Buying or selling in Fort Lauderdale?

What the work actually consists of

A fair number of Fort Lauderdale purchases begin with somebody who is not in Florida yet. That works, but it works better with a plan behind it: walkthrough video that shows the electrical panel and the ceilings rather than the view, an inspection booked before you fly in rather than after, and a clear understanding of what I will and will not sign on your behalf. I represent you on the Florida side. If there is a property to sell where you live now, I can refer you there through The Keyes Company.

Price these before you commit

• Windstorm and flood are underwritten separately from the main policy across much of Florida. Price them on the specific address before you are under contract, not after.
• For condominium buildings of three storeys or more at the relevant age, Florida requires milestone structural inspections and a structural integrity reserve study. Both change assessments and financeability. Read them before waiving anything.
• The homestead exemption reduces taxable value on a Florida primary residence, and the Save Our Homes cap limits how fast the assessed value rises afterwards. Portability may carry a benefit from a prior Florida homestead. Your county property appraiser is the authority, not your agent.
• Title in Florida is customarily handled through a title company rather than an attorney as a matter of course, which changes who you call when a question arises mid-contract.

The details that move a closing date

Title work exists to find the things nobody mentioned. An old lien, an unreleased mortgage from a refinance, an estate that was never fully administered, a signature missing from a deed two owners back. Most of it is curable given time and unrecoverable given none, which is why the search should be opened at the beginning of a contract rather than in its final fortnight.

Other cities in Florida

• Miramar
• Niceville
• Miami Gardens
• Winter Springs
• Palm Coast
• Lake Worth Beach
• Daytona Beach
• Port Charlotte
• All of Florida