Mainlands of Tamarac Lakes — The Community That Founded a City, and the Antidote to Every Condo Crisis in Broward

Why Mainlands Is the Financial Counterargument to Every Condo in This Market

Every other page on this site about Broward 55+ communities discusses HOA fees measured in hundreds of dollars per month, insurance crises that doubled monthly costs, and structural reserve studies that threaten five-figure special assessments. Mainlands of Tamarac exists outside that entire conversation.

These are fee-simple single-family homes. You own the land under your house. You own the structure. You carry your own homeowner's insurance policy — one you choose, with a carrier you select, at a deductible you set. There is no building-level condo association making decisions about your insurance, your reserves, or your monthly cost. There is no SB 4-D because there are no condo buildings. There is no master policy because there is no shared structure.

The HOA covers common area maintenance, landscaping, clubhouse access, and pool access — period. At $70–$150/month depending on which section you live in, Mainlands has the lowest HOA fees of any 55+ community in Broward County that offers amenities. Some sections include lawn care in the fee (a significant time and expense savings). The HOA does not cover your roof, your plumbing, your A/C, or your exterior paint — those are your responsibility as a homeowner. But that responsibility is what keeps the monthly cost low and gives you control.

The True Cost — What Ownership Actually Looks Like

At a $350K purchase price, the annual carrying cost is $10,952 — virtually identical to a $180K Century Village condo in a mid-fee building ($11,048). Read that sentence again. A house that costs nearly twice as much to buy costs the same per year to own. And the house is building equity in an appreciating asset on owned land, while the condo is losing value in a declining market with rising HOA fees.

The difference is insurance: at Mainlands, you carry your own homeowner's policy ($3,800/year for a $350K home) rather than paying the condo building's master policy through HOA fees. Your policy covers only your house, not a 40-year-old shared structure with 100 other units. Your premium is based on your house's age, condition, and your choice of deductible — not on a building-level risk profile controlled by a board you may not trust.

The 18 Sections — Each One Is Its Own HOA

Mainlands of Tamarac Lakes is not one community with one HOA — it's 18 sections, each with its own homeowner association, its own fee schedule, its own rules about pets, parking, and landscaping, and its own clubhouse or pool facilities. Eleven of these sections are 55+ restricted (the remaining are all-ages). The sections are named sequentially but organized geographically — Sections 1 through 13 are numbered, while others carry names like Fairhaven, Greenhaven, and Sunset Isle.

HOA fees vary by section: some charge as little as $70/month, others up to $150/month. The difference depends on what the HOA covers (some include lawn care, others don't) and the condition of the section's shared facilities. All sections provide access to at least one clubhouse and pool. Some sections have larger clubhouses with more programming; others are simpler.

The Homes

Mainlands homes are ranch-style single-family construction — one story, concrete block, typically 806 to 2,136 square feet (some larger homes up to 3,384 sq ft exist but are uncommon). Most homes have 2–3 bedrooms, 1–2 bathrooms, and a one-car carport or garage. Corner lots are larger and command a premium. Many homes have enclosed Florida rooms (screened or glass-enclosed patios) that add usable living space beyond the air-conditioned footprint.

Construction dates range from 1967 to 1977 — these are 49–59 year old homes. That age means many have been through one or more renovation cycles. A well-maintained Mainlands home with a newer roof (last 10 years), updated plumbing, impact windows, and a modern kitchen can command $350K–$480K. An original-condition home that needs a roof, A/C, and kitchen updates may sell for $200K–$280K — but the renovation cost to bring it to market standard is $50K–$100K. Budget accordingly.

What Mainlands Doesn't Have — Honestly

Mainlands is not Century Village or Wynmoor. The amenities are community-scale, not resort-scale. Each section has a clubhouse and pool, but there is no 135,000 sq ft super-clubhouse, no 1,000-seat theater, no 18-hole golf course, and no courtesy bus system. The social programming is organized by residents within each section — there is no professional Social Department. If your vision of 55+ living centers on a daily schedule of theater shows, organized clubs, and bus trips to shopping centers, Mainlands will feel under-resourced.

What Mainlands has instead: independence. You own land. You control your maintenance. You set your own insurance. You pay $70–$150/month instead of $400–$1,000/month. You are not exposed to a building board's decision to defer maintenance, underfund reserves, or accept a high-cost insurance renewal. For buyers who value financial control over amenity abundance, this trade-off is the entire point.

← Back to Broward County Hub|Mainlands vs Kings Point →