Second home in Fort Lauderdale from NJ (Hollywood, Pompano Beach: for sale, real estate)

[cranberrysticksalt]

Wife and I (mid-30s) + toddler are interested in buying a condo in Fort Lauderdale. Budget is $1.5m. Planning to visit during winters and long weekends. We already booked a trip to visit FLL for 2 weeks. The plan is to look at places with a real estate agent and experience neighborhoods.

We enjoy the energy of cities, restaurants, being active, pool/beach, but we also have a toddler so would need something that is accommodating for kids.

Looking for advice on which neighborhoods we should look at in the short time that we visit? Also any other advice would be most helpful as we don’t want to miss anything.

Much appreciated!

[Up and Out]

We are in our upper 30s with an infant and just bought a second home downtown on the New River walk (based in NY). For $1.5M you can get. 3BR condo. The beach is a 15 min drive or less. All of the buildings have pools. We’re also walking distance from a ton of restaurants, shop, the live theater and a children’s museum. If you’re looking for a house maybe Victoria Park but not sure how far the budget goes over there.

[cranberrysticksalt]

Originally Posted by Up and Out

We are in our upper 30s with an infant and just bought a second home downtown on the New River walk (based in NY). For $1.5M you can get. 3BR condo. The beach is a 15 min drive or less. All of the buildings have pools. We’re also walking distance from a ton of restaurants, shop, the live theater and a children’s museum. If you’re looking for a house maybe Victoria Park but not sure how far the budget goes over there.

Thanks. We are most interested in a condo because it’s easier to manage when we’re not there. Ideally something with really nice amenities. We looking at the area you mentioned as it does have a lot to do walking distance. The town looks really nice. Also considering the beach area because of the amenities.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by cranberrysticksalt

Wife and I (mid-30s) + toddler are interested in buying a condo in Fort Lauderdale. Budget is $1.5m. Planning to visit during winters and long weekends. We already booked a trip to visit FLL for 2 weeks. The plan is to look at places with a real estate agent and experience neighborhoods.

We enjoy the energy of cities, restaurants, being active, pool/beach, but we also have a toddler so would need something that is accommodating for kids.

Looking for advice on which neighborhoods we should look at in the short time that we visit? Also any other advice would be most helpful as we don’t want to miss anything.

Much appreciated!

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Market is overheated, rent and get a feel for the area. I'd bet the rent is still cheaper than the interest on the loan, the HOA fees and insurance

[islanders2021]

Originally Posted by cranberrysticksalt

Wife and I (mid-30s) + toddler are interested in buying a condo in Fort Lauderdale. Budget is $1.5m. Planning to visit during winters and long weekends. We already booked a trip to visit FLL for 2 weeks. The plan is to look at places with a real estate agent and experience neighborhoods.

We enjoy the energy of cities, restaurants, being active, pool/beach, but we also have a toddler so would need something that is accommodating for kids.

Looking for advice on which neighborhoods we should look at in the short time that we visit? Also any other advice would be most helpful as we don’t want to miss anything.

Much appreciated!

I'm from the Long Island area and just got back from condo hunting in Ft. Laud. Spent 3 days exploring on my own. No agent. My situation is a little diff than yours as I'm a single/male early 50s thinking about retirement eventually...on a budget. Lol. Meaning I'll have far less than you do to spend on a condo!

But here are some general thoughts having driven every inch of Broward county (as far West as Weston, South to Hollywood and North to Delray Beach in Palm County).

- Like most NYer's, I loved Boca Raton. Upscale, clean, friendly. Also you can tell many people are from the NY/NJ area. Just a vibe we give off. Some don't like it, but I do.

- I found the Ft. Laud area itself underwhelming. Sure, the areas right by the beach are beautiful but just a few short blocks away as you head West it really can get seedy, especially at night. I did a lot of late night driving and didn't like what I saw. Not NYC bad, but bad enough to make me think twice about certain areas I thought were "good" during the day.

- I would highly encourage and recommend you drive up A1A. It's the main drag that runs along the beach. I would start right around Ft. Laud (I started at Las Olas) and drove all the way north into Palm Beach county to Delray Beach. Just amazing. Tons of beach front condos. What I would often do is take a screen shot of where I was on google maps on my phone as I passed by an area I though looked good and then I would research the area deeper online when I went back to the hotel to check on condo listings/crime/demographics, etc, etc. Remember a real estate agent ain't gonna tell you everything you might want to know.

- Just my opinion, most areas East of Route 1 to the beach were very nice. And I would apply this from Ft. Laud all the way up to Delray. However once you started to go West past Route 1 towards I95, it was hit and miss. Lots of trashy local types. I started to notice that if I were in an area where people were parking their cars on the grass, it was kinda sketchy. We love our lawns in the NorthEast. Lol.

Best of luck.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by islanders2021

I would highly encourage and recommend you drive up A1A. It's the main drag that runs along the beach. I would start right around Ft. Laud (I started at Las Olas) and drove all the way north into Palm Beach county to Delray Beach. Just amazing. Tons of beach front condos. What I would often do is take a screen shot of where I was on google maps on my phone as I passed by an area I though looked good and then I would research the area deeper online when I went back to the hotel to check on condo listings/crime/demographics, etc, etc. Remember a real estate agent ain't gonna tell you everything you might want to know.

- Just my opinion, most areas East of Route 1 to the beach were very nice. And I would apply this from Ft. Laud all the way up to Delray. However once you started to go West past Route 1 towards I95, it was hit and miss. Lots of trashy local types. I started to notice that if I were in an area where people were parking their cars on the grass, it was kinda sketchy. We love our lawns in the NorthEast. Lol.

Best of luck.

This is more of a response to the islanders guy than the OP. Glad you drove around but just to give you an idea about Delray. These two homes are 8 minutes/2.4 miles apart:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...46769785_zpid/

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...61783444_zpid/

You have to drive right by the #1 neighborhood to get to the #2 house. First house sold for 220K 3 years ago, I can't see them getting 400K now. My guess is someone thought they were going to be a house flipper/out of town landlord and they realized neither plan was going to be viable in that area. House #2 is for sale for just about what he paid (14.9mm/14mm) for it January 2021. I'm thinking he overpaid in they hype of the Covid market but he is a celebrity that flipped one 3 houses down for an 8mm profit so I don't worry about him losing money.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by cranberrysticksalt

Wife and I (mid-30s) + toddler are interested in buying a condo in Fort Lauderdale. Budget is $1.5m. Planning to visit during winters and long weekends. We already booked a trip to visit FLL for 2 weeks. The plan is to look at places with a real estate agent and experience neighborhoods.

We enjoy the energy of cities, restaurants, being active, pool/beach, but we also have a toddler so would need something that is accommodating for kids.

Looking for advice on which neighborhoods we should look at in the short time that we visit? Also any other advice would be most helpful as we don’t want to miss anything.

Much appreciated!

Check out Artesia, a beautiful complex that consists of upscale townhomes and condos. Yes, it is all the way West by Weston, but with direct access to I-595 you will get to Fort Lauderdale and the beaches in no time. Plus you can walk to the Panthers hockey games (and concerts as well). And Sawgrass mall is close by.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by islanders2021

I'm from the Long Island area and just got back from condo hunting in Ft. Laud. Spent 3 days exploring on my own. No agent. My situation is a little diff than yours as I'm a single/male early 50s thinking about retirement eventually...on a budget. Lol. Meaning I'll have far less than you do to spend on a condo!

But here are some general thoughts having driven every inch of Broward county (as far West as Weston, South to Hollywood and North to Delray Beach in Palm County).

- Like most NYer's, I loved Boca Raton. Upscale, clean, friendly. Also you can tell many people are from the NY/NJ area. Just a vibe we give off. Some don't like it, but I do.

- I found the Ft. Laud area itself underwhelming. Sure, the areas right by the beach are beautiful but just a few short blocks away as you head West it really can get seedy, especially at night. I did a lot of late night driving and didn't like what I saw. Not NYC bad, but bad enough to make me think twice about certain areas I thought were "good" during the day.

- I would highly encourage and recommend you drive up A1A. It's the main drag that runs along the beach. I would start right around Ft. Laud (I started at Las Olas) and drove all the way north into Palm Beach county to Delray Beach. Just amazing. Tons of beach front condos. What I would often do is take a screen shot of where I was on google maps on my phone as I passed by an area I though looked good and then I would research the area deeper online when I went back to the hotel to check on condo listings/crime/demographics, etc, etc. Remember a real estate agent ain't gonna tell you everything you might want to know.

- Just my opinion, most areas East of Route 1 to the beach were very nice. And I would apply this from Ft. Laud all the way up to Delray. However once you started to go West past Route 1 towards I95, it was hit and miss. Lots of trashy local types. I started to notice that if I were in an area where people were parking their cars on the grass, it was kinda sketchy. We love our lawns in the NorthEast. Lol.

Best of luck.

As a native to the area I would say great observations and they largely hold true. For better prices I would suggest honing in on specific towns like Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach and Boynton Beach. They're older established areas where until the past decade or so have primarily been senior citizen-oriented but are transitioning as new/newer areas further inland have skyrocketed out of reach for many.

[Alfiehurt]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

As a native to the area I would say great observations and they largely hold true. For better prices I would suggest honing in on specific towns like Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach and Boynton Beach. They're older established areas where until the past decade or so have primarily been senior citizen-oriented but are transitioning as new/newer areas further inland have skyrocketed out of reach for many.

Do any of these 3 have a downtown area or an area of town that is walkable to stores?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Alfiehurt

Do any of these 3 have a downtown area or an area of town that is walkable to stores?

Not really true downtowns per se but would say Pompano Beach is closest to that along Atlantic Boulevard from east of US1 over to the Intercoastal Waterway.