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Issue #3 · October 29, 2026
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Good morning, South Florida! 👋
Welcome to The Weekly Pulse, your weekly dose of South Florida real estate, market smarts, and the local stuff that makes this place worth living in. Coming up, more than 1,300 boats sail into Fort Lauderdale for the boat show, an inch-long creature washing up on our beaches floats upside down and steals weapons from something far bigger, and Halloween weekend is packed with things to do. Glad you’re here.
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More than 1,300 boats just sailed into Fort Lauderdale, and you don’t need a yacht to join the party!
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The world’s largest in-water boat show is back, now through Sunday, Nov. 1.
For its 67th year, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show spreads more than 1,300 boats across six waterfront spots, from Bahia Mar to Superyacht Village at Pier Sixty-Six. Fishing boats, jet skis, superyachts, and some you can step aboard.
Kids under 6 get in free, the FLIBS Kids Corner has crafts and face painting, and the Saturday and Sunday kids’ fishing clinics hand every young angler a free rod and reel. Retirees comparing cabins, couples eyeing their first center console and teens who swear they came for the food all find something to stare at.
Tips: tickets are online only, so buy before you go. Park once at the Broward County Convention Center, then ride the free shuttles or hop the water taxi ($15 for the day) between marinas. Sunday closes at 5 p.m., and veterans and active-duty military can request a free Sunday ticket in advance.
And if a day on the docks has you picturing a backyard with a dock of your own, Dean can certainly help with that.
When: Thursday, Oct. 29 to Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. · Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Six sites in Fort Lauderdale: Broward County Convention Center (1950 Eisenhower Blvd., the parking and shuttle hub), Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Marina, Pier Sixty-Six Marina and Superyacht Village.
Cost: Adults $48 (one day) or $80 (two days); kids 6 to 12, $19; under 6 free with an adult. Online only, no box office. Water taxi $15 a day (under 5 ride free). Shuttles and golf carts are complimentary; convention center parking is a flat $40 a day.
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In today's newsletter we'll cover:
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Can you still buy a house under $400,000 in South Florida?
Dean says… Scroll through eight South Florida house listings and, on average, only one is under $400,000. At the end of September, just 13% of single-family listings were priced under $400,000, while 31% were listed at $1 million or more. In Miami-Dade, only 123 houses made the cut, per Miami Realtors. So where are the rest? That same report names six cities with the most under-$400,000 houses, and three of them are right here in Broward. See more
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Did you know you get a free hour of sleep this Sunday?
Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m., when clocks fall back to 1 a.m., so sunset arrives an hour earlier and the after-work beach walk moves up. A federal bill to end the twice-a-year switch passed the U.S. House but has stalled in the Senate, so plan on springing forward again in March. NBC 6 →Did you know the Boynton Beach Mall has a buyer, and it’s a homebuilder?
Lennar, the Florida homebuilding giant, has confirmed it is buying the 91-acre mall on North Congress Avenue, with plans for homes, shops and civic space. Tenants have been told to vacate by Jan. 15, and the purchase is expected to close in early 2027, while JCPenney, Cinemark and Christ Fellowship may keep operating. After 41 years of back-to-school runs and movie nights, now is the time for one last lap. CBS12 →Did you know Boca Raton’s holiday season kicks off the Saturday before Thanksgiving?
The city’s free Holiday Tree Lighting is Saturday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Mizner Amphitheater, with the tree-lighting ceremony, live music and food vendors. Mark the calendar now, because it is closer than the Halloween candy aisle suggests. City of Boca Raton →Lender’s Corner: before you fall for a house, check the full monthly payment.
Ask a lender what the whole monthly payment looks like with taxes and insurance, not just the loan payment, because that full number is what your budget actually feels.
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301 SW 12th Ave | $599,900
DELRAY BEACH, FL 33444
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5 BEDS |
2 BATHS |
1,392 SQ FT |
$431 PER SQ FT |
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Saved 44 times on Zillow in just four days on the market. That is a pace of about 11 saves a day for this 5-bedroom Delray Beach home, while the average home in the same scan of 89 listings was pulling about 4.9 a day. Even if you are not shopping, it is a useful read on what buyers here are reacting to: five bedrooms, a covered carport, and a price under $600,000.
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44 Zillow saves in 4 days |
11 saves per day on this home |
2.2x the 4.9-a-day average of 89 homes scanned |
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Source: Listing Leads scan of 89 listings in ZIP codes 33444, 33445, 33446, 33483 and 33484 (Delray Beach area), week of Oct 26, 2026; Zillow saves for 301 SW 12th Ave, a 5 bed, 1,392 sq ft home at 4 days on market. 11 saves a day = 44 divided by 4. 2.2x = 11 divided by 4.9. Price per square foot is $599,900 divided by 1,392 sq ft. |
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More Boynton Beach homes hit the market in September. So why did they sell faster?
In September 2026, Boynton Beach closed 157 single-family home sales, about five a day, at a median sold price of $505,000, per RPR. At the same time, 243 new single-family listings came on, up 11%, and 510 homes were for sale, up 2.2%. Yet the median time on the market fell to 42 days, quicker than in August. More choice and a faster pace don’t usually show up together, so the full Boynton Beach report breaks down what’s behind it, whether you’re buying, selling, or just curious how your street compares to Delray next door.
Source: Realtors Property Resource (RPR), Boynton Beach, FL, single-family homes, September 2026.
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From The Local Pulse blog |
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Your Property Tax Bill Is on the Ballot Next Tuesday. Here’s the Part Nobody’s Talking About
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Florida voters decide whether to expand the homestead exemption under Amendment 3, and the headlines are promising big savings. Dean Kwiatkoski, a Local Expert with over two decades in real estate, including 11 years in mortgage lending, takes up the question few are asking: when does a lower tax bill actually reach your monthly mortgage payment?
The post also shows how to work out your own numbers in Broward, Palm Beach or Miami-Dade, and what to do this week, whichever way you vote.
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Beachgoers in Boca Raton and Miami Beach have found this on the sand. It is about an inch long, and it is not a toy.
Real photo, not AI. Photo credit and the full story are on the page.
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Look closely. That is a living animal, and it has been washing up on South Florida beaches for years.
What is it, and how does something this small end up on the sand in Broward and Palm Beach counties?
Why does it spend its whole life floating upside down?
And where did it get those weapons? It did not make them itself.
Every one of those feathery arms is armed, and the supplies are stolen from something much bigger that most of us have been warned about since childhood.
The Smithsonian, the Australian Museum and Texas Public Radio have all covered it, and Dean checked the details against each one. The photo is real. So what is it, and what should you do if you ever spot one at your feet? The answer is one click away.
Want to know what it is? It is one click away.
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Friday, October 30 – Sunday, November 1
Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means the whole weekend belongs to costumes, candy and a few good scares. Here are six local ways to spend it, from trunk-or-treat and a lagoon festival to one last haunted night at the fairgrounds.
Fri, Oct 30 🎃 Little Scream Trunk or Treat 6:00 to 9:00 PM · Bryant Park, 100 S. Golfview Road, Lake Worth Beach Free Decorated cars and golf carts, candy for the little ones, and costume contests for kids, grown-ups and pets, all right on the Intracoastal. Details →Fri, Oct 30 (final night) 👻 Fright Nights 6:00 PM to midnight, haunted houses open at 7 PM · South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach Ticketed, general admission $48.50; parking $10 (card only) Three haunted houses and two scare zones, and Friday is the last chance of the season. Best for teens and grown-ups who like to scream. Details →Sat, Oct 31 🐋 LagoonFest 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM · Flagler Drive waterfront near 201 Fern Street, West Palm Beach Free; scientist-guided catamaran tour $10 for adults (kids under 12 free, register ahead) Touch tanks, a wildlife bird release, a Kids Zone with face painting and casting lessons, and a “Lagoon Creatures” costume contest. The GreenMarket is right next door, so breakfast is handled. Details →Sat, Oct 31 🌴 Halloween Fest at Bonnet House 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM · Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, 900 N. Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale Ticketed, adults $25, ages 6-17 $8, 5 and under free A Trick-or-Treat Trail through one of Fort Lauderdale's most beautiful historic estates, plus a DJ, face painting, and a 1 PM costume runway for kids, adults and leashed pets. Details →Sat, Oct 31 🍺 Halloween at the Monastery All day; costume contest sign-up 5 PM, judging 6 PM · Barrel of Monks Brewing, 1141 S. Rogers Circle #5, Boca Raton No admission price listed; 21 and over Find one of the mini jack-o'-lanterns hidden around the brewery and trade it at the bar for a free draft. The best costume wins a $50 gift card and a crowler. Halloween, strictly for grown-ups. Details →Sat & Sun, Oct 31 – Nov 1 (final weekend) 🌽 Fall Festival at Bedner's Farm Open both days at 10066 Lee Road · Boynton Beach Admission about $25 per person on weekends, under 2 free; check Bedner's for current hours Final weekend of the season: pumpkin patch, tractor rides, a corn maze, and a petting zoo. Sunday is the last day, so this is the weekend for that pumpkin photo. Details →Also on the calendar: the free Boynton Beach Pirate Fest runs Saturday noon to 10 PM and Sunday noon to 6 PM on East Ocean Avenue. Organizers sometimes adjust hours, so a quick look at each Details link before you head out is always smart.
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Four quick questions this week: two about Florida and two spooky ones from farther afield. Make your best guess first, then check the answers at the bottom.
1 | Before it was Delray Beach, the town went by a different name for its first few years. What was it called? |
Hint: the town was named after its founder, a U.S. congressman from Michigan, and residents swapped the name out in 1898.
2 | Ponce de León named the islands now called the Dry Tortugas after an animal he saw everywhere. Which animal, and why did sailors later add the word “Dry”? |
Hint: it is a reptile that comes ashore to nest on those sand islands.
3 | Long before pumpkins, what vegetable did people in Ireland and Britain carve into the first jack-o’-lanterns? |
Hint: it is a root vegetable, often purple on top and white underneath.
4 | Mars has two tiny moons with fittingly spooky names: one means “fear” and the other means “dread.” Can you name either one? |
Hint: the “fear” moon gave its name to a word you use for something that scares you, like spiders or heights.
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What Clients Say |
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Here is a note from Delray Beach clients who had several agents calling and still chose Dean.
The One Agent Who Stood Out From the Rest
“We picked Dean Kwiatkoski from several agents calling us. Dean was efficient and patient while searching for our new home. He quickly learned what we wanted in a home and guided us through the entire process. We highly recommend using Dean!”
Dennis K., Delray Beach, FL
5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified reviews, as shown on deansellsfl.com/reviews.
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THREE HEADLINES AND A LIE. This week’s game is Florida facts. Three of the four statements below are true, and one is not. Read them over, pick the one you think is the fib, then check the answers at the very bottom of this email.
A | Florida’s official state beverage is orange juice. | B | Florida’s official state flower is the hibiscus. | C | St. Augustine, founded in 1565, is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States. | D | Key lime pie is Florida’s official state pie. |
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The Answers |
Local Trivia: 1) Linton, named for founder William Linton, a congressman from Michigan. After freezes wiped out early crops, residents renamed the town Delray in 1898, after a town near Detroit (Historical Society of Palm Beach County; Delray Beach Historical Society). 2) Sea turtles. Ponce de León named the islands Las Tortugas, “The Turtles,” in 1513, and “Dry” was added once sailors learned there was no fresh drinking water (National Park Service). 3) Turnips. Metal lanterns were expensive, so people hollowed out root vegetables and carved faces into them (Smithsonian Magazine). 4) Phobos (fear) and Deimos (dread), both discovered by astronomer Asaph Hall in August 1877 (NASA). Back to the trivia
Three Headlines and a Lie: The fib is B. Florida’s state flower is the orange blossom, not the hibiscus. The other three are true. Orange juice is the official state beverage (Florida Department of State), St. Augustine was founded in 1565 and is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental U.S. (National Park Service), and key lime pie became the official state pie in 2006 (Florida Senate). Back to the game
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The Local Expert’s Bottom Line |
The TL;DR: Boynton Beach is still a seller’s market, and a tighter one than Delray next door. In September 2026, single-family homes in Boynton Beach had 2.98 months of supply (Delray Beach: 3.53), and homes that sold closed at 96.7% of the list price after a median 42 days (RPR). Buyers do have more to look at, with 510 for sale, so sellers who price right from the first weekend still win the most attention. Dean's Lender's Eye: when homes close that close to asking, the strongest offer is often the cleanest one, not the biggest. A full pre-approval, with your income and assets already reviewed by a lender, tells a seller your financing is solid before you even ask for a showing. After 11 years in mortgage lending, Dean knows exactly what a listing agent looks for in that letter. Recommended next step: Talk it through with Dean and he'll help you line up your financing or your list price before the next weekend of showings.
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That's Issue #3 of The Weekly Pulse, and thank you for spending a few minutes of your morning with it. Every week I'll bring you the real numbers, the local stuff worth knowing, and an honest answer to whatever South Florida is Googling. No sales pitch, just what I'd tell a friend across the table, over coffee ☕
Quick one: boat show, pumpkin patch or a quiet weekend at home? Hit reply and tell me.
All my best,
Dean
About Dean Kwiatkoski: Over two decades of experience in the real estate industry. His strong background in finance and loan origination, coupled with exceptional negotiation skills, sets him apart.
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EXPERIENCE | KNOWLEDGE | RESULTS
The South Florida Market · Community · Lifestyle Guide
The Weekly Pulse is your premier digital magazine for South Florida real estate, local events, and neighborhood insights, curated weekly by Dean Kwiatkoski.
9080 Kimberly Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33434
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