Inside the Footprint

Working in Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

The Florida side of this site, where the answer is yes rather than an introduction.

Direct representation

The practical version

The useful thing about a transaction in your own market is that the answers arrive faster. I can look at a Lauderdale Lakes property, form a view, and tell you what I actually think rather than relaying someone else's read. That is the difference between this page and the ones on this site written for other states.

The Florida-specific list

  • 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.

Where Florida transactions get complicated

The appraisal decides what the lender will lend against, not what the property is worth to you, and the two are not obliged to agree. What matters is what the contract says happens when they do not — who may walk away, who may make up a difference, and by when a decision has to be made. Read that clause before you need it rather than on the day it becomes relevant.

Other cities in Florida

Questions people actually ask

What are the four-point and wind mitigation inspections?

Insurance documents rather than buyer protections. Insurers commonly ask for a four-point report on an older property — roof, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling — before they will quote at all, and a wind mitigation report records construction features that can reduce a premium. Neither replaces a full home inspection. Order them early enough that a refusal to quote is not what you discover a week before closing.

What should I know about insurance in Broward County?

That it is a material line item and should be priced before you are under contract, not after. Windstorm and flood are separately underwritten from the main policy in much of Florida, and the number varies more by construction and elevation than most buyers expect. Get real quotes on the specific address.

What relationship will we have — are you my agent?

In Florida the presumption is a transaction broker relationship unless something else is agreed in writing, as Section 475.278, Florida Statutes contemplates. That carries a defined set of duties, including dealing honestly and fairly, skill and care, and limited confidentiality. I will tell you plainly and in writing which relationship applies before you rely on me, and none exists until it is agreed.

How does the homestead exemption work?

It reduces the taxable value of a Florida primary residence and, through the Save Our Homes assessment cap, limits how fast the assessed value can rise afterwards. Portability may let you carry a benefit from a prior Florida homestead. The county property appraiser is the authority on your specific situation — I am not a tax adviser.

Can I speak to other agents as well?

Of course, and you should. Nothing about a first conversation requires exclusivity, and no brokerage relationship exists until something is agreed in writing. If you interview three people and pick one of the others, that is a good process working properly. I would rather lose the work than have you commit to somebody because it felt awkward not to.

Start a conversation

No form, no funnel. The About page has the background, the licence details and the direct line.

About Jacob Campbell Read the FAQ

Jacob Campbell · Florida Real Estate Sales Associate, license 3623732 · The Keyes Company · 561.301.7130