Fort Lauderdale · Luxury

Luxury Condos for Sale in Fort Lauderdale, FL

A luxury condo here is two purchases at once: the residence and the building behind it. I read the reserve study and the inspection status before I look at the kitchen.

Luxury listings

Luxury condos for sale in Fort Lauderdale right now

203 active listings · MLS data updated 1 minute ago · Active listings only

See all 203 homes in Fort Lauderdale

Market snapshot

203 active listings at $1,000,000 and up

Highest asking price right now: $20,500,000

Straight from the MLS feed on this page. It moves when the feed moves, and it is the only market number I publish here.

Where the luxury homes are
Central Beach, along A1A Direct oceanfront high-rise buildings between Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevard, a mix of 1970s towers and post-2015 construction. View line matters more than floor count.
Downtown and Las Olas Towers on and around the New River and Las Olas Boulevard, most built after 2000. River and skyline views, walkable to restaurants, no beach crossing needed.
Galt Ocean Mile A dense run of oceanfront buildings on the north beach, largely 1960s and 1970s, many now through their milestone inspections. Larger floor plans per dollar than Central Beach.
Point of Americas and the Harbor Beach end The southern tip by the inlet, where a handful of buildings sit between the ocean and Port Everglades with ship traffic passing the windows.
Birch Road and the intracoastal side Mid-rise and boutique buildings a block off the sand, facing the Intracoastal. Smaller associations, which means fewer amenities and a tighter budget to read.

Buying a luxury condo in Fort Lauderdale is two purchases stacked on top of each other. The first is the residence: the view line, the ceiling height, the terrace, the finishes. The second is the building, and that one arrives with a budget, a reserve study, an insurance policy and an inspection history you inherit the day you close.

I read the second one first. Milestone inspection status, the structural integrity reserve study, the last two years of board minutes, the master policy and the wind deductible. It is unglamorous work and it is where the money is. A residence with a beautiful kitchen inside a building that has deferred its structural funding is not a bargain, and by the time the assessment arrives it is too late to negotiate it.

What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

The milestone inspection status

Florida's 2022 condo safety law requires a milestone inspection for buildings three stories and up once they reach thirty years, and twenty-five within three miles of the coast. Ask whether it is done, what phase it reached, and what it found.

The structural integrity reserve study

That same law requires a reserve study covering the structural items, and associations can no longer simply vote the funding away. A building with a finished study and funded reserves is a very different purchase from one without.

Special assessments, current and pending

Ask for the last two years of board minutes, not just the current budget. Assessments usually appear in the minutes months before they appear on an estoppel. I read them for you.

The association's insurance and the deductible

The master policy, the wind deductible and how the association funds it decide what your own HO-6 has to cover. In an oceanfront building this is the number that has moved most in recent years.

Rental rules and occupancy limits

Minimum lease terms, how many times a year you may rent, and approval requirements vary building to building. If part of your plan is renting it out, confirm the rules before you write the offer.

Parking, storage and what conveys

Deeded versus assigned parking, how many spaces, whether the storage cage transfers, and how the garage handles a large vehicle. These are cheap questions that get expensive after closing.

FAQ

Fort Lauderdale luxury questions

Is it wise to buy a condo in Florida right now?

It is wise to buy the right building. Since the 2022 safety law, the buildings that have finished their milestone inspection and funded their reserves look very different from the ones that have not. The documents tell you which is which, and reading them is my job.

What is a structural integrity reserve study?

It is a required study of the structural components of the building, roof, load-bearing walls, floors, foundation, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and windows, with a funding schedule attached. It tells you what the building owes itself over the next years.

Are older oceanfront buildings a bad idea?

Not automatically. An older building that has already been through its inspection and its assessment can be a better buy than a newer one that has not started. What I avoid is a building with the work still ahead and no money set aside for it.

What does a penthouse premium actually buy?

Usually ceiling height, terrace depth and the view line, and sometimes private elevator access. Those are real. What is not worth paying for is a top-floor label on a building with the same ceilings as the floor below.

Can I keep a boat if I buy a condo?

Some buildings have deeded dockage and some have a marina with a waiting list. Tell me the length of your boat and I will limit the search to the buildings that can actually take it.

Let us talk

Shopping Fort Lauderdale at this level?

Tell me the budget and the must-haves. I will send the homes that fit, with the water, the building, and the carrying costs checked before you see them, in English o en español.