Four days in Martin County sounds like plenty of time to look at houses until you add dinner with friends, a round of golf and the afternoon you promised everyone at the beach. I’ve seen how quickly that leaves us trying to fit twelve showings into Tuesday. I’d rather spend that afternoon taking you back for a second look at a home you’re seriously considering.
If you’re thinking about buying on Florida’s Treasure Coast this winter, you can do quite a bit before you book a flight. We can narrow down the neighborhoods, see what your budget buys and work out whether your timing depends on selling another home. In this episode of Florida Explained, I also cover a year-end date worth knowing if you plan to make Florida your permanent residence.
How many homes in Martin County actually fit what you want?
Suppose you want a three-bedroom home in Palm City with a private pool and a newer roof. You’d like to stay around $650,000 and keep the monthly homeowners association fee manageable. There could be hundreds of homes for sale across Martin County, but what if only five meet those requirements? If three more buyers arrive in January looking for much the same thing, that’s the competition you’ll feel.
Starting early gives us time to see how often a home like that comes up and what buyers have paid for similar properties. You might decide the private pool is worth waiting for. Or you might find a community pool a short walk from the house and realize you’d be happy to let someone else take care of it, especially if you’ll only be here a few months each year. Either answer helps me narrow down what I send you.
Where in Martin County would you want to spend an ordinary Tuesday?
Before I ask how many bedrooms you need, I want to know what you picture doing once you live here. If you’d like to go out for dinner and walk along the downtown waterfront afterward, I’d show you homes near downtown Stuart. If you want more room for a backyard and pool, I’d include Palm City. Jensen Beach makes sense to explore if getting to the beach regularly is part of your routine. And if you tell me, “Maria, I want to see the ocean when I have my coffee,” I’d narrow that search to oceanfront properties on Hutchinson Island.
I’d also ask where else you need to be during the week. Hobe Sound may suit you if you like a quieter setting and expect to spend time in Jupiter or northern Palm Beach County. Knowing where you’ll go and how often is more helpful than sending you a dozen listings with beautiful kitchens and leaving you to figure out the geography when you arrive.
When does your closing date matter for Florida’s homestead exemption?
If you’re buying a permanent home in Martin County and hope to qualify for the 2027 Florida homestead exemption, you generally need to own the property and occupy it as your permanent residence on January 1, 2027. For a year-end purchase, that means planning to close by December 31, 2026, and establishing residency in time. If you close January 2, you’ve missed the ownership date for the 2027 tax year. March 1, 2027, is the standard deadline to file the application.
There’s also an update since I recorded the video. Florida voters approved Amendment 3 in November. For buyers moving from out of state, whether you established permanent Florida residency by December 31, 2026, also affects when you can qualify for the larger homestead exemption on non-school property taxes. If you’re deciding between a December and January closing, I’d confirm how those dates apply to you with the Martin County Property Appraiser.
Another benefit worth understanding is Save Our Homes, which limits annual increases in a qualifying home’s assessed value beginning the year after it first receives the exemption. I cover that benefit and portability in my video about Florida’s homestead property tax benefits.
What should you do before booking a Florida house-hunting trip?
Tell me what you’re comfortable spending, whether you’ll be financing and whether another home needs to sell before you can buy. Then tell me which things would rule a house out. A high monthly fee, more land than you want to maintain or nowhere to keep your boat can take a property off the list before either of us spends a Tuesday afternoon there.
Once we know what works for you, I can watch the market while you’re still at home. If the right property hasn’t come up, you have time to wait. If one has been sitting and the asking price looks high, we can look at recent sales before deciding what to offer. And when you do get here, we can spend your visit answering the questions that are easiest to settle in person, like whether you love the view enough to give up the backyard.
If you’re considering Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Sewall’s Point or Hutchinson Island this winter, get in touch before you book your trip. Contact Maria Wells at Lifestyle Realty Group. To get a closer look at the communities while you’re planning, watch Florida Explained on YouTube.