Category Archives: Broward County Florida

Planning Your Move: 5 Relocation Tips to Make Your South Florida Move Easier

access_timeMay 6, 2019personScott Patterson

A man using a wheel of tape to seal up a moving box.

Sometimes, a little change of scenery can do us good!

If you’re planning an upcoming move to Miami-Dade or Broward County, congratulations! This is a wonderful area for so many reasons, and we’re thrilled that you’ve decided to call it home.

Once you’ve bought your Miami-Dade dream home, it’s time to plan for the tricky part: relocating. We’re here with five relocation tips to make your upcoming move a little easier.

Tip 1: Start Early

As early as you can. Ideally, you should start planning for your move when you start the process of selling your current home.

First, go through all of your belongings to determine what you can sell, donate, or throw away. Reducing your belongings will make moving much easier—after all, it’s less stuff to pack!

Also, begin getting together moving supplies as early as you can. Gather boxes of all sizes, packing tape, labels, and other packing materials like bubble wrap.

Tip 2: Label By Room

A living room with a sectional sofa, shag rug, and glass coffee table.

If you have the time, pack up one room at a time. Come up with a system of labels so you know which boxes belong to which room.

Try to start with a room you don’t use as often, and work your way through the remaining rooms as you approach moving day.

Tip 3: Pack Fragile Items with Towels & Clothing

If you have a lot of fragile items, try to pack them with softer things like clothing and towels. This will save you money on additional packing materials and cushion your more delicate belongings.

Be sure to carefully label your fragile boxes. In addition, remember the golden rule of packing: the heavier the item, the smaller its box should be. This will save you some back pain!

Tip 4: Enlist Your Friends and Family to Help

A young couple sitting on the floor next to their moving boxes.

Let’s face it: professional movers are expensive. Plus, their rates tend to increase substantially during the warm summer months.

If you’re planning an upcoming move to South Florida, see if you can persuade your friends and family members to help you out! Offer them food, drink, and maybe even some money to give you a hand lifting boxes and organizing your belongings.

Tip 5: Pack an “Emergency Bag”

Load this with everything you’re going to need right away. This includes:

Any medication
Your cell phone
Your cell phone charger
Any emergency contacts not saved on your cell phone
If you’re traveling with pets, their vet records
Cash and other valuables
Snacks
Instant coffee or an energy drink
A change of clothes

Looking for Additional South Florida Relocation Help? We’ve Got Your Back

Give us a call today to explore your home-buying options in South Florida, or to get an expert’s help with relocation. As your Miami-Dade and Broward County real estate professionals, we’re here to help you with any and every detail relating to your home purchase.

This Weeks Featured Listing : 325 Layne Blvd

access_timeAugust 23, 2016personScott Patterson

Golden Isles – Hallandale Beach, Florida new Listing. Golden Isles is a private gated waterfront community with deep water and no fixed bridges. 325 Layne Blvd is all about luxury and has raised the bar once again in Golden Isles. Five bedrooms and five bathrooms under six thousand square feet of extraordinary luxury and custom finishes. This home is situated on a 92′ x 150′ foot lot with ample boat dockage, a 25K boat lift, 325 Layne Blvd_15 new dock and batter pile seawall. The home is fully equipped with top of the line appliances, office, wet bar, smart home automation, two car garage, marble driveway, electronic gates, and of course a custom heated pool, this is a must see. Call me today to schedule a private showing.

-Scott

THIS WEEKS FEATURED LISTING

access_timeJuly 29, 2016personScott Patterson

* 513 Palm Dr. Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 *

513 Palm Dr. Hallandale Beach, Fl. 33009

Golden Isles waterfront estate listed for $3.249 million. This new contemporary home was built on an large Intracoastal 100′ x 150′ lot and its many features include: five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half baths with over 5,500 sq. ft. living area and over 7,200 total sq. ft.. Lavish landscaping on this tropical modern setting, large beautiful backyard with an over sized pool, jacuzzi and beach pad.

This waterfront home has a large chefs kitchen, formal dining room, down stairs master suite, tray ceilings, custom light fixtures, motorized shades, and lots of natural light adds sheer beauty to this home. Golden Isles is a boaters paradise with the Atlantic inlet nearby! Call me today for a private showing: 954-661-8871

-Scott

Open House 524 Palm Dr. Hallandale FL

access_timeJune 10, 2016personScott Patterson

524 Palm Dr. Hallandale Beach, FL is in the sought after waterfront community of Golden Isles. This updated home boasts 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms, 2 car garage, all impact windows / doors and all under 3000 sq. ft. From the luxurious waterfront backyard to the dine-in chefs kitchen, look no further than this home. With its covered patio and gourmet summer kitchen it caters to the most picky client and is a boater paradise with deep water and no fixed bridge.

Please feel free to come and visit our Open House Sunday June 12th from 2pm – 4pm. See you there !

Demolition of the Dania Beach Hurricane Roller Coaster

access_timeMay 17, 2016personScott Patterson

They say, whatever goes up has to come down. The Dania Beach Florida Hurricane Roller Coaster in southern Broward County has been a landmark for residents and tourists since year 2000. Just this past week the demolition of the monstrous wooden structure has begun and it created a buzz through the south Florida community. The ride itself closed five years ago and hasn’t been operated since. Some are happy to see it go but some are sad and believe it or not, I rode when it reopened in 2000, lots of memories from my childhood on a wooden roller coaster!

Kimco Realty Group of New York is developing a 850,000-square-foot center in a joint venture with Master Development and Salzman Real Estate Advisors, Who have projects already through the Tri-County area of South Florida. This project will bring in about 17,000 construction jobs and 13,000 permanent jobs once its fully developed.

No leases of any retailers have been signed yet, But the 35-acre first phase, which will incorporate “big box” stores and discount retailers, is planned to open in the fall of 2017.

The second phase, which will include more retailers, restaurants, 1,000 residential units and two hotels, will follow in the fall of 2018. By that time, construction will be initiated on some of the 500,000 square feet of commercial office space.

Dania Pointe of Dania beach located just north of Hollywood Florida, will be one of the largest shopping centers in Broward County Florida. Dania Pointe will attract many visitors all the way from Southern Miami-Dade County up to The Northern parts of Palm Beach County because of Dania Beaches central location in South Florida. Over half a million cars pass by the location northbound on I95 per day! This development is sure to be a success and a great new addition to the city and South Florida.

The Point of Aventura Expected to Get Large Scale Renovations Soon

access_timeJuly 14, 2014personScott Patterson

Talk about a major overhaul! The Point of Aventura, a luxury condominium with a track record for excellence, is about to receive some major renovations that will make it even more magnificent.

From the salon to the yoga studio, lobby to the garden room – there won’t be an inch of The Point that isn’t improved during this major renovation.

In the end, the residents of this community will be restored to a level of prestige and comfort that they’ve come to expect and deserve.

Flurry of New Luxury Condos Is The Driving Force Behind Renovations

According to the above video, The Point’s Master Board passed the large scale renovation project during a recent meeting.

A major driving force behind the renovations is the fact that the South Florida real estate market is seeing a flurry of new construction activity in the luxury condominium market.

This is putting pressure on existing condominiums to undergo large scale renovations in order to keep pace with area competition. For instance, the nearby Williams Island recently underwent a $5 million renovation of its spa and fitness center.

The results have been nothing short of incredible, with an overwhelmingly positive response from the residents and even a boost in property sales.

Now it’s The Point’s turn to undergo a major renovation that will significantly improve quality of life at this luxury South Florida condo.

Here is a breakdown of the renovations that are expected for the various sections of the building:

The Salon

More square footage
Elevated ceilings with improved lighting
Resort level equipment
New retail area for products
Appropriate ventilation and exhaust to enhance the experience

The Spa

New sauna and steam equipment
Enhanced lighting throughout
Fully functional massage treatment rooms
Redesign of various amenities for improved layout

The Lobby

Modernized finishes
New reception area that’s strategically placed for better visual monitoring
Upgraded grand staircase
New multipurpose room

Garden Room

Upgraded lighting
Improved ceiling design for elegance and improved acoustics
New audio visual system with drop down projection screen
Multi-zone temperature and volume control

Upper Level

An independent exterior access point to public hallways that will prevent further interruptions in the garden room

Throughout the Building

Expanded and renovated yoga room
New multipurpose room
Dedicated Pilates room

Wow! That’s an lengthy list of improvements coming to The Point

I personally can’t wait to see how it all comes together.

It’s encouraging to see that community leaders are dedicated to improving quality of life for current and future residents.

What’s more, these luxury upgrades are sure to result in the skyrocketing popularity of this condo on the Aventura real estate market.

Now is An Ideal Time to Relocate to The Point Condos in Aventura

Be one of the first residents to enjoy all of these fabulous upgrades. Purchase a luxury South Florida condominium at The Point today!

Contact me, Scott Patterson, your South Florida real estate expert, now and I’ll be happy to assist you by answering all of your questions about this community as well as telling you about available listings here.

Until next time,

Scott

How Rising Interest Rates Are Expected to Affect South Florida

access_timeAugust 26, 2013personScott Patterson

Recently, during the month of June, mortgage interest rates moved into the 4 percent range.

This is higher than it’s been in the last several months, in which prospective home buyers all across the nation have seen rates drop as low as 3.25 percent.

So with interest rates rising again, how exactly is this going to affect the South Florida real estate market? Today, we’re going to analyze this and let you know.

South Florida homes for Sale

As many experts have noted recently, the slight increase in interest rates has encouraged many would-be buyers to finally enter the market before the rates rise even more.

This is interesting in itself given that just a decade ago, it was perfectly normal to see a 6 percent interest rate or a 9.5 percent interest rates.

But in recent years, buyers have grown accustomed to record-low interest rates.

Experts calculate that home buyers will see a 6 percent jump in monthly payments for every 0.5 point increase in the overall interest rate.

When rates first rise, home buyers worry they’re going to rise more and so there’s a surge in buying activity.

But as rates steadily rise, experts predict that purchase levels will start to decline.

In summarizing recent activity related to rising interest rates, one analyst recently said in an interview that he believes the South Florida real estate market is going to see interest rates continue to rise.

Barring some significant international economic disaster, he said residents should see rates rise to 5 or 5.5 percent soon.

But, as he noted, even those rates are incredibly good, albeit not as good as they’ve been in last 12 months.

Real Estate for Sale in South Florida

So home buyers, while you might have missed the absolute best deal available in terms of interest rates, there are still fantastic mortgages out there for you at incredible prices.

To take the next step toward making the most of this great time to be a South Florida home buyer, contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll be more than happy to assist you with all of your home-buying needs!

Until next time,

Scott

Property Insurance Reform to Affect South Florida Waterfront Real Estate Owners

access_timeMay 20, 2013personScott Patterson

The Business Journal recently had an interesting article about how the state’s reforms to Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will ultimately have a huge effect on those living on South Florida’s coasts.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Citizens Property Insurance Corp is a state-run insurer.

According to the recent legislation that the state government approved, protocol for Citizens Property has changed to help reduce enrollment, which officials say will make it less vulnerable during a storm.

This is sure to have a large impact on waterfront property owners all of South Florida!

What South Florida Home Owners Should Know About the Law Change

Under the recent change, residents will be limited to 10 percent annual premium hikes, although new enrollees would have to pass through a number of other insurers before choosing Citizens.

Experts are saying that because of this change, rates will increase overtime since homeowners would need to select private coverage within 15 percent of that offered by Citizens.

Eventually, more insurance providers will be attracted to the area, experts say.

As soon as the Citizens reform was passed, shares from the Fort Lauderdale-based Unviersity Insurance Holdings increased to its highest level in a year.

Universal Insurance Holdings is the largest private insurer in Florida.

Here’s how else the reform will affect circumstances in Florida: Some experts believe Citizens’ policy limit reductions will cause the maximum coverage to decrease from $2 million to $1 million, eventually falling to $700,000.

Some experts think the changes are coming at a bad time and may curb the housing market recovery in South Florida.

After all, investors may think twice if they’re forced to choose private insurance with higher premiums, experts say.

That could in turn call the housing market recovery to slow down or stop altogether.

What’s more, the reform forbids Citizens from covering new coastal construction after July 1, 2014. This may have a direct impact on such South Florida coastal communities.

Still, some experts say the changes to coastal construction coverage may actually end up benefiting the less expensive condominiums in Brickell and Downtown Miami.

South Florida Luxury Real Estate For Sale

What do you make of the recent legislative changes concerning Citizens Property Insurance Corp?

I am always happy to offer straight-forward advice and providing you with such useful home-selling resources as:

Until next time,

Scott

Now is the Time to Become a Harbor Islands Resident in South Florida!

access_timeApril 11, 2013personScott Patterson

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been telling you a little bit about the Harbor Islands neighborhood on the Hollywood, Florida real estate market.

If you’ve reached a point where you’re interested in becoming a current resident in this elite residential community, then today’s South Florida real estate blog is just for you!

Today, I’m going to tell you about the various active listings in this community.

Hollywood Homes for Sale

No matter what price range you’re in, there is likely a home for you in the Harbor Islands community.

That’s because this diverse neighborhood features numerous distinctive enclaves – which run the gambit from luxury town homes to stately single-family homes.

Thus, if you’re in the market for a single-family home, you’ll be pleased to learn there are currently 29 listings in Harbor Islands – ranging in price from $580,000 to $3,850,000.

While single-family homes are certainly the largest search category when it comes to Harbor Islands, there are also plenty of options for those looking for a townhome.

In fact, there are currently 6 active listings in Harbor Islands for townhomes. These properties tend to range in price from $499,000 to $1,349,000.

Even if you’re not in the market to buy a property, there are still opportunities for you to become a resident of this Hollywood community thanks to four available rental homes in the community.

These properties tend to cost anywhere from $5,500 per month to $8,500 per month.

Your South Florida REALTOR

If while browsing the available listings mentioned above you find one you’re really interested in, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll be happy to provide you with additional information about these listings, answer any questions you may have and even schedule a showing for you!

For now, please take some time to browse some of my online home-buying resources, which include:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Real Estate Market Recovery Ranked Best in the Nation

access_timeMarch 13, 2013personScott Patterson

The South Florida real estate market is experiencing a larger bounce back than most housing markets around the nation.

Evidently, Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County are all seeing major jumps in their median sales price – making them some of the fastest improving markets in the country!

This is obviously great news for luxury South Florida home sellers who are hoping to get a respectable price for their South Florida property!

South Florida Home Sales

Here’s a breakdown of recent South Florida real estate market activity:

Broward County’s median price was $127,000, up 21 percent from the year before.
During that previous year, the median sales price in Broward County was $105,000.
That jump in Broward County was the highest jump of any housing market in the nation!
In Miami Dade County, the median sales price was $165,000, up 20 percent from the year before.
During that previous year, the median price in Miami-Dade was $138,000.

Although a lot of South Florida homes lost nearly half their value during the housing crisis, experts are now saying that the market is bouncing back from that drop.

Helping the situation is a lot of demand from investors as well as a shrinking supply of available South Florida homes for sale.

Rising rental prices are also driving more home buyers to the market.

List Your South Florida Home on the Market Now

South Florida home sellers who have been hesitant to list their home on the market in recent years can start doing so with confidence.

After all, given the recent data, it appears that home sales prices in the area are on a steady climb.

For help listing your home on the South Florida real estate market, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’m an experienced area REALTOR who can help you set the right list price on your home and create an effective marketing plan tailored to you.

For now, be sure to browse some of my online home-selling resources, such as:

Until next time,

Scott