What's my home worth?

The short answer

How is a South Florida home's value determined?

In Florida, a home’s market value starts from what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller — the standard Florida law gives county property appraisers — and each number you see estimates it in a different way. A real estate licensee’s comparative market analysis may not be called an appraisal, a lender’s appraisal must come from a Florida certified or licensed appraiser, and the property appraiser’s “just value” is set as of January 1 from prior-year sales (Broward’s office says it values property at roughly 90% of market prices). Your tax bill uses a separate, capped “assessed value” — homestead increases are limited to 3% or CPI (2.7% for 2026) and non-homestead increases to 10% for non-school taxes — which resets to market value the January after a sale.

• Comparative market analysis (CMA)

  What it is: a real estate licensee’s estimate of a likely sale price, based on recent sales of comparable homes. Who prepares it: a Florida broker or sales associate. What it’s used for: setting or testing a list price or an offer. By law it may not be called or treated as an appraisal.[2]

  Cost: Any fee is a matter of agreement — Florida lets licensees provide valuation services for compensation as long as they don’t present themselves as certified or licensed appraisers.

  Ask which sales were used and how they were adjusted for size, condition, location and features.

• Appraisal

  What it is: a written opinion of value; in Florida only a certified or licensed real estate appraiser may issue an appraisal report. Who prepares it: a Florida certified or licensed appraiser. What it’s used for: lenders rely on it to value the home securing a mortgage.[2][3][4]

  Cost: Customarily the buyer — the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract lists appraisal fees as a buyer cost (negotiable).

  For a loan secured by a first lien on a home, the lender must give the applicant a copy promptly on completion or at least 3 business days before closing, whichever is earlier, unless the applicant waives the timing.

• Property appraiser’s just (market) value

  What it is: the county property appraiser’s estimate of market value as of January 1, net of a reduction for costs of sale. Who prepares it: the Broward or Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. What it’s used for: property taxes, not pricing. Broward says its 2026 values reflect qualified sales from Jan. 2, 2025, through Jan. 1, 2026, at roughly 90% of market prices; Palm Beach uses a computer-assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) system calibrated to local sales.[1][5][6]

  Cost: No charge — published on the county property appraiser’s website (bcpa.net, pbcpao.gov).

  Because it lags the market and includes a cost-of-sale reduction, it often differs from a recent sale price. Broward notes that a 2026 purchase feeds the 2027 value, not the 2026 value.

• Assessed value and Save Our Homes cap

  What it is: the capped value your taxes are based on; taxable value is assessed value minus exemptions. Homestead: annual increases are limited to the lower of 3% or CPI (2.7% for 2026). Non-homestead: increases are capped at 10% for all levies except school district taxes.[5][6][7][8]

  Cost: Set by the property appraiser; affects the owner’s tax bill, not the sale price.

  After a sale, the property is reassessed at market value on January 1 of the next year, and exemptions don’t transfer to the buyer, so a buyer’s taxes can be higher than the seller’s. A homestead owner who moves may be able to transfer up to $500,000 of Save Our Homes benefit to a new Florida homestead (portability).

• Automated online estimates (AVMs)

  What it is: a computer-model estimate built from public records and sales data. Who prepares it: a computer model run by a website or a lender. What it’s used for: a quick starting point; lenders also use AVMs in some mortgage decisions.[9][2]

  Cost: Varies — consumer websites run their own models; a lender’s AVM is part of the loan process.

  Since Oct. 1, 2025, mortgage originators and secondary-market issuers that use AVMs to value a consumer’s principal home must have federal quality-control standards in place. An online estimate is not an appraisal: in Florida only a certified or licensed appraiser may issue an appraisal report. A model only knows the data it has, so unrecorded renovations or interior condition may not be reflected.

Amendment 3 on Florida’s November 2026 ballot would, if approved, raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and cut the non-homestead cap from 10% to 5% starting Jan. 1, 2027, according to the Palm Beach County Tax Collector. None of these figures is a price for your home: for a formal value, hire a Florida certified appraiser, and take tax questions to your county property appraiser.