Guides
Guides to buying a home in Florida
What I explain before any offer: the process, the money, the taxes, and the rules that decide whether a property fits your goal.
Buying process
How to buy a home in Florida as a foreigner
A complete guide to buying a home in Florida with no visa or green card: ways to pay, documents, timelines, costs, and how to close without traveling to the US.
Financing
Foreign national mortgage: down payment, documents and real timelines
Foreign national loans in Florida: how much they ask down, which documents replace US credit history, real timelines, and how much the rate premium costs.
Financing
ITIN mortgage: buying a home without a Social Security number
How to buy a home in Florida with an ITIN: down payment, the tax returns lenders ask for, who offers these loans, and how they differ from foreign national loans.
Deciding
New construction or resale: the honest comparison
New construction or a resale home in Florida: price per square foot, insurance, roof, warranty, HOA, taxes, and when each one is the better buy.
Buying process
Buying under construction: schedule, inspections and warranty
Buying a to-be-built home in Florida: how long it takes, what the contract says about delays, which inspections to order, design selections and warranty coverage.
Money
Closing costs in Florida: the complete list
Closing costs on a new home in Florida: doc stamps, intangible tax, title, appraisal, prepaids and escrow. What the total runs and who customarily pays what.
Money
Florida property taxes: how they work and why year one misleads
Property tax in Florida: how it is calculated, the second-year jump on new homes, the homestead exemption rising in 2027, and the assessment caps.
Money
What it costs to own a home in Florida each month
The real monthly cost of a Florida home: property tax, insurance, HOA, CDD, power, water and maintenance, with Central Florida ranges and worked examples.
Investing
Can you rent it out? Short and long term in Central Florida
Rental rules in Central Florida communities: what the HOA allows, why Airbnb-style short-term rental is rarely permitted, and how to verify before you buy.
Investing
Buying through an LLC: when it makes sense, and what FIRPTA does
Buying a Florida home in an LLC: when it makes sense, what it costs, the mandatory Form 5472 filing, and how FIRPTA withholding works when you sell.
Buying process
Closing from abroad, without traveling to the United States
How to sign a Florida closing without traveling: notarization at the consulate, remote online notarization, power of attorney, and how to wire funds safely.
Deciding
Builder incentives: what you can ask for and how it is negotiated
How builder incentives work in Florida: rate buydowns, closing cost credits, design studio credits, and why the list price does not come down.