Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Homes for Sale

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a small incorporated town on the barrier island between Fort Lauderdale and Pompano, and its defining decision was to cap building height. While the coastline around it filled with towers, LBTS kept a low-rise skyline, a walkable village along El Mar Drive and Commercial Boulevard, and a pier at the end of the street.

It is also the only place in Broward where the reef comes close enough to swim to. The Datura Avenue shore-diving site puts a living coral reef within a few hundred yards of the sand, and that draws a specific kind of buyer — divers, snorkelers, and second-home owners who want to walk to dinner rather than valet at a tower.

The market is mostly condominiums, ranging from modest 1960s two-story buildings to boutique oceanfront projects, plus a limited supply of single-family homes on the island and just west of the Intracoastal. Condo buyers here must read the paperwork: since Florida's post-Surfside legislation, the milestone inspection status, structural reserve study and any special assessment matter more to your real cost than the listed monthly fee.

Rental rules are the second thing to verify. Buildings differ widely on minimum lease terms, and if your plan includes seasonal rental income, the association's rules — not the town's — will decide whether that works.