Homes For Sale In Florida - The First Questions To Ask

When you begin to look for homes for sale in Florida, there are several key questions that you should ask yourself right at the beginning, including:

1. Why are you buying?

Perhaps this is the most basic question, because it influences the answers to almost all of the other ones. If you’re already in Florida and just moving house, or if you already have family contacts here, you will already have some appreciation of where to get information, who can help and maybe even where to look.

But if you’re retiring from a colder climate in the USA, say New York or New Jersey, then Florida may be a very different place to the one you’re used to – and although all parts of Florida are hot, some are hotter and more humid than others!

If you’re buying a second home, you’ll need to know those locations that welcome such residents (and those that penalize them).

If you’re buying for investment purposes, focus on the places that are expected to recover most strongly from the current downturn.

2. What type of property?

Large or small, single family home or condo, ocean front or inland, money-no-object or as cheap as possible – there are enormous choices and each will help to focus your search.

For most people, budget constraints will dictate what type of property and will narrow down the locations available. Take account also of the latest loan finance programs that are available (if you’re not buying free and clear). You may need to get pre-approved for financing before going too far, because more and more sellers are insisting on that before taking any buyer seriously.

3. Where in Florida do you want to live?

Each area has different characteristics. For example, Miami is a large, sprawling city with lots of nightlife, multi-cultural populations and easy access to the Florida Keys. The South West e.g. Naples is a relatively expensive area with a high proportion of retirees – it has traditionally been a favorite of German buyers.

Further north, the Gulf Coast area around Tampa is less expensive (generally!) with a beautiful coast line and a great climate. Central Florida is dominated by theme parks and is a tourist favorite, with a concentration of single-family vacation homes and condos to the South West of Orlando.

Equally, areas further north such as Daytona, Jacksonville and Tallahassee have their own characteristics, plusses and minuses – and it’s for you to decide exactly what you need or want, of course. But until you do, you have a vast area to explore!

4. Who do you need help from?

Information is available everywhere - web sites; newspapers, referrals from friends or relatives, magazines in gas stations and supermarkets, Realtors, and so on and so on. Only you can decide whether you want to go it alone or get some professional help before you spend the big sum of money that homes for sale in Florida require.

If you're experienced at buying property, you may find the home buying process enjoyable. At the very least, you could try some Internet research to see how far you get first (and a recent report indicated that 70% of buyers now do that).

5. When can you visit to look around?

Technology is great and the Internet provides a fantastic preview of what’s available. Virtual tours can tell you a lot about a property. Ultimately, though, you can only get a true appreciation of whether that dream house is really what you want by paying a visit in person. If you need to move quickly, scheduling a visit is essential of course. If you can only move after you've sold your existing home or retired or sorted out other personal issues, you can be more relaxed. Whatever your circumstances, though, please make sure that you plan a personal visit before making any commitment. Hard though it is to believe, some buyers have purchased without this basic safeguard - and found out the hard way!


For more information on these and other questions, please check out more pages on this website.