How to buy a home in Florida

1. Set your budget and how you will pay

   If you need a mortgage, get a pre-approval letter from a lender before you shop; it shows sellers you can likely close. If you pay cash, a recent bank statement (proof of funds) does the same job. Budget for more than the price: closing costs, property tax, insurance and any association fees. Read pre-qualification vs pre-approval, the buyer closing costs guide and try the mortgage calculator.

2. Choose your agent and sign a buyer agreement

   Since August 17, 2024, agents who belong to the National Association of REALTORS® ask buyers to sign a written buyer agreement. It says what the agent will do and how the agent is paid. Compensation is negotiable and not set by law (NAR). Zoya goes through every line with you before you sign.

3. Search and tour

   Narrow the map down to the few Central Florida areas that fit your budget and your daily drive. Tour in person, or by live video call if you are not in Florida yet. Ask early about the roof, the air conditioning, the flood zone and the association rules, because photos do not show them.

4. Make a written offer

   Your offer is a written contract: the price, the closing date, the deposit, the inspection period and the terms for financing and the appraisal. The deposit goes to an escrow agent, usually the title company or a closing attorney, never straight to the seller. Zoya prepares the offer, explains every term and negotiates for you.

5. Inspect the home

   Hire a licensed home inspector within the inspection period, and ask about a termite (wood destroying organism) inspection too. On older homes, insurers often ask for a four point inspection and a wind mitigation report. If the inspector finds problems, you can ask for repairs or a credit, or cancel within the terms of your contract.

6. Title, escrow and title insurance

   In Florida a title company or a real estate attorney usually runs the closing. It searches the public records for liens, unpaid taxes and other claims, holds the money in escrow and issues title insurance. An owner's title policy protects you if an old claim on the home turns up later; Florida sets the premium by state rule.

7. Insurance, flood zone and appraisal

   If you borrow, the lender orders an appraisal and needs proof of homeowners insurance before closing. Check the address on the FEMA flood map; in a high risk zone the lender may require flood insurance. Ask for a property tax estimate too: Florida contracts warn buyers not to rely on the seller's current taxes, because a sale can raise the assessment (Fla. Stat. 689.261).

8. Closing and the keys

   With a loan, you receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing (CFPB); compare it with your Loan Estimate. Wire your funds only after you confirm the instructions by phone (see wire fraud). You sign, the title company records the deed with the county, and the keys are yours. Zoya stays in touch for the questions that come later.

If the home will be your permanent residence, apply for the homestead exemption with the county property appraiser. Eligibility is based on who owns and lives in the home on January 1, and the application is due by March 1 (Fla. Stat. 196.011). Florida voters approved changes to the exemption on November 3, 2026 that start in 2027 (Amendment 3, results not yet certified on November 8, 2026), so check the current rules with the Florida Department of Revenue and your county.

No green card needed, with one big exception

You do not need US citizenship, a green card, a visa or a Social Security number to own a home in Florida. Since July 1, 2023, Florida law (SB 264, chapter 692 of the Florida Statutes) limits purchases by a “foreign principal”. For a person, that means someone domiciled in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela or Syria who is not a US citizen or permanent resident. What counts is where the person lives permanently, not citizenship.

For those buyers, agricultural land and any property within 10 miles of a military installation or critical infrastructure facility are closed, with a narrow exception for one home on up to 2 acres; people domiciled in China face a statewide ban apart from that exception. Every buyer signs an affidavit at closing (Rule 61J2-10.200). The law was in force in November 2026. Only a Florida attorney can say how it applies to you and to a given address; Zoya does not give legal advice.

Signing from abroad

Video tours, e-signatures and calls in your language cover most steps. For the closing documents, Florida accepts a signature acknowledged abroad before a notary of that country with an official seal, or before a US consul (Fla. Stat. 695.03). Some buyers give a trusted person in Florida a power of attorney instead. Ask the title company early which way it accepts, and plan for courier time.

A mortgage when you live abroad

Some US lenders lend to buyers with no US credit history, often under the name foreign national loan. Down payment, reserves and the documents they ask for differ from lender to lender and change often, so get the terms in writing. Zoya can introduce lenders who work with international buyers.

What a home in Florida does not give you

Owning a home in Florida does not give you a visa, a green card or the right to stay longer in the United States. For immigration questions, talk to a licensed immigration attorney.

An ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is a 9 digit number from the IRS for people who need a US tax number but cannot get a Social Security number. It is for federal taxes only: it does not give immigration status or permission to work (IRS, page reviewed October 2026).

You usually need one when you must file a US tax return, for example when you rent the home out or when you sell it. You apply on Form W-7, normally together with that return, by mail or through an IRS acceptance agent, and some acceptance agents work outside the US. The IRS says to allow 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks from January 15 to April 30 or when you apply from overseas (IRS, October 2026).

Some lenders ask for an ITIN for a foreign national loan. Ask yours at the start, and talk to a US tax professional about what you will file.

• Agree on the closing steps and how you will pay with your agent and the title company early, by phone or in person.
• Never follow wiring instructions that arrive by email or text. Call the title company at a number you already have, from your contract or its official website, and confirm the bank and account number before you send money.
• Do not use phone numbers or links from the email itself.
• Do not email bank details or copies of your documents.
• If you think you sent money to a scammer, call your bank at once and ask for a wire recall, then report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.

Zoya will never email you wiring instructions or ask you to change them.

Sources: CFPB, mortgage closing scams (June 2019, archived by the CFPB); FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Checked November 8, 2026.

• When a foreign person sells US real estate, the buyer generally must withhold 15% of the price (the amount realized, not the profit) and send it to the IRS.
• No withholding if the price is $300,000 or less and the buyer, a person, plans to live in the home. If the price is over $300,000 and up to $1,000,000 and the buyer plans to live there, the rate is 10% (26 U.S.C. 1445).
• The withholding is a prepayment, not the tax itself. The seller files a US tax return, and the amount withheld counts toward the actual tax.
• Before closing, the seller can apply on Form 8288-B for a withholding certificate to lower the amount. The IRS normally acts within 90 days of receiving everything it needs.

Plan a future sale with a US tax professional and a Florida attorney, ideally before you buy, because how you hold title matters.

Sources: IRS, FIRPTA withholding and exceptions from FIRPTA withholding (pages reviewed July 2026). Checked November 8, 2026.

• Closing costs. Some are set by Florida law: on a mortgage, documentary stamp tax of 35 cents per $100 of the loan (Fla. Stat. 201.08) and intangible tax of 0.2% of the loan (Fla. Stat. 199.133), and title insurance premiums set by state rule. The lender, title services, inspections and prepaid insurance and taxes make up the rest, and your Loan Estimate lists them.
• Property tax. Rates differ by city and county. Look up any parcel on the county property appraiser's website, and do not rely on the seller's bill.
• Insurance. Homeowners insurance, plus flood insurance where it is needed. Get a quote before you make an offer.
• Association fees. Many communities have a homeowners or condo association fee, and some newer ones add a community development district (CDD) charge to the tax bill. Ask for both before you sign.