Last updated September 3, 2026
Relocating to Hollywood, Florida
Short answer: Relocating to Hollywood works best when you choose the part of the city first and the house second. It runs from the Atlantic beach west to the Florida Turnpike, and the beach blocks, the historic core around Hollywood Lakes, the 1950s central neighborhoods and the newer western communities are four different markets with four different cost structures. Get property tax and insurance quoted on the specific address before you agree a price, because neither number on a listing is necessarily yours.
Start by choosing the band of the city
Hollywood is not one market. East of the Intracoastal you are buying beach access and condominium living, with the insurance and association realities that come with being on the water. Hollywood Lakes and the streets around Young Circle give you older character houses, water on many streets and the shortest walk to downtown. The central neighborhoods, between I-95 and Federal Highway, are where 1950s and 1960s houses on good lots are still being renovated one at a time - the widest spread of condition and price in the city. West toward the Turnpike, Rock Creek, Embassy Lakes and the surrounding communities are newer and association-governed. Work out which of those four you want before you shortlist anything, because a relocation buyer comparing listings across all four is comparing nothing.
Commuting, flying and getting about
I-95, US-1 and the Florida Turnpike all run through or along the city, and Sheridan Street and Hollywood Boulevard carry the east-west traffic. Tri-Rail's Sheridan Street station puts Miami and West Palm Beach on a train rather than a motorway. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is minutes north, which matters if you fly weekly, and Miami International is roughly 25 miles south. If your work is in Brickell or downtown Miami, test the drive at the hour you would actually do it before you commit to an address; if it is in Fort Lauderdale or Plantation, almost the whole city works.
What it costs to own here, beyond the price
Two numbers decide what owning here actually costs, and neither is on the listing. Property tax is set on your own purchase, not the seller's assessed value, so the tax line you see on a listing usually reflects a homestead exemption and an assessment cap that belong to the current owner and do not transfer with the house. Insurance is the other one: wind coverage, and flood coverage where the property calls for it, quoted on the specific roof, year built and elevation rather than a county average. Get both quoted on the actual address before you commit to a price. If the property is in an association, add the dues, ask what has been voted, and read the budget and reserve position rather than the marketing sheet.
Condominiums: read the building before the unit
A large share of Hollywood's inventory is condominium, and in a condominium purchase you are underwriting the building as much as the unit. Ask for the budget, the reserve position, the insurance summary, the rules covering pets, rentals and occupancy, any assessment already voted, and whatever inspection or reserve-study reports the association holds. Florida requires milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies for many condominium buildings, and what those reports say can move the monthly number you underwrite. What applies to a specific building is a question for that association, and for a Florida real-estate attorney if the wording matters. None of this is a reason to avoid condominiums; it is a reason to read the paperwork in week one rather than week five.
The order we suggest doing things in
Pick the band of the city, then get insurance and tax quoted on two or three candidate addresses so the running cost is real before you negotiate. See the properties at the hour you would live in them, not just midday. If it is a condominium, read the association documents before you write an offer, not during an inspection period. And if you are selling somewhere else to do this, sequence the two sides deliberately - carrying two homes is the most expensive way to relocate. If the sale side is in South Florida we can run both ends; if it is out of state we will refer you to someone we would use ourselves. Start with an opinion of value on what you are leaving.
Nearby and related
- Hollywood market report and neighborhoods
- Hollywood resident guide
- Relocating to South Florida
- What is my home worth?
This guide describes the town and how property here trades. It carries no market statistics on purpose, so nothing on it goes stale; the live figures sit on the market pages linked above, sourced from BeachesMLS. PBP Real Estate, LLC, 700 NW 7th Dr, Boca Raton, FL 33486, 561-395-8418. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Relocating to Hollywood: questions and answers
Is Hollywood a good place to relocate to?
It suits people who want beach access and a walkable downtown without Fort Lauderdale or Miami Beach pricing, and who are comfortable with Florida insurance costs. It is a genuinely mixed city rather than a single-product suburb, so the answer depends far more on which part of it you choose than on the city itself.
How far is Hollywood from the airports?
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is immediately north of the city, minutes from most addresses. Miami International is roughly 25 miles south on I-95 or the Turnpike. That proximity is one of the practical reasons people relocating for work land here.
Should I look east or west in Hollywood?
East gives you the beach, the Broadwalk, downtown and older housing stock on larger lots, with higher insurance exposure closer to the water. West gives you newer construction, association-governed communities and easier parking, with a longer run to the beach. Decide that before you look at listings, because the two halves rarely compete for the same buyer.
What should I budget for beyond the purchase price?
Property tax calculated on your own purchase rather than the seller's assessed value, homeowner insurance including wind and flood coverage where it applies, association dues plus anything already voted, and for condominiums the possibility of an assessment tied to reserve or inspection findings. Get all of it quoted on the specific address.
Should I rent first or buy?
If you do not know the city, renting a season in the part you think you want is cheap insurance against buying in the wrong band of it. If you already know which neighborhood suits you, there is no advantage to waiting, and a rental year has its own cost.