Joseph Santini's Real Estate Blog: Florida: Boca Raton

April Luxury Home Report for Boca Raton, Florida

The luxury home market in Boca Raton continues to be active as people from around the world search out properties in this tropical retreat. Below are the numbers for April. These numbers are based on a minimum list price of 1 million dollars.

There are currently 648 luxury homes available in Boca Raton ranging in price from $1,000,000 up to $24,900,000. 16 properties sold ranging in price from $1,100,000 up to $5,250,000. 16 properties were placed under ontract in April.

2 comments • Joseph Santini • May 01 2008 10:52AM

The History of Boca Raton, Florida

Many of my customers, especially the ones from up North often ask me about the beginnings of Boca. The earliest known inhabitants of the Boca Raton area were the Tequesta Indians, who lived in communities near the ocean as long ago as one thousand years up until the eighteenth century. The construction of the Florida East Coast Canal (which is todays inter-coastal waterway) and the Florida East Coast Railway in the 1890's made the area accessible to the first pioneers. By the early 1900's Boca was a tiny farming community which specialized in growing pineapples. These farmers were made up of a group of Japanese immigrants under the leadership of Mr. Joseph Sakai, who formed a community along what is today Yamato Road in 1904. In 1925 the town of Boca Raton became incorporated at the peak of the Florida land boom. The Town Council then appointed Addison Mizner to plan a world class resort community. His top of the line hotel, which was called the Cloister Inn, was completed in 1926 and continues as a city landmark today as the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

0 comments • Joseph Santini • April 10 2008 02:58PM

Get The Address You Always Wanted - Boca Raton, Florida

I am working with alot of buyers right now and many of them are really getting great deals. Many of these people would not even be looking in the Boca Raton or Highland Beach area unless the market was like it is right now. They would not have been able to afford it. Now is the time to live where you want to live. Why not take advantage of a total buyers market. Do it while you can because like all great things it won't last forever.

0 comments • Joseph Santini • April 04 2008 12:56PM

Buying a Condo in Boca Raton, Florida

We have such beautiful condos here in Boca Raton so naturally we get alot of people who come from other parts of the country who are looking for a winter home. Many of these customers are not used to buying a condo and may not be aware of some very important issues regarding condo associations. It is very important to check the financial health of the building you are considering.

Always check the buildings assets and liabilities to see if they are easily paying all the bills. The building should also have a nice reserve fund. If it is not sufficient and the building is hit with an emergency, you could be dealing with a large assessment. Make sure that the building is being repaired and upgraded on a consistent basis. All the little things add up if they have to be done all at the same time down the road. This is a great indicator of how well the building is being managed. And another good thing to do is to read through the last years condo board minutes to see if anything big is brewing like a potential lawsuit.

Always remember that the financial health of the building is just as important as the condition of the apartment.

2 comments • Joseph Santini • December 20 2007 01:24PM

Boca Raton - A great place to live!

Boca Raton has it all. I can't think of a better place to raise a family and enjoy a great life. After coming down from New York some years ago the only thing that comes to mind now and then is why did I wait so long. Anybody from the Northeast or anywhere else for that matter contemplating a move, now is a great time to do it. Take advantage of the low interest rates and the high inventory while you still can. Who needs cold weather and more stress than necessary?

There are so many pluses here in Boca I don't know where to begin. My kids are involved everyday with softball, gymnastics, cheer-leading, soccer etc. The quality of the activities is excellent and when we are not enjoying those things we are enjoying all the beautiful parks and beaches Boca has to offer. My kids go to a great school and we have lots of friends, many from New York. My kids are young but even older kids would have no problem adjusting right away. How could you not? There is a pool everywhere you look.

I guess the best thing about Boca and all of South Florida is the ability to recreate and be healthy all year long. You will eat better, exercise more, enjoy the nice clean, tropical air and live longer! Get some family members together and come on down. You will be glad you did. The ones that don't join you will eventually find their way down after they visit you a few times!