How to buy a house in Florida?

The opportunity of return on investment has led many foreigners, mainly Brazilians, to invest in buy a house in Florida. Whether for rental investment in Vacation Homes (Vacation Home), or properties to reside in.

One of the reasons is that it is easy for foreigners to finance their purchase. If the idea is to rent a property, the income from the rental can pay for the financing of the home.

There are several facilities that many Brazilians do not know about buying a house in Florida, we detail in this post. So that you understand how simple and profitable this process can be.

As said before, although many people do not know, the process of purchase of Florida real estate is quite simple. And it brings some benefits, such as: dollarization of assets, investment diversification, security, currency stability, and many other advantages that we highlight below.

The purpose of buying a home in Florida should be your starting point

1 The first point that must be taken into consideration is the purpose of the property you intend to invest in. The property can be used as an investment for Vacation Home, a property for monthly fixed rent, or simply a property for to reside in the United States with his family.

Source: National Association of Realtors | Reasons that Foreigners Purchase U.S. Existing Homes by Diana Olick

This decision has a direct impact on the region where you intend to invest in your property. For example, there are regions delimited for Vacation Homes, i.e. you cannot simply buy a property in any region and rent it with the purpose of having a vacation home. Since there are areas in the city specifically for this purpose.

It is also worth mentioning that the public that will rent this property will normally give preference to properties close to theme parks, supermarkets, infrastructure such as golf courses, outlets and convenience items during your stay in FloridaTherefore, location is extremely important to be able to keep your property always rented and to be able to get your return on the investment made.

Buying a property to live in and/or rent long-term

On the other hand, if you intend to buy a property to invest in a fixed lease through an annual contract, it can be in any region of Florida.

But strategically it is important to define who your audience (tenants) is and how easy it is to rent in each region. In this way, you guarantee that you will always have your property rented.

This also has a direct impact on the income you will get from the rental of the property.

However, if your goal is to have a property to live in Florida with your family, you should only take into consideration your personal preferences. These can be region specific and other very important factors such as schools for their children. These are the points that make all the difference for this decision making.

To help you with this decision, see our post about the characteristics of each Orlando region.

How to manage a property in Florida, residing outside the United States?

Frequent doubts of those who wish to invest in a Vacation Home, are: How will the property be rented throughout the year? And who will do the maintenance, administration and cleaning of the property?

The answer is simple. There are companies of property management, or "Property ManagerThey take care of all this for you.

These companies will be responsible for making your property available on major travel portals around the world. Your home will be available on sites such as Booking, Decolar, and Viagens.com, as well as the administrator's own property library.

The process of buying a home in Florida

2 Once the objective is defined, the next step is to know how make the purchase of the property possible. Which is an extremely simple process that we detail below.

The first point to know, and which generates doubt, is whether a Foreigners can buy real estate in the United States. The answer to this question is YES.

Anyone with a valid passport - regardless of their immigration status or visa type - is able to buy a property in FloridaIncluding the option of financing up to 70% of the value of the property.

Incredibly, even the financing process for a foreigner in the United States can be simpler than financing a property in Brazil. And believe me, with interest rates infinitely lower, between 5-6% per year.

Nevertheless, there are some requirements for this process. For example, the minimum amount to be financed must be $100,000, is the bank's requirement.

In order to finance a property in the United States, some type of valid visa is required. It can be a tourist, student, work visa or any other type of visa that is valid. If the property is purchased in cash this requirement is not necessary.

Usually a financing process takes, on average, 45 days to complete.

Buying a property in cash, without the need for financing, is an even simpler process. The conclusion of the deal can take up to 15 days after the offer is made to the seller. With this there are some benefits, such as you can make the purchase directly from Brazil.

It is important to have a property manager reliable. So that you take good care of your property and provide your guests with a safe and comfortable service.

From this, keep in mind that you need to have qualified brokers by your side. They can provide you with everything you need to get the right dream property safely.

A very important tip is to keep in mind that in the United States, there are thousands of brokers. However, an important point to note is whether these brokers have structure and qualified service focused on in selling to foreigners. Since this is a process that requires greater flexibility and personalized service, for obvious reasons, such as distance, language, documentation, etc...

O The Florida Lounge can advise you safely and calmly so that you can have your property in the United States and understand how to buy a house in Florida. We even have two physical stores in Brazil to serve you in an exclusive way. Click here to contact us directly.

Proposal Moment

3 After defining the purpose of the property, the way you want to acquire it and the advisory or professional that will conduct your entire process; the next step, finally, is to make the proposal for the purchase of the property.

When you find the house of your dreams, ask the professional who conducts your process to provide the "Contract to Purchase Real Estate" (Contract for the purchase of real estate).

This document will show the seller the price, term, and payment conditions for closing the deal.

At this point you will need to make a deposit between 1% and 3% under the value of the property to the seller. This will ensure that your offer is secure and for real purpose purchase agreement.

Another very important point, especially if you want to acquire a used property, is the building inspection (required for financing cases).

This evaluation must be performed by a competent company. Since it is necessary to verify and evaluate items such as: soil settlement, drainage, erosion, plagues, structural integrity, air conditioning, heating and cooling system, and the condition of the property's electrical and hydraulic structure.

The Moment of the Keys and the Post-Purchase 

4 Certainly, the most anticipated moment is when you pick up the keys to your dream home in the United States. Regardless of the purpose for which you are going to buy a house in Florida (for rent or to live in), this is the time to celebrate with all your family.

After all the above steps are completed, all the documentation and the keys to the property will be handed over to the owner. From then on it will be time to enjoy your family and also take care of your new property. 

In conclusion, buying a property in Florida is a simple process, available to foreigners as well - including the opportunity to finance 75% of the property value.

However, the steps described in this post should be checked carefully, so that you can be successful in your investment.

Let us help you with your dream. Contact us right now and make a simulation.