What your home is actually worth today

Online estimates are a starting point. They are built from averages across a wide area, and they cannot see your roof age, your updates, your lot or the street you are on. The number that matters is what you walk away with: sale price, minus the costs of selling, minus what you still owe.

Source: Miami MLS closed sales. A national algorithm cannot tell where your home falls inside a range that wide. What moves your number:

• Closed sales, not asking prices. What similar homes close by actually sold for in the last three to six months is the evidence lenders and appraisers use.
• Condition and updates. Roof, AC, water heater, kitchen and baths are what buyers and inspectors look at first.
• Insurability. In South Florida, a home that is easy to insure is easier to finance, and easier to sell.
• The competition this week. Active listings set the ceiling. If an updated home down the street is listed below your number, buyers will compare.

Repairs that pay back here, and the ones that don't

The 2025 Cost vs. Value report found that exterior projects return the most at resale. In South Florida, anything that makes a home easier to insure belongs on the same list, because buyers cannot close without a policy.

Worth doing before you list:

1. Garage door replacement. The top project nationally, recouping about 268% of its cost at resale.
2. Steel entry door. About 216% recouped. Buyers see it first in person and in photos.
3. A minor kitchen refresh. Paint, hardware, lighting and a counter or appliance swap recoup about 113%. A full remodel does not.
4. Roof and insurance paperwork. Under Florida law (s. 627.7011), an insurer generally cannot refuse coverage only because a roof is under 15 years old, and older roofs can still qualify if an inspection shows at least five years of life left. Have your roof permit date, a recent wind-mitigation report and a 4-point inspection ready.
5. Fix what an inspector will find. AC service, water-heater age, leaks, GFCI outlets, loose railings. Small items on an inspection report become big price requests.
6. Close open permits. An open or expired permit can delay closing.
7. Curb appeal. Pressure-wash, fresh mulch, trimmed hedges, a painted front door. It shapes the first photo every buyer sees.

Usually not worth it before a sale: large remodels and additions; luxury add-ons (even in the report's top ten, a backup generator returned about 95%, decks about 89 to 95%); highly personal finishes; and anything unpermitted, which can cost you twice.

Pricing: the first 14 days decide the sale

A listing gets the most attention in its first two weeks, when it is new to every buyer's alerts. Price it right and that attention turns into showings and offers. Price it high and buyers skip it, it sits, and the eventual price reduction reads as a warning.

Miami-Dade single-family homes sold faster this summer: in August 2026, days on market fell 22% from a year earlier, and inventory stood at about 3.5 months. That rewards homes priced right from day one. It does not rescue homes priced high.

Norman's approach: price from closed sales and the current competition, watch showings and online views in the first 7 to 10 days, and adjust on evidence, not hope.

Commissions after the 2024 settlement

Since August 17, 2024, a few things work differently:

• Everything is negotiable. Broker fees are not set by law and never were. You agree on your listing fee in writing.
• Offers of compensation to a buyer's agent no longer appear in the MLS. You can still offer to pay some or all of the buyer's agent; it is agreed outside the MLS or requested in the buyer's offer.
• Buyers now sign a written agreement with their own agent before touring, which states what their agent will be paid.
• Buyer concessions are still allowed, for example a credit toward the buyer's closing costs.

Decide up front whether you will offer to cover some of a buyer's agent cost, or consider it when offers arrive. Each choice affects your net and your pool of buyers.

Selling and buying at the same time

It is one decision with two halves: what your sale nets you, and what that lets you buy.

• Sell first when your equity funds the next home, or carrying two payments is not an option. You know your exact number before you shop.
• Buy first when you have found the right house and can close without the sale proceeds.
• Tools that bridge the gap: a sale contingency in your purchase offer, a short rent-back after your closing so you are not moving twice, and financing options a licensed loan originator can explain for your situation.

Plan both closings as one timeline, so you are never paying two mortgages and never without a place to live.

The seller closing-cost sheet for Miami-Dade

A worked example for a $450,000 single-family home closing on September 30:

Why the tax line surprises people: Florida property taxes for 2026 are billed in November 2026 and paid by March 2027. Selling in September means you have not paid 2026 taxes yet, so you credit the buyer for your share (about 273 days here). The standard FR/BAR contract prorates on the current year's tax with the maximum early-payment discount.

Your net = sale price, minus the costs above, minus your payoff. Ask for an itemized net sheet before you list.

Your 30-day pre-listing checklist

1. Get your instant estimate, then book a walk-through.
2. Pull your roof permit date, latest wind-mitigation report and any 4-point inspection.
3. Check for open or expired permits.
4. Service the AC and note the water heater's age.
5. Fix small inspection items: leaks, outlets, doors, railings.
6. Replace or repaint the garage and entry doors if they look tired.
7. Pressure-wash, mulch, trim, and paint the front door.
8. Declutter and remove about a third of the furniture from each room.
9. Gather HOA documents, survey, warranties and utility averages.
10. Request your mortgage payoff estimate.
11. Decide your sell-first or buy-first plan.
12. Review your net sheet and set your list price.

Want it on paper? Get the free 10-page PDF of this guide from the form on this page.