Buyer Guides

Less than most buyers assume, with honest caveats. FHA loans accept 3.5 percent down, many conventional loans 3 percent, and VA loans go to zero for eligible veterans, and Florida Housing Finance Corporation programs offer first-time buyer help. The caveat is competition: Palm Beach County is the number one all-cash market in the country (Palm Beach County MLS via pbprealestate.com, August 2026), so on the Gold Coast a larger down payment can be the difference between winning and losing a home. Wiz tells you the realistic minimum for the region and price range you are shopping.

Yes, every time. Pre-approval turns the search into a plan: you know your exact budget, rate, and monthly payment, so you only look at homes you can actually buy. It also strengthens your offer; sellers take a pre-approved buyer seriously, and in Palm Beach County, where homes spent about 32 days on the market in August 2026, speed matters. The average 30-year fixed rate was 6.76 percent in mid-September 2026 (Freddie Mac), and that rate conversation starts free on a 15-minute strategy call.

Four parts, and buyers routinely forget two. Principal and interest, then property tax and homeowners insurance, which are escrowed into the payment. Florida’s average effective property tax rate is about 0.76 percent of home value (Tax Foundation, 2024 data), and insurance is the wildcard: Florida state data put the average annual premium near $3,800 to $3,900 including wind (Florida OIR / Insurance Information Institute, 2025-2026), while some national reports estimate near $8,000 (Insurify, 2026). Add HOA fees if the community has them. Wiz reviews the flood map and gets real quotes before any offer.

“The market” is not one thing, so the honest answer is two questions: does the monthly payment fit your plan, and does the house fit your life? Rates were 6.76 percent on the average 30-year fixed in mid-September 2026 (Freddie Mac). Prices are hyper-local: June 2026 Realtor data put Treasure Coast county medians near $399,000 to $655,000, Palm Beach single-family homes sat near $699,900 in August 2026, and Miami-Dade sat near $680,000 with Broward near $650,000. The good time to buy is when the house and the payment genuinely fit, not when a headline says so.

A typical financed purchase closes in 30 to 45 days from accepted offer, covering inspection, appraisal, underwriting, and title work. FHA and VA loans can run 45 to 60 days, and cash purchases often close in 7 to 21 days because they skip the mortgage underwriting queue (Florida closing guides, Vollrath Law / eXp Realty Miami). Florida closings are handled by title companies in most of the state, and Wiz walks you through every document so the day itself is calm.

Three honest questions: what does your budget actually buy, what do you do on weekends, and how much city do you want in your week? The Treasure Coast is the value and the river-and-beach pace, with county medians from about $399,000 to $655,000 (June 2026). The Gold Coast is established luxury, golf, marinas, and island life, with a single-family median near $699,900 (August 2026). Greater Miami and Broward is city energy and family suburbs at their own price points. Wiz works all three regions and gives you the straight answer in one call.