Signs the house is really a teardown
On the water here, a house usually becomes a teardown because of the rules around it, not because it looks tired. These are the common signs.
- It sits below the base flood elevation, so any serious work would mean raising it.
- Repairs or a renovation would cost 50 percent or more of the house's market value, which brings in the flood rules for new construction.
- The seawall needs enough work to trigger the raise-it-to-code rule.
- The county or the city has opened an unsafe structure case.
- The lot could take a much larger house than the one standing on it.
The 50 percent rule, and why it bites on the water
Under federal flood rules, a substantial improvement is work that costs 50 percent or more of the market value of the structure before the work starts. Repairing damage is measured the same way. Cross that line and the whole building has to meet current floodplain rules as if it were new, which usually means elevating it.
The test uses the house's value only. FEMA's guidance says the land is left out, and any value that comes from the location belongs to the land. On a waterfront lot most of the value is location, so an older house can be worth little on paper, and a modest renovation can cross the line.
Some cities add up work over several years instead of one project at a time. Check how yours counts it with the city's building or floodplain office.
Seawall work that triggers raising the wall
Seawall rules are set by the county and by each city, and the thresholds differ. Two examples:
- Broward County: work along more than half the length of the property's shoreline counts as substantial repair, and the wall must then reach 5 feet NAVD88. Applications before 1 January 2035 may be built to 4 feet if designed to take 5 feet by 2050. After a citation for a wall in disrepair, owners have 60 days to show progress and 365 days to finish.
- Miami Beach: repairs costing $500 or more per linear foot count as substantial, and the wall must then reach 5.7 feet NAVD. After a citation, owners have 60 days to show progress and 730 days to finish.
Unsafe structure cases
In Miami-Dade, a building can be declared unsafe by county inspectors, city building officials, or after a complaint from the public. If it is not fixed, enforcement can include demolition orders, civil fines or liens. Appeals go to the county's Unsafe Structures Board or, for single-family homes and duplexes in unincorporated Miami-Dade, to its Unsafe Structures Appeal Panel. Broward County has its own Unsafe Structures Board, which hears appeals from the county building official's decisions in the areas the county building division covers.
An open case does not stop a sale. Tell any buyer about it in writing and hand over the notices. For code enforcement cases, Florida law requires exactly that before the sale, and the new owner takes on compliance.
Why the land and the water set the price
When the house is coming down, its roof and its kitchen do not move the number. Demolition and clearing do cost money, and a land buyer prices that in. What matters most is below.
- Frontage: linear feet on the water, and whether it is a canal, the bay, the Intracoastal or a point.
- The route to the ocean: depth, canal width, and whether a fixed bridge sits between the dock and the inlet. A bridge changes the price, it does not rule the lot out.
- The buildable envelope: zoning, setbacks, height and lot coverage decide how large a house the lot can take.
- Flood zone and elevation: how high the new floor has to sit, and how much fill that takes.
- The block: what new houses nearby sell for sets the ceiling.
Selling as-is, contents included
You do not need to repair, clear out or demolish anything. Take what you want to keep and leave the rest.
You still make the usual disclosures. Florida requires sellers of residential property to give a flood disclosure at or before signing the contract, covering known past flood damage, flood insurance claims and flood assistance received. If the house is insured with Citizens, note that from 1 January 2027 every Citizens personal residential policy with wind cover must also carry flood insurance, whatever the dwelling value. That is a new bill for a building that is coming down.
What to ask any buyer, and where we fit
Before you sign with anyone, including us, get four answers in writing. Proof of funds, in the name of the company on the contract. Whether the contract can be assigned, because if it can, the company you sign with may sell it to someone else before closing. Which Florida title company closes it, so you can call them yourself. And whether the price depends on inspections, a survey or financing, and for how long.
We buy waterfront lots in Miami-Dade and Broward: on the water, 7,000 sq ft and up, with a route to the ocean for a large boat. Lot without water? Send the address and we will get back to you. Call or text Steve at 954.459.1697, or send the address through the form. This page is general information, not legal advice, so confirm thresholds and deadlines for your property with your city.