SOUTH FLORIDA NEWS - March, 2026

Lil Wayne's Former Mansion Just Sold for $33M in Miami Beach

The rapper sold the Allison Island home for $22.6 million in 2023. It just traded again for $33.3 million. That's a $10.7 million gain in roughly two years, and it's the third major sale on this guard-gated island this season.

Key Takeaways

• The 10,300-square-foot waterfront estate sold for $33.3 million, or $3,235 per square foot.
• A Canadian seller exited with a $10.7 million gain after buying from Lil Wayne in 2023.
• This is the second-most-expensive sale ever on Allison Island, behind Sergey Brin's $51 million purchase weeks ago.

Allison Island is having a moment. In the past few weeks alone, Google co-founder Sergey Brin paid $51 million for the LVMH CEO's estate, setting a new island record. Now this sale at $33.3 million marks the…

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Why Snowbirds Are Buying in Delray Beach Right Now

GOBankingRates just ranked Delray Beach among the top five housing markets for snowbirds nationwide. But the real story isn't the ranking. It's the 6.2% price drop and the wave of Canadian sellers creating inventory that hasn't existed in years.

Key Takeaways

• Delray Beach's average home value dropped to $338,995 in February 2026, down 6.2% year over year.
• Canadian visits to Florida are down 28% from pre-pandemic levels, and 54% of Canadian property owners are considering selling.
• At $338,995, Delray Beach sits well below the Palm Beach County average of $464,029 and Miami's $573,963.

If you've been watching Delray Beach from the sidelines, the window is opening. The combination of a 6.2% year-over-year price drop and increased…

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Billionaires' Row Delray Beach: Who Really Lives There

Stone Creek Ranch is a 37-estate community west of Delray Beach where armed guards, private lakes, and criminal background checks on every buyer have created one of the most exclusive addresses in the country. Prices have jumped more than 500% since 2018.

Key Takeaways

• Mark Wahlberg paid $32.6 million for Palazzo di Lago in October 2025, a deal originally listed at $45 million.
• Russell Savage controls two Stone Creek Ranch properties totaling more than $43 million and has called his purchases a "steal" compared to Palm Beach teardowns.
• Average sale prices have climbed from $6 million in 2018 to $55 million by late 2024.

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Why Northwood Is West Palm Beach's Next Big Bet

A $117 million construction loan, 382 luxury apartments, and 60,000 square feet of retail: The District at Northwood is set to transform the neighborhood.

Key Takeaways

• The District at Northwood will deliver 382 apartments and 60,772 square feet of retail space to a 4.68-acre CRA site.
• Centennial Bank provided a $117 million construction loan, with delivery now targeting Q4 2026.
• The project sits in a corridor seeing simultaneous investment from The Breakers, the Nora District, and the Northwood Road extension.

If you're looking for investment opportunities in West Palm Beach, the northern corridor deserves your attention. The District at Northwood isn't just another apartment project. It's a CRA-backed mixed-use development at the…

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5 Home Buyer Assistance Programs in Palm Beach County

Up to $100,000 in down payment help. Matching grants that don't need to be repaid. Programs specifically for teachers, nurses, and first responders. These five programs are available right now, and most Palm Beach County buyers don't know they exist.

Key Takeaways

• Palm Beach County residents can access up to $100,000 in home-buying assistance through county, state, and city programs.

• Teachers, firefighters, nurses, and law enforcement officers qualify for special programs with lower mortgage rates.

• Most programs can be stacked, meaning eligible buyers could combine multiple sources of assistance.

Buying a home in Palm Beach County requires serious upfront cash. A 5% down payment on a $450,000 home is $22,500. Add…

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Live Local 4.0 Explained: What Passed and What Got Dropped

Florida's Live Local 4.0 passed the legislature on March 13, 2026, with near-unanimous support. The update expands workforce housing rules, allows developers to sue cities that block affordable projects, and tightens tax-exemption opt-outs. What didn't make it? The controversial ADU and short-term rental provisions nearly killed the bill.

Key Takeaways

• HB 1389 passed the House 98-4 and the Senate 35-0, becoming law on July 1, 2026, unless signed earlier or vetoed.

• The bill adds fair housing protections, allowing developers to sue local governments that discriminate against affordable housing projects.

• Lawmakers dropped ADU provisions after the House and Senate could not agree on whether cities could ban backyard units from…

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How to Apply for Palm Beach County's $50K Matching Grant

If you've been watching South Florida home prices and wondering how you'll ever save enough for a down payment, this program is worth your attention. Pre-applications open March 30th, and only 60 applicants will be selected.

Key Takeaways

• Palm Beach County's new matching grant offers $10,000 to $50,000 for down payments, closing costs, or repairs.
• Pre-applications are open from March 30th through April 20th, with only 60 randomly selected to proceed.
• This grant can potentially be stacked with other programs for up to $150,000+ in combined assistance.

A 5% down payment on a $450,000 home is $22,500. Add closing costs of $8,000 to $15,000, and the total upfront cash requirement can reach $35,000 to $40,000 before you ever make a…

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How to Dissolve a Condo HOA in Florida And Why It Almost Never Works

A 2026 Florida House bill would have created a new pathway for HOAs to dissolve themselves, and it passed with a 108–2 vote before dying in the Senate. But for condo owners across South Florida, the bill's failure may have been the more favorable outcome.

Key Takeaways

• House Bill 657 passed the Florida House in March 2026 with a 108–2 vote but died in the Senate, leaving no new legal pathway for HOA dissolution under current Florida law.
• The bill applied only to HOAs governed by Chapter 720 of Florida Statutes, not condominiums, which fall under the entirely separate Chapter 718 framework.
• Even if a similar bill targeted condos directly, dissolving a condo association would require resolving questions of shared structural ownership,…

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Delray Beach's Oldest Home Gets New Life in Sundy Village

The Sundy House, built in 1902 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is getting a full restoration as the centerpiece of Sundy Village's Phase Two. While for decades everything east of Swinton was considered the desirable side of downtown Delray, this project is redefining those boundaries.

Key Takeaways

• The Sundy House, the oldest structure in Delray Beach, is currently closed for renovation and expected to reopen in late 2026.

• Phase Two of Sundy Village adds 79,141 square feet of office space, a 165-space parking garage, and 3,400 square feet of ground-floor retail.

• Phase One was delivered in September 2025, comprising 100,000 square feet of Class A office space, and reached 88% occupancy shortly after…

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Bear's Club Estate Sells for $34M to Apollo Program Veteran

Jim Meadlock spent 12 years as an IBM engineer on the Apollo space program before founding a company that sold for $2.1 billion. Now he's buying his second estate in Jupiter's Bear's Club in three months.

Key Takeaways

• A trust linked to Cynthia Meadlock purchased 118 Bear's Club Drive for $34.3 million from a Panamanian entity connected to Colombian billionaire Jimmy Mayer.

• The 23,000-square-foot estate sits on 2.9 acres and includes seven bedrooms, a guest house, a pool, a gym, and a safe room.

• The Meadlocks bought another Bear's Club property at 146 Bear's Club Drive for $19 million in November, then listed it for $26.5 million in December.

The property had been on and off the market since 2021, starting at $30…

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