Pet friendly properties are now easier to find
No two ways about it. Pets are members of the family. Builders and developers are realizing that it’s important to welcome them to condos and apartments, and real estate professionals are finding that pet-friendly features are important to singlefamily homebuyers as well.
A decade ago, it could be hard to find a property that welcomed pets. Not so anymore. Although younger people are waiting longer to have children, many of them have pets. Older people whose kids have flown the nest may want to downsize to condos, but they aren’t going anywhere without Fido and Fluffy.
BEYOND ACCEPTANCE
Today’s pet friendliness goes beyond simply accepting furry residents. Amenities like dog walking areas or, if space allows, dog parks, doggie drinking fountains and pet bathing stations, some with machines that wash and blow dry, are becoming commonplace.
Henry Torres, developer of Merrick Manor, a petfriendly condominium in Coral Gables, said that as a dog owner himself, he understands why people insist on living where they can keep their pets. “I have a dog, and we call him His Royal Highness, because in our house, he rules,”
Torres said. “I appreciate dogs.”
Green areas around Merrick Manor offer walking space, and there’s a dog washing station at the front of the building. Many of the buyers are older. “When the kids are gone, they buy a dog and fall in love with it,” Torres said. “In today’s world, if you don’t allow dogs, you’re turning away 50 percent of your business.”
Younger people also want to live where they can have pets, said Jonathon Yormak of East End Capital, co-developer of Wynwood 25, a pet-friendly apartment building with a dog bathing station. “Wynwood is a neighborhood that caters to young, creative people. A lot of them work from home, and a lot of them have dogs,” Yormak said.
2000 Ocean in Hallandale Beach will have a dedicated pet park and playground, doggie drinking fountains and paw baths so owners can rinse their pets’ feet. Soundproof materials used throughout the building will prevent residents from being bothered by any possible barking. “I have always been a passionate supporter of animals rights and welfare,” said developer Shahab Karmely, CEO and founder of KAR Properties, developer of the project. “I strongly believe pets are family members.”
SINGLE-FAMILY BUYERS
Rose Sklar, a Realtor with West Coldwell Banker in Weston, finds that buyers of single-family homes keep an eye out for pet friendliness when they visit neighborhoods. “Seven out of 10 millennials have pets, and this is the new generation of buyers,” she said. “Their dogs are their children. They look for fenced yards and whether there are dog parks nearby, and they want sidewalks with pickup stations.”
One homebuyer Sklar worked with built a special room for the dog under the staircase. Electronic doggie doors that open only to the designated pet can be a selling feature, Sklar added. So can under-cabinet doggie bowls and laundry rooms with sinks appropriate for dog washing. Some buyers appreciate homes equipped with cameras that allow them to watch their pets and even talk to them. “They want to know their pets are safe,” Sklar said.
DOG PARK IN THE SKY
X Miami, a rental property, has a dog park on the 17th floor. “It’s heavily used,” said Ryan Shear, a partner in PMG, developer of the project. “The dogs in the building get to know each other. It adds a happy element. Pets make the world a better place.”
Adagio, a condominium on the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale, has a sequestered pet walk area with fountains for both large and small dogs and a grooming station. “You have to be pet friendly these days,” said Grant Lundberg, a sales associate with One Sotheby’s International Realty. “A lot of our buyers are empty nesters, and they’re not going to buy a condo if their pets can’t come with them.”
CHANGING TIMES
Pet restrictions are falling by the wayside all over
South Florida, Lundberg said. “South Florida had very strict pet policies in the past, but over the years that’s evolved. A lot of older buildings are also revising their pet policies.”
“Our industry has changed tremendously,” said Alex Rosemurgy, CEO of Rosemurgy Properties, developer of Uptown Boca, an apartment building on 38 acres of land in West Boca Raton. “Pets are a key part of people’s lifestyles, and when you open your product to pets, you create a whole new market for yourself.”
Uptown Boca will have three dog parks and a bathing station. “We’re rolling out pet friendliness in all our new developments,” Rosemurgy said.
Metropica, a mixed-use development in Sunrise that will have eight residential towers, will have a four-acre dog park with doggie drinking fountains and a bathing station. It will also have technology to test a dog’s DNA if a wayward owner habitually fails to clean up. “A pet does become part of the family,” said Stephanie Kavana, Metropica’s marketing manager. “A big part of people’s lives is interacting with their pets.”
Pet friendliness is often one of the first things potential buyers ask about at 5000 North Ocean, a condominium on Singer Island in Palm Beach County. “All our properties have been pet-friendly,” said Ed Jahn, senior vice president of Kolter Urban, developer of the project. “Pets add a positive attribute.”