If you've been watching South Florida real estate from afar, you've probably seen the headlines about condo inventory piling up, especially in Broward and Miami-Dade. Condos in those two counties are sitting at 10.5 and 11.3 months of supply right now, both firmly in buyer's market territory. That number is not a sign the whole market is crashing. It's the direct result of post-Surfside reserve funding and structural inspection requirements finally catching up to older buildings, and buyers rightly asking harder questions before they sign anything.

Here's what that means for you. If you're eyeing an older condo building, especially anything built before the mid-2000s, you need to see the reserve study and the last inspection report before you fall in love with the view. Some buildings are in great shape and fully funded. Others are one board meeting away from a five or six figure special assessment. That fear is legitimate, and it's exactly why so many buyers, both relocators and locals trading up, are shifting toward new construction instead. New concrete block construction, current hurricane code, and no deferred maintenance to inherit means the surprise assessment problem simply doesn't exist yet. You're not being paranoid for wanting that certainty. You're being smart.

Palm Beach condos are in a slightly different spot at 7.8 months of supply, still a buyer's market but less extreme, which tells you the assessment fear is real but not universal. It depends entirely on the building. That's the whole point of doing this with someone who knows which ones to trust.

A new phase just opened at Lotus Edge, GL Homes' gated community in Boca Raton, and it's bringing fresh inventory at current pricing before the next round of increases. This is the Palm Beach experience people picture when they say they want to relocate here: resort-style amenities, manicured streets, top-rated schools, all inside the gates, without driving all the way out to Wellington for it.

Over in Doral, Westview at Doral continues to be one of the more realistic entry points into new construction in Miami-Dade. It's Lennar's townhome community with quick airport access and new-construction pricing under $1M, which in this county is genuinely hard to find. If you want a brand-new home in Miami-Dade without paying Brickell prices, this is worth a look. If you want the fuller picture on Doral pricing and inventory, I broke it down here: https://southflinsider.com/blogs/doral-market-update-2026/

Active incentives: Westview at Doral has a fixed rate through Lennar's preferred lender currently active on select homes. Over in Parkland, Cascata at MiraLago also has design-center credits available on select inventory homes right now. Both are the kind of thing that's worth a phone call before you walk into either sales center on your own.

If you'd rather see a community before you visit, I posted walkthroughs of Solterra in Sunrise and Parkland Royale on YouTube this week, both worth ten minutes if either city is on your list.

Here's the one thing that actually matters if you're planning a move: single-family homes across all three counties are holding steady, 4.2 to 4.8 months of supply, balanced to seller-leaning, which means houses with a yard aren't getting cheaper while you wait. Townhomes and condos, on the other hand, are giving buyers real room right now, especially in Broward and Miami-Dade. What that means for you is simple. If a single-family home with land is the goal, don't wait around hoping for a discount that probably isn't coming. If you're flexible on a townhome or a well-vetted condo, you actually have leverage this fall that you might not have next spring.

Walk more than one community before you decide. Avenir in Palm Beach Gardens is a good example of why this matters, it's got multiple builders competing on the same parcel, from townhomes to estate homes on acreage, and that competition means real negotiating room if you know which builder is hungry right now. I've walked every phase out there and the honest answer changes month to month. The point isn't Avenir specifically, it's the habit. Compare, don't commit to the first model home that gives you butterflies. A rushed decision on a six-figure purchase is the one thing you can't undo. Slow down, see two or three communities, then decide with your eyes open.