The Highest Return on Your Real Estate Investment

Obviously, serious investors care about which location will reap the highest returns on their real estate investments.

When it comes to great returns Fort Lauderdale real estate is not much of a secret. Our market is legendary; fortunes are made here. Just look at the S&P / Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Going back to the 70s South Florida consistently out-performs the rest of the United States.

S&P / Case-Shiller Home Price Index for South Florida (Blue) vs. U.S. Average (Green) as of January 2015

When the Florida Association of Realtors released their annual year end statistics for 2014 in late January it supported what I have been saying for years – Fort Lauderdale and Broward County is the absolute best part of the fabled Sunshine State.

Just look at the numbers.

Statewide, the Median Price for a Single Family Home increased 5.3%. Values for Condos and Townhomes went up 9.8%.

In the South Florida reporting area encompassing Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, however, Median Price for Single Family Homes grew 6.0%, while Condos increased 12.4%.

Drill a little deeper you will see how Broward County out-performs the South Florida reporting area. Single Family showed an increase of 6.2%, Condominiums, Townhomes and Villas 16.8%

Now 6.2% appreciation in Single Family Home Values may not seem too sexy, but our market was consolidating through the second half of 2014 after soaring 24.5% in 2013 and 11.9% in 2012. Some began to worry about another housing bubble, so seeing this cool down was actually a very good sign, indicating sustainable, long term growth. Even with that consolidation Median Price has increased 30% in the last two years and 42% in the last three.

Is this an anomaly or a historical trend? And does the same hold true through boom years?

Let's take a look at the year end numbers from 2013.

According to the annual year end statistics for 2013 compiled by the Florida Association of Realtors, the Median Price for a Single Family Home increased 16.6% statewide. In the South Florida reporting area that number was 23.8%, and in Broward County the Median Price for Single Family went up 24.5%.

A similar story in Condominiums. The Median Price for Condos, Villas and Townhomes went up 19.6% statewide, 25.2% in South Florida, and 25.9% in Broward.

In addition another crucial factor which makes Fort Lauderdale the best place to invest is the liquidity. We have a very active and highly shopped market. So when it comes time to sell, you will have plenty of buyers.

So buy now, or forever hold your piece – of Cleveland, Newark or Detroit.

Meantime, if you'd like to see the Market Reports from the Florida Association of Realtors to which I am alluding Click on this Link.