Buy your next home with an owner's checklist in hand.
I've inspected and renovated dozens of South Florida properties for my own account. You get that judgment on every house you fall for: what the roof, panel, plumbing and permits really mean for your offer, and what the place will cost to carry.
What I look at before you write an offer.
These are the items that decide whether a house is a good buy at the asking price, a good buy at a lower price, or not a buy at all.
Age, material and the insurance clock
Shingle roofs over about 15 years and tile roofs over 25 start costing you on insurance and resale. I check permits for the actual install date, not the listing's claim.
Panels and aluminum wiring
Federal Pacific, Zinsco and Challenger panels, and 1970s aluminum branch wiring, are insurance red flags with known fixes and known costs.
Cast iron, polybutylene, water heaters
Many 1970s–'80s Coral Springs homes still have original cast-iron drains. A sewer scope is $300; a re-pipe is $15,000+. I know which to order.
Flood zone, elevation and grading
Zone AE versus X changes your monthly payment. Lot grading and canal proximity change your maintenance life.
Open permits and unpermitted work
A quick permit history tells us whether that enclosed patio or extra bath will become your problem at resale.
HOA and condo health
Budgets, reserves, insurance, rental rules and pending assessments — read before the contingency expires, not after.
From first call to keys.
A real conversation about budget
Monthly payment including Broward taxes and realistic insurance, not just the mortgage. We get you pre-approved with a lender who closes on time.
Targeted search
Coral Springs, Parkland and the surrounding cities, filtered by what actually matters to you: schools zoning, commute via the Sawgrass or Turnpike, HOA rules, lot and flood zone.
Tours with a renovator's eye
I'll point out the $3,000 fix and the $30,000 one while we're standing in the room.
Offer strategy
Price, deposit, timelines, appraisal and inspection terms calibrated to the specific seller's situation and how many days the home has been on market.
Inspection period
General, 4-point and wind-mitigation inspections, sewer scope where warranted, insurance quotes in hand, then a repair or credit negotiation kept in proportion.
Closing
Title review, survey, HOA approval where required, final walk-through and a clear settlement statement.
Buying in Coral Springs and Parkland: an honest overview
Coral Springs was master-planned from the 1960s onward, which is why it reads as tidy and consistent: landscaped medians, strict sign and paint codes, and neighborhoods that were built in distinct waves. Broadly, the east side (ZIPs 33065 and 33071) holds 1970s–'80s homes on larger lots, often without an HOA; the west and north (33067 and 33076) hold late-1980s to 2000s gated communities with HOAs, newer roofs and smaller lots. Prices in October 2026 centered on a $750,000 single-family median, with condos and townhomes well below that.
Parkland, directly north, is a different price tier — a trailing-twelve-month median around $1.14 million — with larger homes, newer construction and gated communities such as Parkland Golf & Country Club, MiraLago, Parkland Bay and the Parkland side of Heron Bay. Buyers typically trade Coral Springs' convenience and variety for Parkland's lot sizes and newer product.
What first-time buyers should know
- Insurance quotes early. Get an indicative quote during the inspection period. A roof replacement credit can be the difference between an affordable premium and an unaffordable one.
- Homestead and portability. File for homestead after closing; if you're moving within Florida, port your Save Our Homes benefit.
- Flood insurance is separate. Even in Zone X, consider a preferred-risk policy — South Florida rain doesn't read FEMA maps.
Relocating to South Florida?
Much of my work is with buyers arriving from the Northeast, California, Toronto and abroad. Video tours, remote inspections, mail-away closings and a local vendor bench for the week you move in are all normal for me.
Buyer questions, answered
How much do I need for a down payment in Florida?
Conventional loans start at 3% down for first-time buyers (5% otherwise), FHA at 3.5%, VA at 0%. Putting less than 20% down means mortgage insurance. Closing costs run roughly 2–4% of the price on top; sellers can contribute toward them within loan limits, and I negotiate for that where the market allows.
Who pays the buyer's agent in Florida now?
Since the 2024 industry changes, buyer-agent compensation is agreed in a written buyer-broker agreement before we tour homes. In practice many sellers still offer or negotiate to cover it. I'll explain the agreement line by line before you sign anything, and we'll build any compensation request into your offer strategy.
What should I budget for insurance and taxes?
Property taxes in Broward run roughly 1.8–2.1% of purchase price in year one (your homestead exemption and the 3% Save Our Homes cap kick in after). Homeowners insurance varies enormously with roof age, construction year and wind-mitigation features — a 2005+ home with a newer roof may be a third of the cost of a 1980s home with an aging one. I get indicative quotes during the inspection period, not after.
What is an HOA estoppel and why does it matter?
It's the association's official statement of what's owed on the unit and its current fees and assessments. In Coral Springs' many gated and association communities, we also review budgets, reserves, rental restrictions and any pending special assessments before your contingency expires.
Can you help me buy a house to live in and a rental at the same time?
Yes — and a 'house hack' (buying a duplex to fourplex, living in one unit and renting the others with residential financing) is often the smartest first purchase in South Florida. See the investor hub.
Tell me what you're looking for.
A short call about budget, areas and timing — then I'll set up a search that doesn't waste your weekends.
(954) 729-4133
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