Is now a good time to sell my house in Delray Beach?

For most Delray Beach owners, the calendar that matters is their own. A sale works best when it fits your next move, your finances and the condition of the house.

To read the market in Delray Beach, look at how long homes like yours take to go under contract and what they actually sold for in the last few months, not at asking prices.

More in How Do I Know When It’s Time to Sell My House?

Should I sell my Delray Beach house as-is or fix it up first?

Make the inexpensive, visible repairs an inspector would flag, and skip the big projects. Sell as-is when the work would cost more, or take longer, than it would add.

Newer homes dominate Delray Beach. Only one of the five homes in our sample were built in 1980 or earlier, so an older house stands out, and buyers will set it against move-in-ready neighbors. Older homes there also sell at a wider discount to new construction than the Florida median, 5.0 percent against 22.8 percent.

More in Should I Sell My House As-Is or Fix It Up First?

What are the benefits of selling my Delray Beach house off-market?

Discretion, no preparation and control of the calendar.

  • No listing. Your home never goes on the MLS or the listing sites, and there are no open houses or showings to strangers.
  • Sell it as it is. No repairs, staging or deep cleaning before you sell.
  • Your timeline. Choose the closing date that works for you, whether that is a few weeks out or a few months.
  • One buyer, one conversation. You deal directly with the buyer, not a string of showings, counteroffers and second rounds.

The trade-off is exposure. A listing puts the house in front of every buyer in the market, and competition can push the price up. Should I Sell My House Off-Market? weighs both.

How fast can I sell my house in Delray Beach?

As fast as the title work allows, if you sell privately. You and the buyer set the closing date, and the title search and Florida’s closing documents set the floor.

A listed sale usually takes longer, because the house has to be prepared, shown and negotiated, and the buyer’s inspection, appraisal and loan approval can still undo the deal late in the process.

If you are relocating, read How Do I Sell My House Fast When I’m Moving for Work?

What does it cost to sell a house in Delray Beach?

Commission first, then transfer taxes, title and closing fees, and the repairs or credits a buyer asks for after inspection. Address District charges no commission.

Federal tax on the gain may not apply at all. If you owned the house and lived in it as your main home for two of the last five years, the IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.

Line by line in How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

How does selling my Delray Beach house off-market work?

In four steps, with no listing and no showings.

  1. You tell us about the house, by the offer form or by contacting us.
  2. Someone on our team reviews the house and the neighborhood and may ask to see it.
  3. You get an offer, with no obligation to accept it.
  4. If you accept, a title company or closing attorney handles the closing on the date you choose.

You will know in writing who the buyer is before you sign anything.

What if my Delray Beach house isn’t selling?

Usually the price, sometimes the condition, occasionally the marketing. The showing count tells you which.

Before you talk to another buyer, read your listing agreement. Most owe the agent a commission on any sale during the term. More in Why Isn’t My House Selling?

How do I sell an inherited house in Delray Beach?

Start with who has the authority to sign, usually the personal representative the probate court appoints, or a trustee. A title company will generally not close until that is documented.

Inherited property generally takes a basis equal to its value on the date of death, the IRS says, which can shrink the taxable gain. A probate attorney in Florida can explain the rest. More in How Do I Sell a House I Inherited?

How does Delray Beach compare with nearby neighborhoods?

Delray West and Rainberry, 3 miles away, shows one older home among the two we sampled. Broken Sound and Woodfield, 4 miles away, has four older homes among the six we sampled. West Boca and Boca West, 5 miles away, counts one older home among the 36 we sampled. Delray Beach ranks tied for 676th nationally for older homes, behind two of them.

Every neighborhood in the index has its own page, and the Florida page lists all 202 in the state.

Do older homes in Delray Beach sell for less than new construction?

In our sample, yes. The one older home in the 33446 sample sold for 5.0 percent of the average price of new construction in the same ZIP code. The Florida median is 22.8 percent, and the index median is 23.1 percent. With one older home behind it, treat the figure as a rough guide.

The gap reflects size, lot and condition as much as age, so price an older house against recent sales of other older houses nearby, not against new construction.

Delray Beach by the numbers

Older homes
1
of 5 homes sampled, built 1980 or earlier
Share of older homes
20.0%
Florida 52.6%. Index 49.0%.
Older vs new
5.0%
Older home price as a share of new construction
National rank
#676 (tie)
of 1,192 ZIP codes
State rank
#147
of 202 in Florida
Minimum lot
7,102 sq ft
As recorded in the source data

Of the five homes in the Address District sample for Delray Beach (33446), one was built in 1980 or earlier, a share of 20.0 percent. That places 33446 tied for 676th of 1,192 ZIP codes nationally for the number of older homes, and tied for 147th of 202 in Florida.

Across the 202 Florida ZIP codes in the index, 52.6 percent of the homes sampled were built in 1980 or earlier, against 49.0 percent across all 1,192 ZIP codes.

With five homes in the sample, read these figures as a snapshot of the homes sampled rather than a measure of the whole ZIP code.

How 33446 compares

Share of older homes

Homes in the sample built in 1980 or earlier

33446 Delray Beach20.0%
Florida52.6%
All ZIP codes in the index49.0%

Older home prices against new construction

Average older home price as a share of new construction

33446 Delray Beach5.0%
Florida median22.8%
Index median23.1%

Nearby neighborhoods in the index

ZIPPlaceDistanceRankShare
33445Delray West / Rainberry areaDelray Beach, FL3 mi76250.0%
33496Broken Sound / WoodfieldBoca Raton, FL4 mi25666.7%
33434West Boca / Boca WestBoca Raton, FL5 mi6322.8%
33444Downtown Delray / Lake Ida SouthDelray Beach, FL5 mi3164.0%
33487Boca Harbour / Hidden ValleyBoca Raton, FL5 mi378100.0%
33483East Delray / Tropic Isle edgeDelray Beach, FL6 mi2664.3%
33431East Boca / University ParkBoca Raton, FL6 mi282100.0%
33486Old Floresta / Camino GardensBoca Raton, FL8 mi32650.0%

The top of Florida

State rankZIPPlaceHomesOlder homesShare
133629Palma Ceia / Sunset ParkTampa, FL534177.4%
234102Old Naples / Port Royal / Aqualane ShoresNaples, FL523771.2%
333432Downtown Boca / Boca Raton RivieraBoca Raton, FL443272.7%
433405West Palm BeachPalm Beach County, FL383181.6%
534145Marco IslandCollier County, FL372978.4%
633143South Miami / High PinesMiami, FL362569.4%
733133Coconut GroveMiami, FL302583.3%
832459Santa Rosa BeachWalton County, FL992121.2%
933156Pinecrest / North PinecrestMiami, FL252184.0%
1034239Southside Village / Cherokee ParkSarasota, FL281967.9%

All 202 Florida ZIP codes in the index ›

About the data. Older homes are homes built in 1980 or earlier. Rank orders ZIP codes by the number of older homes in the sample, then by the number of homes. Full methodology and the complete index. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice.