By Nicole Ball and Amie Pisano 

If you want to take advantage of our booming local real estate market and are mentally ready to sell your home, but don’t know where to hang your hat next, you’re not alone.  

With the home-based work lives that many now enjoy, quality-of-life considerations are driving moves to destinations that weren’t viable options when livelihoods were tied to specific office locations.   

A few weeks ago, we zoomed to Colorado, and mountain living. This week, we’re heading due south (virtually) to Florida. 

For insights into the Sunshine State, we chatted with south Florida-based real estate agent and Compass colleague, Karen Baker. Born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, she knows the area like the back of her sun-tanned hand, and she knows what’s driving the market. 

The South Florida area, which includes Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, saw a 19% growth in average sales price from December 2019 to December 2020.  This growth is not just due to Floridians upsizing and downsizing. Folks from all over the country are heading south, lured by the idea of the year-round summer lifestyle and lower cost of living. Imagine never having to shovel snow again! 

Golf in the winter, anyone? Palm Beach County, from Boca Raton on up to Jupiter, is home to 27 golf clubs. Much of the area was developed with a gated community/golf club mind-set. You can also play tennis, pickleball, and bocce, spend time in the fitness center, and often the spa and salon, without getting in your car. In some of these communities, a golf cart can be your primary means of transportation. Homes with roaming security, internet service, lawn care included, and excellent nearby schools are available to fit most budgets. 

If it’s the water you love, Florida offers over 1,590 navigable miles of waterways. Yacht clubs and homes with water views abound, whether it’s ocean-front living you seek or along the quieter intra-coastal waterways. 

Another universal and undeniable draw of Florida is its beaches — all of which have public access. Beaches for miles, twelve months a year for jaunts and runs, picnics, crab-catching, surfing, fishing, scuba diving for you and your family. For those interested in exploring a unique aquatic experience, consider free diving at https://freestyledivers.me/.

Ready to pack your bags and chase the sun? With our local market in its spring bloom, now is an ideal time to sell and head south… or scoop up a winter escape home.  

Amie Pisano and Nicole Ball are real estate agents with Compass in Rye. Karen Baker is a real estate agent with Compass in South Florida.