Fort Lauderdale Archives

Comfortable condo for an LGBT buyer in Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors or perhaps Miami?

A new client of mine wrote in today to ask…

“I’m looking to consult with a local agent in fort Lauderdale area for a potential investment property or vacation home. For us the most important search criteria is location. I know years ago, Wilton Manors was a good area to invest and live in for the LGBT community, is this still the case? Are there any other neighborhoods that we should be considering?

We are debating between investing in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. What are your thoughts pros and cons for each market if you are familiar with both?

Here is our search criteria

1-2 bedroom(s) condo
At least 1.5 bath
HOA fees less than $400/monthly depending on amenities could pay more
LGBT neighborhood preferred or central location in metro FLL or close to beach
Must include Parking and pool
Max price -$300k

So here’s the deal in South Florida. This is going to hold especially true for southern Broward County and into Miami-Dade.

A tale of Two Markets

The single family home market is healthy and vibrant. In fact, it’s overheated. Prices are increasing. Demand is strong. Broward is an economic engine – not just a vacation destination – and demand for family homes in good school districts is strong.

The condo market is the opposite. Several agents mentioned Dave Gervase. Dave lives in Hollywood and serves greater Broward, but he is willing to work further south than I do. From Hollywood, down into Hallandale, Sunny Isles and Miami, the condo market is struggling. New development is over-built. Developers are scrambling to convert properties already out-of-the-ground into apartments. Seriously scary shit.

Me and the husband (Condo Guru Steve West) settled in Oakland Park (which may as well be Fort Lauderdale) on the north east side. We are 8 minutes to Wilton Manors, too. So I am biased. I’ll push you towards Fort Lauderdale (including Wilton Manors and Oakland Park) because I think it’s the most gay-friendly, relaxed, amazing place to live.

However Fort Lauderdale is a “Tween.” What I mean is that the only reason it exists is because it was a whistle stop on the way south to Miami from the Treasure Coast. So your North Easterners with money will choose West Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast.

Folks who want an international destination with the feel of a big city will choose Miami.

The rest of us think that Fort Lauderdale is “Just Right.” It’s a bit more quiet. It’s not as homogeneous as West Palm Beach. And after the heyday of Spring Break (which BTW is still going strong) gays and lesbians moved in and fixed the place up.

As far as what you can get? I had a fellow agent from Michigan purchase a condo in Pompano Beach for under $100,000. Pompano Beach is farther from Wilton Manors, of course. But Michael and Karl got a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, only a mile to the beach off Atlantic Boulevard, in a community with a pool, near restaurants and bars. The condo itself was gorgeous. The community was on the more basic end of the scale. They won’t lose money, however. Ever.

NOTE: You can NOT Air BNB in most condos. You probably can use your condo as an annual rental. Read this:https://sunshineguru.com/2017/05/18/can-i-use-my-condo-in-south-florida-as-a-short-term-rental-or-vacation-rental-by-owner/

$300,000 will almost get you a whole house. Clients Ed and Jeff close on a house in Oakland Park next week for $330,000. It’s a 2 bed, 2 bath, full 2 car garage, and a pool overlooking a canal. $300,000 will comfortably get you a townhome, almost new townhome in Pompano. A 1970’s or 1980’s townhome in Wilton Manors. Easily a condo. And if you’re near the gayborhood, you’re less susceptible to the vagaries of the market that are plaguing the beachfront in Miami-Dade.

NOTE: You can easily use a townhome or a house as an Air BNB. Heck, I have a pocket listing duplex that would allow you to keep one, and AIR BnB the other. The various villages have inspection and registration requirements. For example, a vacation rental needs a $500 inspection and registration in Fort Lauderdale. On the other hand, Oakland Park is a free-for-all. Similar for Wilton Manors.

Last but not least: You should feel comfortable anyplace in Broward. Just a matter of style of community depending on where you are. You don’t have to be right inside Wilton Manors. I have uber-business lesbians out in Coral Springs because that’s where the good schools are located. There’s a young vibrant gay community in Boca Raton because of several universities. Oakland Park seems to be “Where The Bears Are.”

Fort Lauderdale Housing Market

My Market Insider provides a wealth of information that will help you better understand the factors that impact the real estate market. Consider this page your reference library for resources, tips, and techniques. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, the knowledge you gain will help put you in control of your real estate transactions. Gain valuable insight into a community by looking at household incomes, crime risk, education levels attained, and potential for extreme weather. Use the map to locate points of interest like shopping, restaurants, and healthcare services.

These reports are updated in real time and broken down by neighborhood throughout Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities.

I can provide a more in-depth analysis for a particular neighborhood. Contact me if I can share anything with you.

Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas Isles – zip code 33301

Near North, Victoria Park, Middle River, Central Beach – zip code 33304

Wilton Manors to the southern Corals – zip code 33305

Southeast Oakland Park – zip code 33306

Coral Ridge Country Club, Bay Club, the northern Corals and Imperial Point – zip code 33308

North Fort Lauderdale and Central Oakland Park – zip code 33334

West Fort Lauderdale and West Wilton Manors – zip code 33311

Lauderdale West, South Fort Lauderdale, Riverside, Lauderdale Isles – zip code 33312

Downtown South, Marina Mile and Fort Lauderdale Airport – zip code 33315

Rio Vista, Lauderdale Harbours, Harbor Beach – zip code 33316

Winterfest Boat Parade 2016 is this Saturday, December 10

The Winterfest Boat Parade – officially The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade – is this Saturday evening in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach. The parade kicks off around 6:30 pm near down-town Fort Lauderdale and heads east to the Intracoastal Waterway, then north into Pompano Beach.

(Check out local bridge closings if you are driving in the area)

Hundreds of boats are decorated with lights and music – from small private boats to large party yachts. The sight is truly spectacular! Viewing parties are planned along the New River in down-town Fort Lauderdale and along the Intracoastal Waterway. One of the best places to view is from the banks of the Intracoastal inside Hugh Taylor Birch State Park where the entry fee is only a few dollars. For big spenders, nearly all the venues along the waterway have special events planned. Check out the websites for Shooters, Flip-Flops, North Beach Village, and Bokampers.

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Dog parks in and around Fort Lauderdale

South Florida can be a wonderful place to share with your four legged family members. Dog parks and beaches can be found in every corner of Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding communities.

Keep in mind that along the main beach in Fort Lauderdale, there are limited areas that dogs are permitted on the beach, and when walking along the beach, dogs are restricted to the west side of the street.

Some of my favorites

Canine Corner in Pompano Beach: Along Federal Highway at 10th Street (near the large park and small airport) is a well kept park featuring separate areas for large dogs and small dogs. The park district also has several areas that can be taken offline or put into use letting parts of the park recover from excessive use – a nice feature to keep the pups out of the mud.

Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale: On the north side of Fort Lauderdale Airport and I595 (accessible from SR84) is a sprawling park with a large dog play area and a lake that’s accessible to dogs that may enjoy a swim.

Performance Pups in Hollywood: Located on the south end of Tiger Tail Lake, Performance Pups offers a dock and beach normally used for advanced dog training but is open for play sometimes. This facility is privately owned and there’s a fee to play on the beach and use the dock.

Hurricane Matthew and preparation in Fort Lauderdale

Hello local neighbors and South Florida readers. We have an unfortunately good chance of getting at least some part of a Category 3 or 4 hurricane. South Florida will see the effects late on Wednesday and all day Thursday.

A few things:

Do not empty your pool. I don’t know where this horrible piece of advice started but if you don’t have water holding your pool down, then the groundwater will pop it up out of the ground. This is a fact. Plus, in an emergency, you can use pool water to flush your toilet.

Do not put tape on your windows. It ultimately doesn’t do enough to help and you have a big mess to scrape off the windows when they don’t get broken.

Yes, shutters or plywood is good for your windows. You do not need to get 3/4″ plywood. 1/2″ is fine, save the extra money. But if you don’t or can’t shutter your windows, stay in a room that is either on the north or west side of the house because the wind will be coming from the southeast corner. Or even better, a room that has cbs (concrete) walls or a room in the middle of the house.

If you have rechargeable batteries, charge them even if you don’t think you need them. If you have a chargeable battery for a boat, charge it. You might be able to use the battery for something. If you take prescription meds, make sure you have at least enough for a few weeks or more.

If you have pets, make sure you have their food, treats and meds for at least a couple weeks.

Do your laundry now if you have been letting the dirty clothes pile up. These minor household chores are some of the things that folks forget about.

We all know about food and water, but make sure you are prepared.

Take some cash out of the ATM. When there’s no power or internet, CASH is king. Fill the car up with gas now. Gas stations in South Florida are all required to operate with generators nowadays. However finding gas and waiting in line may not be pleasant on Thursday or Friday.

Use common sense and be as safe as possible. And let’s hope it just brushes by us. I’m rooting for the gulfstream.

For folks who wish to contact me: I will be making hurricane preparations on Tuesday, October 4.

If the storm appears to veer towards South Florida on Wednesday I will be leaving town until utilities are restored – possible remaining out of town through Sunday, October 9.

I will have access to email and telephone however I do not expect to be returning emails as frequently as I would during regular business hours.

I’ll post regular updates on my Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bobdarow