Buying a House in Florida Checklist

Before you tour: budget, preapproval and an insurance check

• Set a total monthly number, including principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance, flood insurance if needed, and HOA or condo fees. In Florida, insurance can move that total more than a small change in price.
• Get preapproved, not prequalified. A preapproval letter is based on documents and carries weight with Florida sellers.
• Decide house or condo. Statewide, Zillow puts single-family homes at $396,809 and condos at $262,592. Condos have fallen 3.9% over the past year, against 0.9% for all homes.
• Ask an insurance agent what they can write. Many insurers will not write older roofs or homes without updated systems. Knowing the limits early saves you from falling for a house you cannot insure.
• Set aside cash beyond the down payment for inspections, the first year of insurance, escrow deposits and a hurricane deductible.

Florida costs to put on the list before you shop

Some costs catch buyers from other states off guard. Put each one on your budget sheet with a real quote or estimate:

• Homeowners insurance, priced on roof age, construction and distance to the coast.
• Hurricane deductible, a percentage of dwelling coverage such as 2%, 5% or 10%, owed once per calendar year if a storm causes a claim.
• Flood insurance, which is never part of a standard homeowners policy.
• Mortgage taxes at closing: note stamps of $0.35 per $100 of the loan and 0.2% intangible tax.
• Property tax at the new assessment, since the value resets after a sale.
• HOA, condo or CDD charges, which can run monthly, quarterly or on the tax bill.

Florida has no state income tax, which helps the overall budget, but it does not offset a premium you did not plan for.

Choosing where to buy

County prices vary by a factor of almost six across Florida. A few Zillow county values for all home types:

• Calhoun: $166,734.
• Polk: $295,509.
• Orange: $400,964.
• Palm Beach: $475,754.
• Monroe: $962,885.

Before settling on an area, check commute routes at the hours you would drive, distance to the coast and the FEMA flood zone pattern in the neighborhoods you like. Look up whether communities have a CDD, a community development district that adds a separate assessment to the property tax bill, which is common in newer planned communities.

Writing the offer

Most Florida residential sales use the Florida Realtors and Florida Bar contract, which comes in a standard version and an AS IS version. The AS IS version is more common; it lets you inspect and cancel during the inspection period, but the seller is not obligated to make repairs. The key items to fill in:

• Price and escrow deposit, with the deadline for delivering the deposit to the escrow agent.
• Inspection period length. Make it long enough to get inspections and insurance quotes back.
• Financing contingency and the loan approval deadline.
• Closing date and who pays title and stamps. The seller usually pays the deed stamps of $0.70 per $100; title custom varies by county.
• Personal property included, such as shutters, appliances and pool equipment.

Inspections and insurance quotes during the inspection period

• General home inspection of structure, roof, systems and appliances.
• Wind mitigation inspection, which documents roof covering, roof-to-wall connections, shutters and other features that lower premiums.
• 4-point inspection on older homes, covering roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Insurers use it to decide whether to write the policy.
• WDO inspection for termites and other wood-destroying organisms, which lenders often require.
• Pool, septic, sewer line or seawall inspections where they apply.
• Insurance quotes on the exact address, using the inspection reports. Include flood if the home is in an A or V zone or you are likely to end up with Citizens.
• Seller flood disclosure: review the seller's answers on flood claims, federal flood aid and known flood damage.

If the reports or quotes change your numbers, renegotiate or cancel before the inspection period ends.

Title, survey, permits and association documents

• Title search and commitment from the title company, showing liens, easements and anything that must be cleared before closing.
• Open and expired permit search. Florida homes sometimes carry open permits from past work, and those can delay closing or leave you with the problem.
• Survey to confirm boundaries, encroachments and the location of fences, pools and additions.
• HOA documents and estoppel letter, which states what the seller owes the association and any approved assessments.
• Condo documents, including the budget, structural reserve study and milestone inspection reports for buildings three or more stories. Resale condo buyers can cancel within 7 days after receiving these, excluding weekends and legal holidays.

Loan approval, final walkthrough and closing day

• Appraisal and underwriting. Respond quickly to lender document requests; Florida closings slip most often on insurance binders and condo questionnaires.
• Insurance binder sent to the lender before closing, with the first year paid.
• Closing disclosure at least three business days before closing. Check the note stamps of $0.35 per $100 of the loan and the 0.2% intangible tax.
• Wire funds only after confirming instructions by phone with the title company at a number you looked up yourself.
• Final walkthrough to check agreed repairs and that nothing has changed.
• Sign and record. Florida closings are usually handled by a title company or attorney, and you can often sign remotely.

The first months after closing

• File for homestead with the county property appraiser by March 1 of the following year if the house is your permanent residence. In 2026 it can take up to $51,411 off assessed value and caps future assessment increases at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower.
• Expect a new tax bill. The assessment resets to market value after your purchase, so the first bill may be well above what the seller paid.
• Get a Florida driver license and register vehicles if you are moving here; new residents have a short deadline, and these records support a homestead application.
• Make a hurricane plan for shutters, the generator, documents and insurance contacts before June 1, the start of the season.
• Watch the ballot. Amendment 3, a homestead and non-homestead property tax change, goes to voters on November 3, 2026, needing 60% to pass.

This isn't legal or tax advice. If you want to see how these steps play out on real houses, a shortlist of homes in your price range and county is the most useful next step.