EZ Home Search Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Profile  

Welcome to the land of endless summers, where the ocean’s your neighbor, the seafood fresher than the morning breeze, and everyday life feels like a perpetual vacation. Fort Lauderdale in South Florida has a high quality of life and beautiful real estate to match. Before you buy a home in this city by the sea, get the lowdown on Fort Lauderdale real estate and one of the nation’s top places to live.  

About Fort Lauderdale

This coastal city is smack-dab between ritzy Palm Beach and the world-famous Miami. For that reason, it carried a reputation as the laid-back hub of the Tri-County, with more “middle-class” homes and an easy commute across the greater Miami region. 

That’s not to say it lacked charms of its own. Fort Lauderdale residents benefited from a cruise port, nearby casinos, easy beach access, a beautiful oceanfront promenade, tons of waterfront living options, and a boutique shopping corridor. And for decades, it’s served up high-end shopping, world-class restaurants, and top-ranked schools.

Today, Fort Lauderdale’s profile as a place to live is rising as people are priced out of nearby cities like Miami and Palm Beach. More are realizing this optimally positioned and amenity-packed city is an excellent alternative. As of 2021, over 180,000 people called Fort Lauderdale home.

Cost of living

When a city ranks among the best places to live, you can expect it to be highly desirable. The more interest in a location, the more it costs to live there. You can see that in Fort Lauderdale’s index rating on Sperling’s Best Places. Living in the city costs about 10% more overall than other cities nationwide.

Its housing and transportation costs are the primary reasons for the higher budgets required to live here. This is a waterfront city with some incredible properties with price tags to match. Those two factors alone drive up the cost of housing. 

Besides housing and getting around, expect to spend more on groceries and miscellaneous costs. As you can see, only utilities fell below average. 

MIT’s living cost estimator does not separate Fort Lauderdale from the Miami metro. But, if you look at this part of the state, two adults working with two children at home need to bring home $93,514 after taxes to cover their essentials.

Buying Fort Lauderdale Real Estate 

Fort Lauderdale sits on the oceanfront in the heart of popular Broward County, between Palm Beach and Miami. For ages, it was considered a “middle-class” destination. Still, the less expensive oceanfront prices started luring luxury developers in the mid-2010s. The increase in high-rise towers and opulent waterfront properties has bumped housing prices and activity in greater Fort Lauderdale.

As of September 2023, the closed sales for single-family homes were up 22%. Its median sales price was now $602,000, a 6.5% year-over-year increase. That figure was down slightly from its June 2023 peak of $615,000.

 Fort Lauderdale homes continue to sell quickly, with a median of 62 days to sell. Like many markets nationwide, new listings and pending sales were down at the time. However, active listings were increasing, but only because sales activity has been slowing. The months’ supply of inventory increased to three months. Again, that was part of a national trend happening at the reporting time. 

For the third quarter of 2023, Fort Lauderdale’s single-family homes market reported strong figures, with 6.1% year-over-year growth in closed sales. The median sale price reached $600,000, right on target with the Broward County median price. With a 5.1-month supply of inventory, the market is definitely stabilizing. Experts consider six months a stable market, with a balance between buyers and sellers. 

When you zoom out, Broward County region home prices have been relatively stable, holding between $550,000-$615,000 with seasonal fluctuations since 2022.

Waterfront real estate

Home of the world’s largest boat show, you can bet Fort Lauderdale has ample waterfront real estate. In total, 165 miles of waterways are packed into this dense city.

The true star is the oceanfront, which runs from the Fort Lauderdale jetties and Lago Mar Beach through the northern tip of Lauderdale Beach. All along Ocean Drive await luxurious high-rise condos, beach resorts, and pocket neighborhoods of single-family homes. 

On the back side of the barrier island runs the Intracoastal Waterway–the ICW as locals know it. Numerous canals have been dug out to provide private boat access directly to this waterway. The ICW increases waterfront living choices; browse homes on the Florida mainland, an ICW island, or a barrier island side.

Thanks to rivers like the Middle River and Stranahan River, even more waterways await. Man-made islands like Idlewyld, Nurmi Isles, Las Olas Islands, and Sunrise Key are purposefully laid out with waterfront canals to increase private water access. 

Interior Fort Lauderdale is a network of river forks from the Tarpon, New, and Middle Rivers, plus more drainage canals and lakes that are a more affordable alternative to oceanfront living. 

The point is that the choices for waterfront living are vast. So where do you look? A few waterfront communities to consider when looking for waterfront Fort Lauderdale real estate:

Las Olas Isles: This upscale neighborhood off Fort Lauderdale’s famous Las Olas Boulevard features a network of canals lined with luxurious waterfront homes. The islands were built from wetlands into finger-like isles, including gated neighborhoods like Seven Isles. Included in Las Olas Isles are Idlewyld and Riviera Isles.

Rio Vista: Known for its oak tree-lined streets and historic charm, Rio Vista is a sought-after neighborhood with both Intracoastal Waterway and New River access. Some homes in this close-knit neighborhood by the private Lauderdale Yacht Club date to the 1920s. 

Harbor Beach: This exclusive gated community boasts some of Fort Lauderdale’s most opulent waterfront properties, with stunning mansions and estates. Residents gain private island living with deep dockage off the canal-backed properties, a private beach club, and easy access to Ocean Inlet.

Coral Ridge: Located near the Coral Ridge Country Club, this northern Fort Lauderdale neighborhood mixes inland properties and waterfront homes. Homes on the waterfront have easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Victoria Park: This trendy and historic neighborhood is close to the Intracoastal and Middle Rivers. The real estate is known for blending modern and old Florida homes.

Lauderdale Beach: True to its name, this neighborhood is right on the beach. Find a mix of condos, townhouses, and single-family homes with breathtaking ocean views.

Lauderdale Isles: Located along the New River, Lauderdale Isles has riverfront and canal-front homes, perfect for boating enthusiasts. It’s near I-595 and I-95 for easy commuting and faces the Secret Woods Nature Center across the river. 

Active Adult Living

Want to retire in a community packed with amenities and like-minded people? The options are the best part of buying into a Fort Lauderdale active adult community. Gain waterfront access, golf courses, tennis courts, and more to stay active and healthy as you enjoy the sunny South Florida scene. Many active living options are condominium complexes with units ranging from one to three condos. 

Take as one example the Coral Ridge Towers, a 55+ condo community with 336 units. Each floor has a laundry unit, and the residents have common areas like a fitness room, outdoor cooking area, community room, bicycle storage, pool, car wash area, and shuffleboard courts.

A more inland option is Sunrise Lakes, a development built around a series of retention ponds for waterfront-style living in lower-profile condos. Shared amenities include a clubhouse, swimming pool, and fitness center. The units are walkable to essential retailers and restaurants.

But there’s even more to explore in active adult living; let an expert real estate agent pull the properties with the features you want.

Fort Lauderdale condos and townhomes

Broward County is a popular place for buying a condominium or townhouse, and recent new construction has increased the available properties. Indeed, about half of the recent market sales are in this home category. 

As of September 2023, overall closed sales were down about 15% in this market category. That doesn’t mean there isn’t demand for Fort Lauderdale condos and townhomes. The median sold price increased to $270,000, about 2% more than last year. That was down from the reported $280,000 in June and July 2023.

The months’ supply of inventory did grow to 4.1 months, an 86% year-over-year change. In good news, new listings are up, which boosted the active inventory.

Over the third quarter of 2023, Fort Lauderdale reported 424 closed sales, a nearly 20% drop in activity YOY. The median sales price dropped to $444,750, a change of 8.3%. With a 5.7-month supply of inventory for the quarter, this market segment is what most experts consider “stabilized” with a balance between buyers and sellers.  

Neighborhoods of Fort Lauderdale

Besides the already-mentioned communities, Fort Lauderdale has other excellent neighborhoods. Some are historic areas built around the 1920s with old-style “cracker” or “Florida” homes. A few reflect the housing boom of the 1950s and 1960s with smaller footprints and mid-century aesthetics. And then there are the newer construction homes with clean lines and ample windows. 

To give you a better-rounded look at Fort Lauderdale real estate, here are a few other notable neighborhoods:

Colee Hammock: This historic neighborhood near downtown and the New River combines a tranquil residential atmosphere with easy access to shopping, dining, and cultural activities.

Coral Ridge Isles: This peninsula neighborhood near the rivers and the beach is known for its affordability, classic mid-century homes, and great schools. 

Tarpon River: This waterfront neighborhood is a little dash of everything: parks for relaxing or recreation, a more urban vibe with a commercial corridor and condos, and downtown towers in the background.

Sailboat Bend: A historic neighborhood, residents gain access to the New River, parks, and The Wharf Fort Lauderdale. Plus, downtown Fort Lauderdale isn’t far away.

Imperial Point: One of the 1960s developments, this neighborhood of ranch-style homes is prized for its classic community vibe. The association runs annual events like 5k runs, car shows, and holiday-themed activities. It is close to the hospital and a top Fort Lauderdale park.

Buying Fort Lauderdale real estate

As you can see, Fort Lauderdale’s homes are part of the attraction of living here. They are beautiful and eclectic in architecture, and many have waterfront with private boat docks and access. Take a deeper dive into Fort Lauderdale’s best neighborhoods or reach a local real estate expert to pinpoint the best place to buy a home for your goals.