Can You Move With a 3% Mortgage in Davie, FL?

Can you move if you have a three percent mortgage in Davie?

If you own a home in Davie or Weston with a three percent mortgage and feel like you cannot move, this one is for you. People call it golden handcuffs. I hear it almost every week at my open houses. Someone has outgrown the house, they want to move, and they think the low rate traps them. It does not have to. That loan is one of the best assets you own, and there are smart ways to move without throwing it away.

Your low rate is an asset, not a cage

Stop thinking about your three percent rate as the thing keeping you in the house. It is not a cage. It is thirty years of cheap money that lenders are not likely to offer again. Today’s rates sit well above the pandemic lows, so the gap feels huge, and you are not alone in feeling stuck. Federal housing researchers have documented that higher rates kept a large share of would be sellers from listing, which tightened inventory across the country.

The house under that loan has been working too. In Davie and Weston, single family values have climbed since 2021, so there is real equity sitting in the home. You can check local housing and ownership data for Davie on US Census QuickFacts. The question is not how do I escape the rate. It is how do I keep this asset working for me while I move.

Three ways to move without wasting your low rate

1. Rent it out and keep the low loan

The cleanest way to keep a three percent mortgage is to not sell at all. Run one number. What would the home rent for, and what does it cost you each month at your low rate. For many owners who bought or refinanced during the pandemic, that gap can be real monthly cash flow. Your tenant pays down the low rate loan while you move to where you actually want to live.

Two Florida realities before you fall in love with this plan. Once the home is no longer your homestead, the Broward County Property Appraiser reassesses it at full market value as of the next January 1, and your property tax will go up. Run your rent against the new tax bill, not the old one. There is also a clock. Rent it out too long and you can lose the tax free gain on a future sale, so talk to a CPA before you decide. I am a Realtor, not a tax advisor, and this one is worth a professional opinion. If you want help thinking it through, here is my deeper look at whether to sell or rent out your Davie home.

2. Buy first with a bridge loan or a HELOC

If you need the equity before you move, you may be able to buy first. A bridge loan can give you the down payment before you list. A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, can do the same for less, but set it up before you list, because most lenders will not open a HELOC on a home that is listed for sale.

You can also write your next offer contingent on selling this one. The other seller will know, and they may take a cleaner offer instead, so the terms matter as much as the price. If timing is tight, a rent back can bridge the gap. You sell, then stay in the home as a tenant for a short window, often thirty to sixty days, while you find the next place, with your equity already in the bank.

3. Sell and roll your equity forward

Sometimes letting the low rate go is the right call. If you have built strong equity, that equity becomes the down payment on the next home, and a higher rate on a smaller balance can land closer to your old payment than you expect. If rates fall later, you refinance. Just make sure the payment works on day one, not only after some future refinance that may never come.

The current single family median sale price in Davie is davie_stat segment=”sfh” field=”median_sales_price” label=”1″], which gives you a rough read on what your equity may look like today. When you price the home, do not anchor on a Zillow or portal estimate. The same house can swing by a wide margin from one portal to the next, so you want real comps, not an algorithm. My [Davie seller net sheet guide walks through what you actually keep after a sale, and the Davie market guide shows how the current market is moving.

Florida portability: your tax cap moves even when your mortgage cannot

Here is the part that is all Florida. Your low rate is not portable, but your tax cap is. While you owned your homestead, the Save Our Homes rule held your assessed value down even as the market value climbed. When you sell and buy another Florida home, that benefit does not die. You can carry up to $500,000 of the gap between your market value and your assessed value to the next homestead, which lowers the taxable value of the new home. If the next home is worth less, a proportional share carries over instead of the full gap.

You file for it with the Broward County Property Appraiser at the same time you file for homestead, and you generally have three years to use it. You can also look up your parcel and tax history through Broward County. Your mortgage stays behind. Your tax shield follows you. It is easy to stare at the rate you lose and miss the tax benefit you keep. For the full walkthrough, read my guide to Save Our Homes portability in Davie and the Davie property tax guide.

The assumable loan myth that costs sellers

You will read online that your buyer can take over your three percent loan. For most loans, that is not true. Government backed FHA, VA and USDA loans are generally assumable, with lender approval and a buyer who qualifies. Conventional fixed rate loans are not, and most pandemic era refinances were conventional fixed rate loans. Some conventional adjustable rate loans can be assumed, so confirm your exact loan with your servicer. If your plan is to sell on the strength of an assumable rate, confirm your loan is actually assumable first.

The flip side is the good news. If you do hold a VA or FHA loan, your low rate can become a selling point, and your Realtor can build the marketing around it. One warning on VA loans. If a buyer who is not a veteran assumes it, your VA entitlement can stay tied up until that loan is paid off. Get a release of liability and talk to your lender before you advertise it. Relocation and timing drive a lot of these moves, and the mechanics are different for an out of state buyer. If you are moving here rather than away, start with my moving to Davie guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I sell or rent out my Davie home if I have a three percent mortgage?

Run two numbers first. What the home would rent for, and what it costs you each month at your low rate. If the rent covers the carrying cost with room to spare, renting lets your tenant pay down a low rate loan you may not see again while you move. If you need the equity to buy the next home, selling is usually the cleaner path.

Can my buyer take over my three percent mortgage?

Usually not. Government backed FHA, VA and USDA loans are generally assumable, with lender approval and a buyer who qualifies. Conventional fixed rate loans are not, and most pandemic era refinances were conventional fixed rate loans. Some conventional adjustable rate loans can be assumed, so confirm your exact loan with your servicer before you market the home as having an assumable rate.

What happens to my property taxes if I rent out my Florida homestead?

The homestead protection ends once it is no longer your primary residence, so the Broward County Property Appraiser reassesses the home at full market value as of the next January 1, and your tax bill generally rises. Always run your rent against the new tax number, not your old capped one. Talk to a CPA, because there can also be a limit on how long you rent before you lose a tax free gain on a future sale.

Can I keep my Florida tax savings when I move to a new home?

Yes, through Save Our Homes portability. You can transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated assessment benefit to your next Florida homestead, which lowers the taxable value of the new home. If the next home is worth less, a proportional share carries over instead of the full amount. You file with the Broward County Property Appraiser when you apply for homestead, and you generally have three years to do it.

Is now a good time to sell a single family home in Davie?

Davie detached homes that sold in the past year went under contract in a median of about 39 days on market, per MLS data through mid October 2026, and homes that start overpriced sit longer. The current single family median sale price is $893,000 (single-family median, trailing 186 days ending Nov 6, 2026, based on 192 listings, per BeachesMLS). The right number for your home depends on your street, your condition, and today’s comps, which is exactly what a strategy call is for.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

Anthony Spitaleri is a Broker Associate and REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Realty, a Davie native, and the creator of Living in Davie, Florida. Before you decide whether to rent, buy first, or sell, he will run your three numbers with you and map the move that protects your rate and your equity. Schedule a free 15-minute strategy call and walk into the decision with every number known.

Anthony Spitaleri

Broker Associate, REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker Realty

Creator of Living in Davie, Florida

Davie, Florida | Serving Davie, Weston and surrounding Broward markets

954-235-5783

Florida License BK3281907

@livingindavieflorida

Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate, REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Realty, working the single family market in Weston and Davie, Florida. More about Anthony