When I first heard from the Meltzers*, it was an email on a quiet Tuesday afternoon in February. The subject line simply read: “Thinking about Florida.”
Peretz and Lisa Meltzer were from Teanek, a couple in their early 50s with grown children and a shared dream of sunshine, palm trees and never shoveling snow again. But like many northern families, they weren’t quite ready.
We spoke on the phone that weekend. I asked about their vision: “Are you picturing a beachside condo? A home in a golf community? Something close to grandkids?”
They didn’t know. So we started the journey.
Over the next two years — yes, two — we kept in touch. Every few months, I’d send listings. Sometimes they’d fly down for a weekend to look around. Other times, I’d tour a property for them via FaceTime. They changed their minds often — first it was Boca Raton, then Boynton Beach then back to Boca. First a five-bedroom with space for visiting family, then a cozy two-bedroom with a den “just in case.”
By the third visit, Lisa said, “It’s like dating Florida. We love the idea of it, but we’re still figuring out what kind of life we want here.”
And that’s the truth. Buying a home — especially when relocating — isn’t just about the square footage or the zip code: it’s about lifestyle. It’s about discovering that you might not need the massive backyard once the kids are gone. Or realizing that being five minutes from the ocean beats having an extra guest bedroom.
Eventually, the Meltzers did buy. It wasn’t the large home they first imagined. It was a bright, modern townhouse in a gated community with a pool, a gym and neighbors organizing weekly get-togethers.
A year after they moved, they called me again.
Peretz laughed into the phone and said, “You were right. We didn’t know what we wanted until we lived it. We thought we needed more space, but turns out we needed less — and a golf cart.”
They weren’t my only clients who took time. Some decide in a weekend. Others, like the Meltzers, take years. And then there are those who move into a condo and a year later trade up for a single-family home with a pool; real estate, like life, is never one-size-fits-all.
What I’ve learned in my years helping families relocate is that patience, empathy and local insight matter just as much as the perfect listing.
Because at the end of the day, you’re not just buying a house. You’re building a new chapter. And it deserves the time it takes to get it right.
Contact Yosef today at (561) 299-0113 or [email protected].
Yosef Shayowitz is a real estate broker at Lokation Real Estate based in sunny south Florida, where the only thing hotter than the weather is the market! From first-time buyers to waterfront estates, Yosef provides expert guidance with a transparent, friendly approach. His goal? To make your real estate journey smooth, successful and even a little fun.
