If you’re buying or investing in residential property in Palm Beach or Martin counties, this may be the best real estate market in years to consider a short sale. Closing usually takes longer, but it may be well worth it. Even luxury housing is offered on short sale now.  

What is a short sale on a house? 

It’s when a homeowner can’t keep up with mortgage payments and will sell for less than the mortgage balance, avoiding foreclosure. Florida law requires the lender to approve this type of transaction. Most lenders will consider a reasonable discount, as much as 20% off the cost of the property’s fair market value.  

Lang Realty specializes in short sales and keeps up-to-date listings on condos and homes on short sales for every budget, from…

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Do an online search for the advantages of retiring in Florida and a huge list of resources for seniors pop up, from tax-friendly to quality medical care, to agencies, services, and communities that specialize in home and health care.

It’s not only the beaches and the weather anymore, even though Florida’s called “The Sunshine State” for good reason. No snow to shovel, no ice on the roads to navigate. Try not to call your family back north from a golf course in February!

So, why is Florida the best place to retire and what are the benefits of retiring in Florida?

The statistics speak for themselves:

There’s no personal income tax. Social Security isn’t taxed here. Florida doesn’t tax pensions, any retirement income, estate or inheritance…

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Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown Oct. 2 and concludes at nightfall Oct. 4.

South Florida, particularly Boca Raton and the nearby suburban gated and 55+ communities, has a large and diverse Jewish diaspora. So, most houses of worship offer advance tickets and can only accommodate members. But others welcome visitors and newcomers and may offer you seating for children’s services that still has room.  

South Florida has temples, synagogues and Chabads for people who identify as Reform, Conservative, Modern Orthodox, Orthodox or Reconstructionist.  

You can do a search for your own denomination’s houses of worship nearby and in your new location and call for availability.

If you can’t find a seat in a house of…

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Buying or investing in real estate requires a licensed professional who’s an expert in that real estate market, buying and selling transactions, and other agencies involved from appraisers to title companies.

Here’s a Q&A on why to use a real estate agent.

Reasons to use a real estate agent

Selling real estate is a profession, and real estate agents and brokers are required to be licensed by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation to do business here. A license requires certified courses, exams and continuing education and legal updates. A broker has a higher level of licensing and assists agents by overseeing the process.

Benefits of hiring a real estate agent

Your agent needs access to up-to-date listings and…

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Don’t get rid of your leather boots, slacks and jackets before you move to warm and sunny Palm Beach or Martin County. You’ll wear them here.

You can still get away with whites through mid-September. But only tourists wear linen and white all year round. Especially shoes.  

And if you’re moving into a residential country club or an upscale condo community in Boca Raton, Palm Beach or the suburbs, there may still be remnants of a dress code. Especially for dinner in the dining room. No flip-flops or T-shirts. The days of mandatory jackets and ties for men may be over, but even golf could require a collared shirt for the guys in those communities. Always ask what to wear before you do anything new.

Once the weather cools down, you’ll find…

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There’s a rhythm to life in South Florida, and “season” is here.  That means every entertainment, theater and lecture venue starts offering shows, and celebrities come here on tour through spring 2025.

Taylor Swift’s The Era Tour has concerts booked at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens Oct. 18, 19 and 20. The Miami Dolphins share that 75,000-seat arena. And Swifties won’t even have to drive there from Palm Beach County. Brightline, a privately owned hi-speed train, now has stations in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton.

Billy Joel has tour dates scheduled in November and January at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, south of Palm Beach County. John Legend’s coming in on Oct. 13 and Jerry Seinfeld in January.

Here’s links to major venues:

…

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You'll find most beaches in Palm Beach County are free. But Boca Raton’s 5-mile stretch of beaches require an annual permit for residents or a daily visitor’s fee. There are no bars, hotels or restaurants on Boca’s pristine beaches. So, if you’re in the market for an oceanfront hi-rise condo in Boca, check with your Lang Realty agent for what’s on sale here. Whether your condo overlooks a public or private beach, you’ll have an uninterrupted ocean view. 

Boca Raton’s gated beach parks on A1A, the north-side ocean road from Miami through Jupiter, are geared to Boca Raton city and Palm Beach County residents, the latter with a Boca Raton suburban address who live in the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District. South Beach, Red Reef and Spanish River…

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You can still celebrate Halloween when you move to South Florida. In fact, it’s a major holiday here.   

Retailers are already advertising indoor and outdoor Halloween décor and Halloween costumes for kids and grownups. There are even costume pop-up shops.

You’ll have plenty of places to wear them.

Theme parks up the road in the Orlando area like Disney World and Universal are selling tickets for their Halloween events. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party/ https://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/

You can stay close to home if you have a trick or treater. Most private communities and public neighborhoods have specific hours for this door-to-door ritual. Just ask around. Parents…

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With tennis available 24/7, South Florida is literally a game-changer. Every private and public community has tennis courts, tennis lessons, tennis tournaments, tennis leagues, tennis pros and pro shops that often include pickleball too.

There’s a major tennis stadium in Delray Beach that has adult and junior programs, women’s leagues, adult clinics, and special amateur and professional events.

Among the special events are the annual Delray Beach Open and the Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic that includes her annual gala coming up again in November. Tickets are already on sale. http://chrisevert.org/schedule/

The tennis great’s Evert Tennis Academy and camp is in western Boca Raton.  

The USTA keeps track of “a place to play” for…

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If you’re a renter now buying, a new seller or buyer, here’s an Essential Guide to Real Estate Appraisals for Homeowners and potential residential property owners.

What is a real estate appraisal?

Assessing the value of the property being bought or sold. You can depend on your Lang Realty agent to help you get quotes from and choose a licensed property appraisal service. The types of real estate appraisals differ between residential and commercial.

What is the purpose of a real estate appraisal?

To determine what is called “the fair market value” of the property in the current real estate market, usually within the last 90 days. Your potential lender will require an appraisal to make sure the mortgage isn’t more than the property is…

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