms, commute and must-haves, including whether a full attached garage matters to you given how common carports and conversions are here.
- Showings your wayShowings can be in person or by video if you are relocating to Broward County from out of the area, with notes on roof type, openings and visible condition.
- Agreements and offersWe explain the brokerage relationship disclosure and any buyer representation agreement, then prepare a written purchase contract with financing and inspection provisions.
- Inspection-period guidanceWe help you sequence inspections, insurance quotes and flood-zone review so insurability questions are answered before the inspection period ends. Outcomes depend on the property and your insurer.
- Association documents when they applyFormal HOAs are uncommon in Washington Park, but if a property has one we review governing documents, budgets, rules and any application, interview or approval process and transfer fees.
- Lender and title coordinationTitle work, lien searches, estoppel letters and closing are generally handled by a title company or closing attorney, and we coordinate those pieces with your lender through closing.
Florida rules and paperwork in Washington Park
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, and transaction broker is the default presumption unless another relationship is established in writing. Expect a brokerage relationship disclosure, a written contract, and seller disclosures including known material defects and the residential flood disclosure. 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, or 0.2 percent (s. 199.133, F.S.); who pays each item is set by the purchase contract and is negotiable. You can estimate these with the free Florida Doc Stamp & Closing Tax Calculator on this site at /tools/florida-closing-costs. If your search extends to a condominium building three stories or taller elsewhere in Broward, Florida law requires a milestone structural inspection at 30 years (s. 553.899, F.S.) and a structural integrity reserve study (s. 718.112(2)(g), F.S.) — ask the association for those reports, and verify current requirements with the association, your lender and insurer, and a Florida attorney. Verify license status with DBPR.
Premier Real Estate Group Inc is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage (broker license BK3314523). Verify at Florida DBPR.
Timing and next steps
Across Broward County, local demand peaks just before and during hurricane season from May through November, with a secondary bump in the dry winter months as snowbird-season occupancy and remodeling activity pick up; statewide, buyer activity is strongest from roughly January through May with out-of-state relocation, and inventory choices and negotiating room often improve in the slower fall months. We cannot predict how any individual purchase will go, but planning insurance and flood review around those cycles helps. To get started, call (954) 703-4504 or send a request with the form on this page, and 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.
Nearby areas and communities include Boulevard Gardens, Roosevelt Gardens, Franklin Park, Lauderdale Manors, Rock Island, Dorsey-Riverbend, Golden Heights, Melrose Park, Broadview Park and Sunland Park, along with Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Oakland Park, Plantation, Wilton Manors, Sunrise and Tamarac.
Buy a Home in Washington Park: common questions
- Do I need flood insurance in Washington Park?
- It depends on the FEMA flood zone for the specific parcel and on your lender's requirements; flood insurance is generally required in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Homes outside one can still flood, and flood damage is normally excluded from standard homeowners policies. Review the seller's flood disclosure and confirm with your insurance agent.
- Why do insurers ask for extra inspections on homes here?
- Much of the housing stock dates from the 1950s through the 1970s, and Florida insurers commonly request a four-point inspection of roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC on older homes. A separate wind-mitigation inspection documents features that can support premium credits. Credits and requirements vary by insurer.
- Are there HOAs in Washington Park?
- Formal HOAs and gated subdivisions are uncommon in this small unincorporated community compared with newer western Broward suburbs. If a specific property does have an association, approval, estoppel certificates and transfer fees can apply, and the governing documents and budgets become part of due diligence.
- Who pays the closing taxes?
- Documentary stamp taxes on the deed and on a new mortgage note, plus the nonrecurring intangible tax on a new mortgage, are set by Florida statute at the rates noted above. Who pays each item is set by the purchase contract and is negotiable. You can estimate the figures with the calculator on this site.
- How do I get the homestead exemption?
- If the home becomes your permanent residence, you apply with the county property appraiser, generally by March 1 of the year after you move in. The exemption reduces taxable value and caps annual assessment increases under Save Our Homes, and portability may apply if you held homestead elsewhere in Florida. Confirm current deadlines with the property appraiser.
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Tell us what you're looking for — Washington Park
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