Buying a luxury condominium in Fort Lauderdale

• Reserves and the current budget, plus any assessment that has been levied, announced or discussed
• The association's insurance coverage and how much of it the owner is responsible for
• Milestone inspection and structural reserve study status, and any repair program that follows from them
• Leasing rules: minimum lease terms, how many times per year a unit may be rented, and any waiting period after purchase
• Pet, renovation and occupancy rules — the ones people discover after closing
• The buyer approval process and how long it realistically takes, since it can move your closing date

Florida's rules on condominium inspections and reserve funding have changed in recent years and continue to be refined. Confirm what currently applies to the specific building with the association and your closing attorney rather than relying on a summary.

Three concentrations account for most of the market. Downtown, along the New River and Riverwalk, holds the tallest full-service towers and the shortest commute in the city. The Las Olas corridor mixes mid-rise and high-rise buildings within walking distance of dining and shopping. Fort Lauderdale Beach, along A1A, is the oceanfront corridor, where the choice is usually between older, well-run buildings with generous layouts and newer towers with fuller amenity programs.

Coral Ridge and the Intracoastal edge add lower-density buildings for buyers who want water views without a downtown address.

More than most buyers expect. Within a single tower, orientation determines whether you look at the ocean, the Intracoastal, the river or a neighboring building; it also determines afternoon heat and how much of the balcony is usable in summer. Lower floors on a busy corridor pick up street and marine noise that disappears higher up. This is why the useful comparable sales for pricing are almost always in the same building and often the same line.

The condo versus single-family comparison works through the trade-off in more detail.