Davie’s rural character is not a marketing line, it is town law: in March 2001 residents passed a charter amendment to preserve the town’s rural character and equestrian lifestyle with nearly a 90 percent majority, and the town maintains a trail network it documents at over 165 miles. That is why the questions below still matter here: where horses are legal, which homes run on wells and septic, what no HOA really means, and how agricultural classification works. Every answer is sourced to the town code, the state statute, or the county health department, with links so you can verify each claim yourself.
What are the rules for keeping horses on residential property in Davie?
Horses and livestock are not permitted in Davie’s residential zoning districts except RR, AG, A-1, and R-1 (Code Sec. 12-34(B)(6)), which is why the town’s horse country concentrates in the acreage pockets rather than inside gated communities. The code then gets specific. Keeping livestock requires a lot of 35,000 square feet or greater. In the RR, AG, and A-1 districts that allows up to 8 livestock in total, no more than 4 of which may be cattle or horses, with offspring not counted for their first year. In R-1 the formula scales: up to 4 cattle or horses for each 35,000 square feet of lot area. Stall structures carry setbacks too: a shelter of up to three 12 by 12 stalls must sit at least 40 feet from neighboring property, roads, or existing structures, with the setback growing per additional stall to a maximum of 100 feet (Sec. 12-34(B)(1) and (2)). Activities lawful before November 5, 2003 are grandfathered under Ordinance 2003-044, for pleasure or profit. These figures come from the town’s own Farm Guide compilation, 2020 edition; the code can be amended, so verify current text before you build. Every active Davie listing that clears the acreage bar is tracked live on the Davie Acreage and Equestrian Homes page.
Are homes in western Davie on city water and sewer, or wells and septic?
It varies parcel by parcel, and the MLS listing usually states it. Many acreage properties in western Davie run on private wells and septic systems. In Broward, septic systems are permitted and inspected through the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, installations must be done by licensed contractors, and Florida does not require a point of sale septic inspection, which means ordering a voluntary inspection during due diligence is on you and worth every dollar. Florida likewise has no mandatory testing schedule for a private well serving a single family home, so buyers should schedule well water testing themselves before closing.
Which parts of Davie have no HOA, and what does that actually mean?
Much of Davie’s older acreage and ranch land carries no homeowners association. What that buys you is freedom from association fees, architectural boards, and private rule books. What it does not buy you is freedom from the Town of Davie, and the code is specific about the things rural buyers care about most. Farm trailers, tractors, and agricultural equipment may be parked or stored on residential property only in the RR, A-1, and AG districts (Sec. 12-33(G)); in other residential districts commercial vehicles and equipment are prohibited outside the exceptions written into that section. Stall and shelter structures carry the setbacks described above, and animal care standards are codified down to shelter construction (Sec. 4-47). One more provision worth knowing when you buy: Davie runs a Hobby Farm Determination and Recognition Program (Sec. 12-34(B)(9)), and an approved determination transfers administratively to a new owner on sale without repeating the application. A property that already holds one is worth more to the right buyer than the listing remarks usually mention. Florida law also preempts some municipal regulation entirely, including nonresidential farm buildings, fences, and signs on classified agricultural land (FS 604.50) and the Right to Farm Act’s protections (FS 823.14).
How does agricultural tax classification work for Davie properties?
Florida’s agricultural classification, often called greenbelt, assesses qualifying land on its agricultural use value rather than market value, which can meaningfully lower the tax bill. The bar is set by Florida Statute 193.461: the land must be used for bona fide agricultural purposes, which the statute defines as good faith commercial agricultural use. That word commercial matters. Keeping your own horses for pleasure generally does not qualify on its own; a working operation run according to accepted commercial agricultural practices can. Applications go to the Broward County Property Appraiser on or before March 1 each year, and missing that date generally waives the classification for the year.
What defines the luxury price tier in Davie right now?
A number typed on a web page goes stale the week it is written, so this page does not carry one. The honest read is live data: the current Davie median sale price is $745,000, tracked weekly on the Davie Market Dashboard. The luxury tier sits well above that line, concentrated in the gated estate communities and the western acreage. For what that looks like in inventory today, browse current Davie listings or the community guides.
Buying rural in Davie?
I was raised here, and this is the market I work every week. Tell me what you want the land to do and I will tell you which pockets of town can legally do it.
Work with Anthony