Richard C. Decker,P.A.-Realtor Broward County FL

The Galt Mile Area does have the waterfront community of Bermuda Riviera where there are lots of canals having access to the intercoastal waterway. The Intercoastal waterway then has access points or inlets at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and Hillsboro Inlet just north of Pompano Florida.

Whenever you have a boat you have maintenance to be done. This post will give information on where the marinas are found and any service vendors in the area.

Fort Lauderdale is called the Venice of America. One look at the satellite photo will show why that distinction is made. The imbedded map will show the areas that I report on and their relation to the Intercoastal Waterway and the canals within the various communities.

View Larger Map

Where are the marinas located. Here is a directory of marinas in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Steve Schustack has done a great job of putting together a site that allows you to sign up for marine news and Newsletter highlights to tease you into subscribing to Marine News. The site ranks high in Google placement and has many links to businesses with its heavy advertising content found in the site.

On the site are links to the premium and basic listings linked to this very informative directory for all things regarding the boating lifestyle in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

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The Atlantic Ocean is right outside your door of whatever condominium you choose to live in along the Galt Ocean Mile Area. A perk to living on one of these high rise buildings is that you can walk off the pool deck onto the sandy beach of the Atlantic Ocean.

Non residents cannot pass through the condominium property from the street along A1A to the beach, but there are portals to the beach where tourists can access the fine sandy beaches and relax, or go for a swim in the Atlantic.

Warning - this is the ocean and every year people loose their lives to rip currents. Be careful and aware of this phenomenon before entering the water! When caught in the rip current swim parallel to the shore to escape the powerful force of this event.

Rip Currents and Beach Warning Flag Meanings are found at the City of Fort Lauderdale Ocean Smart guide for visitors to promote safety and knowledge about the area.

First, let's take a look from a satellite view using Google maps to see the public beach in Fort Lauderdale. The Public beach is found south of Sunrise Blvd and north of Port Everglades Inlet where the cruise ships come into the area. North of Sunrise Blvd begins the area where the beach can only be accessed by the public thru designated portals or city parks.

The furthest south city park is the Vista Park area located at 2800 N Atlantic Blvd Click the link to see the actual map location south of Oakland Park Blvd and north of Sunrise Blvd. There is a small parking area and used primarily by the very local residents and is less busy than any of the others mentioned.

Next location north is the city park Earl Lifshey Park at the end of Oakland Park Blvd just south of the L'Hermitage Condo Complex.

At the end of Commercial Blvd, about 1 mile north of Galt Ocean Mile is The Pier area.

Many little shops and eateries are also found at this very foot traffic friendly location.

There are several portals accessed off El Mar Drive which is East of A1A in Lauderdale by the Sea.

Datura Ave Portal access to beach

Hibiscus Ave Portal to the beach

Palm Ave Portal to the beach

North of Commercial at Washingtonia Street in Lauderdale by the Sea is the access to the beach where dive instructors get their students trained for scuba diving experiences.

If you need to get from Point A to Point B and do not feel like walking you can take the trolleys in the area. Sun Trolley serves the area south of Lauderdale by the Sea and west to US 1 and the Lauderdale by the Sea trolley serves the area from the Fort Lauderdale Community Center in the Galt Mile Area north to Sea Ranch Lakes area.

Analysis of 10 closest communities to the Galt Ocean Mile Area of Fort Lauderdale

I have put several posts up to show the strength of the housing market in 10 subdivisions around the Galt Mile Area of Fort Lauderdale. The purpose is to get buyers and agents aware of the market conditions, and to return confidence and enthusiasm for the area. If buyers can see that properties area being sold, and peak their interest, they will want to get involved with knowing the market and purchasing now, before the better priced properties are gone. If agents and sellers see what is moving then pricing adjustments could be made to allow the inventory to sell.

The reports are for homes only - not condos or coops.

One report shows if the subdivision is performing as well, better or less than this month this year and last year. Also the number of sales reported in the MLS for last year and the number to date this year to see if the trend is on track or weaker than last year.

We are allowed by our MLS board to advertise with permission other broker's listings. So that physical comparison can be made between properties I have linked to the photo report of the MLS to those properties allowing the cooperation.

Imperial Point The Landings Sea Ranch Lakes and LBS

Lauderdale by the Sea

Coral Heights Coral Ridge Country Club Bermuda Riviera - Galt Area

Poinsettia Heights Coral Ridge Lauderdale Beach

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Questions or Comments? Need Help Searching for a Home?

In Broward County Florida there are costs involved when selling property.

To recap those costs:

The commission - as we all know this is not set in stone, but as for me 6% of sale price is my fee. This fee is normally split 50/50 between the Listing and Selling Broker and then the fee further split between the Broker and the participating agent(s).

Repair / Replace clause of the contract for sale: in one contract the default percentage is an overall 2% of sale price, and in another the default is 1.5% for wood destroying organisms and 1.5% for other items, for a total of a possible 3%. These numbers can be overwritten by a manual insertion of a number acceptable by the parties to the contract.

Our contracts are a ‘fill in the blank' format, and it is usual here that the agents fill in the blank, and use of attorneys not be involved so much. The forms have been reviewed by and approved by legal entities. The forms locally used are the local Board contract and the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR-9) and the FAR/BAR or the Florida Association / Florida Bar Association. Each has their own clauses common to all, and then specific flavor of clause that sets them apart from the others. It is usually the broker that determines which to use, although other factors can determine what format the offer appears from the buyer to the seller for acceptance. A contract in pure ‘boilerplate' form is the cleanest possible, then typewritten, then handwritten supersedes entries that can alter a basic contract. It is best to have a knowledgeable agent explain exactly what is in the contract, or as noted in the contract, get legal advice BEFORE signing the contract.

The government has to get their share also. For the seller in Broward county, there is a document stamp on the deed at a rate of $7.00 per $1,000 of sale price, or $700 per $100,000 of sale price.

The people doing the closing, the attorneys or title companies, do not typically represent the buyer or the seller. Their job is to search the title, to make sure the property can be conveyed without any ‘clouds on the title' and to execute any paperwork required by the lender/underwriters for the loan package. Costs for Searching the title, document preparation, recording fees for each page of the recordable instruments: deed, mortgage as examples. These costs vary from each closing entity; however my estimate will be in the range of $800-$1000 - stated costs, not a multiplier of the sale price.

A seller could pay for a home inspection. The pro: you can get a handle on what may rise up in a buyer inspection, while you are in contract, and things could become ugly. The con: you will now have knowledge of what is bad, and will have to disclose or repair/replace/re-inspect to get it to go away. The assumption is that if nothing is bad then you spent the money - to have piece of mind. If something is found then you have the time to get it corrective, not be under a deadline, and can shop for the best cost to get it corrected.

In today's market I would also recommend that $2,000 be budgeted for curb appeal.

If you don't stand out, you can't be noticed and probably not be considered by buyers.

I am glad that Localism suggests that articles be written for a particular area rather than a state. Broward county is located in what is called South Florida. Palm Beach county, Broward and Miami-Dade counties are usually linked together. Monroe county contains the key islands, from Key Largo to Key West.

Florida is a long, large state, and weather patterns are not the same for its entire land mass. Driving takes approximately 10 hours from Jacksonville to Key West. It is also approximately 10 driving hours from Jacksonville to Baltimore to give some perspective.

In the South East area the sun shines almost every day - thus the Sunshine State - and it is hard to tell exactly what season a given day is by looking out the window and not feeling the temperature.

It is a humid climate in the summer. Before moving from Baltimore in the late 80's I remember that in July and August, no matter how many times I took a shower, perspiration was always present. I believe that the entire eastern seaboard in July and August has the humidity factor due to the influence of the Atlantic.

In the winter and spring - the non rainy season - days are usually in the 70's and nights in the 60's. There are periods of burr, 50's and even ‘yikes' 40' temperatures, especially in February when the beaches are covered with an amazing array of people in speedos and those bundled with scarfs, gloves and long coats! Easy to spot the ‘natives' on those days.

In the summer and fall - the temperatures can be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night not fall below 90 degrees overnight. But for overall temperature, 90 degrees in the day and 80 degrees overnight. But that is what I love about the weather here. The temperature at night! During the day you can find A/C at home, in the malls, in your car. At night you can be outside and be warm and very comfortable while you enjoy the evening with family and friends. Having grown up in Cleveland, I compare these ‘normal' night temperatures as those found on the five good nights in a good year in Cleveland. The fall weather is absolutely fantastic and the real paradise of this location.

The summer temperature is much better enjoyed outdoors, and the A/C was made for indoor use during this period so that a restful nights sleep can be enjoyed.

Now for THAT word - Hurricanes. Yes this is where they come, but not before the weather channel, and each and every talking head on the local news channels have told you that a depression has developed in the Atlantic somewhere between Africa and here - for days and days and hour by hour.

Sometimes they develop in the Gulf of Mexico and affect us on the East coast coming from the West. Natural disasters happen everywhere. Floods, Fires, Mud Slides, Earthquakes, and Tornados. Most happen with lots less time of notification than do the phenomenon of Hurricanes. Tornadoes and Floods can accompany Hurricanes, but the preparation time for ‘The Event' can be done in the hours and days preceding the arrival.