2023 Homestead Exemption

All qualified Florida residents are eligible to receive a Homestead Exemption on their homes, condominiums, co-op apartments, and certain mobile home lots. To qualify for Homestead Exemption, you must own and make the property your permanent residence on January 1 of the year for which you are applying for this valuable exemption. Pursuant to Florida law, all assessments and exemptions are based upon the status of the property on January 1. If you purchased and/or made the property your permanent residence in 2022 and have not applied for Homestead Exemption, you can apply for 2023 exemptions at any time – there is no need to wait until 2023 to file your exemption application with the property appraiser’s office. You can easily

Fake Sellers, Fake Landlords: What’s Real Anymore?

The advice for anyone you meet in real estate? Trust but verify – which means don’t fully trust anyone who isn’t your mother. Scammers continually find new ways to separate you, your buyer or your seller from their money.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Realtors has sent out several articles concerning the uptick in scammers, whether that be a fake seller of vacant land or a fake landlord who doesn’t actually own the rental property or tips on how to avoid being scammed. Watch for red flags so this doesn’t happen in your transaction. (Also see: Scam Involving Sale of Vacant Lots is Back: Don’t Get Fooled Again!) There is also the twist where scammers fraudulently change the corporate

Owners of Condo Units in Florida may be forced to sell their Condos in the near Future (Milestone Inspections).

New legislation in Florida may disrupt the condo industry as we know it today. The new post-Surfside rules will force some owners to weigh the cost of needed repairs against the benefit of moving and selling. It could become an unpleasant choice for many South Florida condominium owners, ahead of a new state building inspection law driven by last year’s catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. By the time Florida’s updated condo safety law goes into effect in 2025, many owners may have decided that it’s too costly to stay in their decades-old, high-rise condominiums.

For tens of thousands of Florida

It’s easy for non-real estate people to watch news stories and think, “The market’s crashing.” But it’s just slowing during a market correction and still up year-to-year.

The Year 2021 was a record year for real estate in South Florida, yet the last eight months of 2022 have been about the market slowing. Questions linger as to how bad the decline in the market is and whether it’s headed for a crash.

There’s little doubt that the market has slowed over the past six to eight months: Closed sales are down as buyers grapple with rising interest rates, it’s taking longer to sell a home, and bidding wars are not as common as they once were.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the South Florida market is crashing.

“There is a lot of confusion when

Renting a Condo as a Short Term Rental may not be as easy as it sounds

Regulations, HOA rules, insurance and taxes need to be considered before you buy a condo to use as a Short Term Rental.

Online condo rentals via Airbnb and VRBO, has become increasingly popular especially in Florida. A lot of owners rent for a few months to help defray the costs of ownership and allowing the owner to still use their condo for part of the time.

While it can be very rewarding financially to rent out your condo on a short time basis, there are several risks and drawbacks associated with renting out your condo, especially to complete strangers. Considering these risks before deciding to rent can save condo owners many headaches and possible future expenses. Most

If you are buying a condo or home in the Town of Hillsboro Beach, you may need to contact someone in City Hall.

You can always go to www.townofhillsborobeach.com.

Or see the information provided below:

POLICE DEPARTMENT - 911 (EMERGENCIES)

Hillsboro Beach Police Department

Chief Jay Szesnat  |  jszesnat@townofhillsborobeach.com

Phone: (954) 427-6600 (24/7) Fax: (954) 427-7428 PAGE 3

FIRE/RESCUE/MEDICAL EMERGENCY - 911 (Emergencies)

Fire Services - Provided by the City of Deerfield Beach

Broward Sheriff’s Office via HBPD (954) 427-6600 (24/7)

TOWN HALL Phone: (954) 427-4011 | Fax: (954) 427-4834

WATER DEPARTMENT

Billing Questions: (954) 603-0030

Water Emergencies: (954) 427-6600 (24/7) (via HBPD)

Water Quality and

Information to Help You in the Aftermath of Hurricane Ian

The following are resources and info to help you recover and rebuild — including FEMA help, small-business loans, unemployment assistance and more.

Latest disaster updates

FAQs about rental properties: In the wake of Hurricane Ian destruction, many landlords, tenants and property managers aren’t sure how to proceed. Click here for Florida Realtors legal team answers to the most-asked questions or here to download a PDF version.

Florida emergency bridge loans activated: Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to help companies deal with temporary operational gaps after Hurricane Ian. The maximum loan per business is $50,000 at zero interest,

Condo Deals in South Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Hollywood)

Searching for Condo Deals is as easy as 1,2,3.

The 2 things you are looking for are:

1) Has the price been decreased

and 2) How long has a Condo been listed for sale, because generally the longer a condo (or other property) has been listed for sale (called "DAYS ON MARKET"), the more anxious or motiated the seller should be. We can help you with both!!!

Just click on any of the links below and looks for a condo you like and look for the "DAYS ON MARKET"  or "DOM" info. If the number is more than 30 days, you may want to keep an eye on that property. If the DAYS ON MARKET is more than 100, you will definately want to check out that property. If you do

                                  Steps to Become a Real Estate Agent in Florida

To become a real estate agent in Florida, a person must be 18 years of age, have a US Social Security number, hold a high school diploma, or have a GED, and complete the following steps:

1.       Complete 63 Hours of Approved Education (In Person or Online*)
2.       Pass the Course Final Exam
3.       Submit Fingerprints
4.       Complete the Licensing Application**
5.       Pass the Florida Real Estate Exam

**to order an application, please go to: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/datamart/loginFLDBPR.do;jsessionid=kkHYoX2N_bvF7he-5UFHTMBb8NBAprP9r8hnXrdY.DBPR-WPAP037:VO-Server-One

The Application Fee is $89.

For many buyers, a low interest rate is a major consideration when looking to buy a condo, townhouse or single family home. Especially now since we have seen interest rates in the low 2% range. The basic thinking behind "Marry the House and Date the Rate" is that buyers should not allow interest rates from detering them from purchasing your dream home, because rates are likely to dip in the future and this will allow you to refinance to a lower interest rate. The typical mortgage term can last up to 30 years or more so it’s tough to think you may be stuck with anything less than the lowest rate possible for an extended period of time. 

Most experts agree that rates will eventually come down, although we may not see rates in the 2% range for a long