Buying a home in Florida: what to check
The Florida-specific steps Sarasota and Manatee buyers most often miss, in the order you'll meet them. Each one links the official source.
1Before you make an offer
Know your true monthly cost, not just the payment
In Sarasota and Manatee, property tax, home insurance, flood insurance and CDD or city fees can add a third or more to principal and interest. Price homes by the full monthly bill.
Check the flood zone, and ask for the seller's flood disclosure
Florida sellers of residential property must tell you, at or before signing the contract, whether they know of flood damage while they owned it and whether they filed a flood insurance claim or got federal flood aid. Look up the flood zone yourself too.
Get insurance quotes early, and ask the roof's age
Insurers can require an inspection on roofs 15 years or older, and roof age drives the premium. A wind mitigation report can lower it. Get quotes before your inspection period ends.
Fla. Stat. 627.7011 · Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
Ask to take over the seller's flood policy
FEMA's flood program lets a seller transfer their policy to the buyer, which can keep its discount. A brand-new policy can cost more.
2Condos, HOAs and new communities
For condos, ask about the milestone inspection and reserves
Condo buildings 3 stories or taller need a structural milestone inspection at 30 years. Ask for the report, how well funded the reserves are, and whether special assessments are coming before you commit.
Find the CDD amount on the tax bill
Many newer communities, Lakewood Ranch and Parrish among them, charge a CDD assessment on the property tax bill, often thousands a year. Homestead doesn't reduce it. The contract must disclose it in bold; get the exact amount for the home.
Check the 50% rule on older homes in flood zones
If repairs or improvements on a home in a flood zone top half the building's value (not the sale price), it has to be brought up to current flood code, which can mean raising it. Ask about past storm damage and permits.
3Your loan and closing
Compare Loan Estimates from more than one lender
Every lender must give you a standard Loan Estimate within 3 business days of applying. Comparing two or three for the same loan is the easiest way to save on rate and fees, especially against a builder's preferred lender.
Budget for Florida's mortgage taxes
Florida taxes the new mortgage at closing: 35 cents per $100 in documentary stamps on the note, plus a 0.2% intangible tax. They're usually passed to the buyer. On a $350,000 loan that's about $1,925.
Know who pays for title insurance
The owner's title premium is set by the state, so it's the same at every title company. In Sarasota County the buyer usually pays it and picks the title company; in Manatee the seller usually does. It's custom, not law, and can be negotiated.
Fla. Admin. Code 69O-186.003 · Fla. Dept. of Financial Services
Read the radon notice
Florida requires a radon gas notice on contracts for the sale of any building. It's standard language, but it's your cue to decide whether to test.
4After you move in
File for homestead by March 1
If it's your main home on January 1, homestead takes $25,000 off all property taxes and a second exemption off non-school taxes, and it caps how fast your assessed value can rise. You have to apply with the county property appraiser.
Sarasota County Property Appraiser · Manatee County Property Appraiser · Homestead amount (Fla. DOR)
Checked against the linked sources on October 31, 2026. General information, not legal advice; ask a Florida real estate attorney about your contract.