Buying in Florida from abroad is routine. Here's how it works.
You don't need to be American, hold a green card or have a U.S. credit history. Foreign buyers close here every week. What helps is knowing the full picture before you start, so the only surprise is how simple it was.
In the order you'll meet them
What a place costs to own each year
Take an $850,000 condo in Palm Beach County, bought with 30% down. The yearly cost has four parts:
Mortgage ≈ $51,150 (on $595,000 at an assumed 7.75%)
Property tax ≈ $14,900
Association fee ≈ $14,400
Insurance (inside the unit) ≈ $2,800
That's about $83,250 a year with a mortgage, or about $32,100 if you pay cash. Every figure depends on the building and the loan, and all of it is knowable before you buy.
Read the full breakdown →Borrowing without a U.S. credit history
Foreign-national lenders typically ask for 25% to 50% down, depending on the program, the property and your file. Many will use your home-country credit history, and some Canadian banks lend in the U.S. to their own clients. Rates run a little above what U.S. residents pay.
Contact us for the full financing guide →How many days you can spend here
The U.S. counts your days over three years, not one. If you come for the same stretch every winter, your comfortable limit is about 120 days a year. A simple annual form protects most winter residents.
Read the guide, or ask us to check your dates →Reading a condo before you buy it
Since 2024, Florida condominiums must fund their reserves and complete structural inspections. A well-run building gives you peace of mind and a smoother resale. We review the budget, reserve study and inspection reports with you before you make an offer.
Contact us for the building checklist →Currency and transfers
Moving funds across a border is routine. A little planning on timing and on how you convert can save a meaningful amount on a purchase this size.
Contact us for the transfer guide →The closing timeline, signed from home
Contract, inspections, title insurance, association approval and the wire. You can sign the closing documents from your own country. We'll show you what happens in which week.
Contact us for the closing timeline →How you hold the property matters, and it's easy to get right
One rule is worth knowing before you choose how to own your Florida home: the U.S. estate tax.
What it is. When someone dies owning U.S. property, the United States can charge an estate tax on its value. U.S. citizens and residents have a very large exemption, so most never pay it. People who live outside the U.S. start with a much smaller exemption: the first $60,000 of U.S. property is exempt, and value above that can be taxed.
Why it's usually manageable. Many countries have a tax treaty with the United States that raises that exemption, sometimes substantially. Canada's treaty, for example, gives Canadian residents a share of the full U.S. exemption, which covers most families. And the way you hold the property, personally, through a trust or through a company, can change the outcome too.
What to do. Decide how you'll hold the property before you sign the contract, with a cross-border tax or estate professional. It's a short conversation at the start and an expensive one to change later. We can introduce you to subject-matter experts from our directory.
To see whether your country has a treaty with the United States, use the country table.
How we support a purchase from abroad
- Before you travel
- We help you clarify area, budget, timing and holding structure, so your visit is focused and your decisions are already made.
- Your specialists
- Introductions to foreign-national lenders, cross-border accountants, estate and real estate lawyers, insurance brokers who cover non-residents, and immigration counsel if you have a status question. Every firm is independent, and you engage it directly.
- The purchase
- When you're ready, we introduce a licensed Florida real estate brokerage and real estate attorney suited to your brief, and stay alongside you in English, French, Spanish, Italian or Hebrew.
- After closing
- Property management, the first insurance renewal, the association's next budget, and a reminder each spring about the annual day-count form.
Planning a move of capital, property or family to South Florida?
Tell us where you live and what you're planning. We'll reply with clear next steps and, where you need one, an introduction to the right licensed professional. Usually within one business day.