Buying a House in Hollywood

An older housing stock than most of Broward

Census data puts the median home in Hollywood at 1969 construction. Large parts of the city are single-story concrete block ranch houses from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, on lots that are often bigger than in newer western suburbs. Single-family detached homes make up 43.5% of the city's housing; the rest is mostly condos and small multifamily buildings.

Older houses here can be well built. Concrete block walls stand up to wind, and many owners have updated roofs, windows and kitchens. The issue is what you cannot see in the listing photos. In a house this age, the inspection decides whether the price is fair.

Hollywood also has neighborhoods built later, especially in the west, where houses from the 1970s and 1980s sit on curving streets with more uniform lots. Those homes usually need fewer system updates but still deserve a full set of inspections.

Inspections that matter on a 1960s Hollywood house

Plan for more than a standard home inspection. On older homes in this part of Florida, I recommend:

• Sewer scope. Many houses from this era have original cast iron drain lines under the slab. They corrode from the inside, and replacing them can mean cutting through floors.
• 4-point inspection. Your insurer will likely require it. It covers roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and flags older panel brands and wiring types that some insurers will not cover.
• Wind mitigation inspection. Documents roof shape, roof-to-wall connections, a secondary water barrier and opening protection. Each can lower your premium.
• Permit search. Check that additions, garage conversions and new roofs were permitted. Unpermitted work can complicate insurance and resale.

Use what you find to renegotiate or ask for credits. On an older house, a few inspection items are expected. The question is how much they cost to fix and whether the price already reflects it.

Also look at the age of the air conditioning system, the water heater and the electrical service size. Many mid-century houses were built with smaller electrical service than a modern kitchen, pool equipment and central air need. An upgrade is common and manageable, but it should be priced before closing, not after you move in.

Flood zones east of US-1 and near the Intracoastal

Hollywood stretches from the ocean to the western suburbs. The eastern neighborhoods, near the Intracoastal Waterway and the canals and lakes off it, are generally lower and closer to tidal water. Many houses there sit in high-risk FEMA zones. Farther west, flood risk depends more on local drainage and lot elevation.

For any house, check the FEMA map for the address, ask for the elevation certificate if the seller has one, and get a flood quote during the inspection period. A mortgage on a house in an A or V zone comes with mandatory flood coverage. Ask the seller about past water in the house or garage, and look at whether the street floods during heavy rain or high tides.

Price by bedrooms: where the steps are

Zillow's typical values in Hollywood by bedroom count:

• 2 bedrooms: about $368,872
• 3 bedrooms: about $532,706
• 4 bedrooms: about $705,549
• 5 or more: about $1,305,497

Each step from two to three to four bedrooms adds roughly $164,000 to $173,000. Four-bedroom houses are less common in the older sections, which keeps their price high. The upper third of the overall market starts around $684,603. If you need four bedrooms and want to stay near the coast, consider a three-bedroom with a family room or a lot large enough to add on later, with permits.

Hollywood or western Broward

Buyers looking at Hollywood often compare it with suburbs to the west. Zillow's typical all-homes values:

• Pembroke Pines: about $486,731
• Plantation: about $492,003
• Davie: about $515,457
• Miramar: about $519,502
• Coral Springs: about $521,975
• Weston: about $718,627

Hollywood's all-homes value is about $442,331, lower than most of those because it includes many condos. For houses alone, the prices are similar. The difference is what you get: Hollywood has older houses closer to the beach and to I-95, while western suburbs have newer houses, more HOAs and longer drives east. Sunrise, at about $360,778, is the lower-cost alternative in central Broward.

Insurance, homestead and the real monthly cost

Insurance is the cost that most surprises buyers moving from out of state. Older roofs, older electrical systems and proximity to the coast all push premiums up. Get a quote on the specific house using your wind mitigation and 4-point reports before your inspection period ends. Florida hurricane deductibles are a percentage of dwelling coverage; at 2% on $510,000 of coverage, that is about $10,200 per calendar year.

Property taxes reset after a purchase, so ignore the seller's bill. As a permanent resident, you can claim homestead, worth up to $51,411 off assessed value in 2026, with Save Our Homes limiting yearly assessment increases to 3% or CPI. A second home gets no exemption and a 10% cap on non-school levies. Amendment 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot may change parts of this. This isn't legal or tax advice; the Broward property appraiser's website has an estimator.

In Broward, buyers customarily pay the owner's title policy, so include it in your cash-to-close. Once you know your budget and bedroom count, a shortlist of streets that fit is the useful next step.