Should You Rent or Sell Your Fort Lauderdale House in 2026?

You're moving out of your Fort Lauderdale home. The default move is to call a Realtor, list it, pay 5-6% in commissions, and walk away with the equity. That feels simple.

But for many owners, holding the property as a rental builds more wealth over 10 years than selling and reinvesting the proceeds. The math is not obvious. Most owners never run it.

The True Cost of Selling

On a $400,000 home in Fort Lauderdale, selling costs typically run: agent commission ($20,000-$24,000), closing costs and concessions ($4,000-$8,000), prep and repairs ($3,000-$10,000), capital gains tax if it's not your primary residence anymore. Net to you: $355,000-$370,000.

That $370,000 reinvested at 7% grows to about $730,000 over 10 years. Not bad.

The True Picture of Holding

Keep the same home as a rental. Estimated Fort Lauderdale rent: $2,400-$2,900/month depending on submarket. After mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management fees, you might net $400-$700/month in cash flow. That is not the main return.

The main return is principal paydown (tenants paying your mortgage), appreciation (the property's value growing), and depreciation deductions (a paper tax loss that shelters your other income).

Over 10 years on a $400,000 Fort Lauderdale home, you typically see: $40,000-$60,000 in principal paydown, $120,000-$180,000 in appreciation (at modest 3-4% annual growth), and $60,000-$80,000 in cash flow. Total wealth created: $220,000-$320,000 on top of your existing equity. The combined position often beats selling and reinvesting in index funds.

When Selling Is the Right Call

Selling makes sense if: you need the cash for a higher-return opportunity, your property has major deferred maintenance you don't want to fund, your rental cash flow would be deeply negative, or you simply don't want the responsibility of being a landlord even with professional management.

When Holding Is the Right Call

Holding makes sense if: you have a low fixed-rate mortgage from 2020-2022, your property is in a Fort Lauderdale submarket with steady renter demand (think Boca Raton, Coral Springs, or Pompano Beach), you have the cash reserves to absorb a vacancy or major repair, and you have a professional manager so the property does not become a second job.

Northpoint built a free rent-vs-sell calculator that runs the full 10-year comparison for your specific Fort Lauderdale property. It models mortgage, taxes, appreciation, reinvestment scenarios, and capital gains. Before you list, run the numbers.