Moving to Miami

Last updated 2026-09-04. Source: BeachesMLS via PBP's direct Cotality Trestle feed.

Most people relocating to Miami make one structural decision before they make any other: a condominium in the dense core, or a house in a low-rise neighborhood. That single choice determines your monthly cost structure, your insurance exposure, your approval timeline and how quickly you can move in. Everything below is organized around getting that decision right before you commit.

Decide the property type before you shortlist addresses

A condominium bundles building insurance, exterior maintenance, amenities and reserve contributions into a recurring association fee, and adds an approval process before you take possession. A single-family house unbundles all of it: you carry the roof, the insurance and the maintenance directly, and no board approves your purchase.

Neither is better. They fail differently. Condominium risk concentrates in the building's finances and structural condition; house risk concentrates in roof age, insurability and permit history. Decide which risk you are equipped to manage, then shortlist. To see how much supply exists in each category right now, use the Miami market data page, which reports houses and condominiums and townhouses separately with the reporting window and retrieval date.

Condominium due diligence before you write an offer

Florida law now requires milestone structural inspections and structural integrity reserve studies for many condominium buildings, depending on height, age and distance from the coast. In practice this means the building's financial condition is now a documented question with paperwork behind it, and you can ask for that paperwork.

Request in writing, through your agent, before your inspection period ends:

The milestone inspection report and any engineer's remediation scope, if applicable to the building.
The structural integrity reserve study and how the reserves are currently funded.
Twelve months of board minutes and the current budget.
Any special assessment already voted, pending or discussed, with amount and schedule.
The association's insurance declarations page and the deductible for windstorm.
The rules on leasing, pets, vehicles and parking allocation, and the approval timeline and fee.

Insurance, flood and elevation for a house purchase

Homeowners insurance and flood insurance are separate policies in Florida, and a standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Ask for a wind mitigation inspection and, on older construction, a four-point inspection, and get an actual quote from a licensed insurance agent on the specific address during your inspection period rather than an estimate from a rule of thumb.

Ask two more questions early. First, what is the mapped FEMA flood zone for that address, and does the lender require flood coverage. Second, how old is the roof and is there a permit with a final inspection for it. Those two answers move the total monthly cost of a Miami house more than most buyers expect, and both are knowable before you are committed.

Commute, transit and the checks worth doing yourself

Miami is served by Metrorail, the free Metromover circulator through Downtown and Brickell, Metrobus, and Tri-Rail and Brightline for regional travel. If you will commute into Brickell or Downtown, proximity to a station genuinely changes the household cost of the move because it can change how many cars you need.

Do three checks yourself, in person if possible: drive or ride the route at your real commute hour, not midday; confirm the parking that comes with the unit, since assigned and guest spaces are governed by the association; and if you have school-age children, confirm the Miami-Dade County Public Schools assignment for the exact address, because assignment is set by boundary and by district policy, not by neighborhood name.

How PBP can help in Miami

PBP Real Estate is a Florida licensed brokerage (CQ1064615) with agents based in Miami-Dade as well as Palm Beach and Broward, under Gia Freer, Broker of Record. Tell us what you are weighing and a licensed PBP agent will respond directly. Your information stays with PBP.

If you are also selling elsewhere in South Florida, or you are moving in from out of state and need the sequence mapped out, say so when you write to us. Sequencing the sale and the purchase is usually the part that determines whether a relocation is calm or expensive.

How PBP works in Miami

This guide is general process information. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice, and it is not an opinion of value on any particular property. Market figures are drawn from BeachesMLS, listings permitted for internet display, with the reporting window and retrieval date shown.

Questions and answers

Should I buy a condominium or a house when relocating to Miami?

It depends on which risk you are equipped to manage. A condominium bundles building insurance, maintenance and reserves into an association fee and adds a board approval step, so the risk sits in the building's finances and structural condition. A house puts roof, insurance and maintenance directly on you, so the risk sits in roof age, insurability and permit history. Decide the property type first, then shortlist addresses.

What should I ask for before buying a Miami condominium?

Ask in writing for the milestone inspection report if the building is subject to one, the structural integrity reserve study and current reserve funding, twelve months of board minutes, the budget, any special assessment voted or pending with amount and schedule, the association insurance declarations page with the windstorm deductible, and the leasing, pet, parking and approval rules with the timeline and fee.

Can PBP Real Estate represent me in Miami?

Yes. PBP Real Estate is a Florida licensed brokerage with agents based in Miami-Dade, and Miami buyers and sellers work directly with a licensed PBP agent under Gia Freer, Broker of Record. Call 561-395-8418 or write to info@pbpre.com.

Tell us what you need in Miami

Miami communities with published data

A community is published only when it clears the same activity floor we apply to a whole city. Every page names its parent city and links to that city market report.

Westwood Lake — single-family houses
Brickell — condominiums and townhouses
Downtown Miami — condominiums and townhouses
Edgewater — condominiums and townhouses
Kendall — houses and condominiums
Ojus — houses and condominiums
Ives Estates — houses and condominiums
Fountainebleau — condominiums and townhouses
Flagami — houses and condominiums
Upper East Side — houses and condominiums
The Hammocks — houses and condominiums
Tamiami — houses and condominiums
Midtown / Design District — condominiums and townhouses
Kendale Lakes — houses and condominiums
Biscayne Gardens — single-family houses
Kendall West — houses and condominiums
Richmond West — single-family houses
Coral Way — houses and condominiums
Little Havana — condominiums and townhouses
South Miami Heights — single-family houses
Glenvar Heights — houses and condominiums
Westchester — houses and condominiums
Westview — single-family houses
Little Haiti — single-family houses
Goulds — single-family houses
Coral Terrace — single-family houses
West Little River — single-family houses
Liberty City — single-family houses
The Crossings — houses and condominiums
Shenandoah — single-family houses
Grapeland Heights — single-family houses
Country Walk — single-family houses
Three Lakes — houses and condominiums
Sunset — single-family houses
The Roads — single-family houses
West Perrine — single-family houses
Brownsville — single-family houses
Gladeview — single-family houses
Palmetto Estates — single-family houses
Richmond Heights — single-family houses

Léalo en español: guía para mudarse a Miami.

PBP Real Estate is a brokerage, not a law firm or tax adviser. Short-sale and probate information on this site is education and is not legal or tax advice.