Relocation notes
The list we wish we had packed
Not a legal guide. A set of questions that keep people from falling in love with a porch and then discovering the flood zone.
01
Time a visit like a local week
A Saturday in March is the brochure. A Tuesday in August is the county. Drive the roads you would actually use at the hour you would use them.
02
Ask about water before paint colors
Flood zone, elevation, roof age, and wind mitigation are more important than the backsplash. Inland and oceanfront are different products that happen to share a county name.
03
HOA and CDD are part of the payment
Master-planned communities often include both. Get the monthly number in writing. Lifestyle amenities are real; so is the bill.
04
Insurance is a relocator skill
Get quotes early, not after you have a favorite house. Citizens, surplus lines, and flood policies confuse people who last bought a home in Ohio or Colorado.
05
Tour more than one school zone
The district’s overall reputation is not a substitute for the campus your children would attend. Confirm zoning for the address, not the community marketing name.
06
Florida paperwork is straightforward
Driver licenses, vehicle registration, and homestead exemption have calendars. Homestead in particular is worth understanding before January 1 if you close late in the year.
07
Utilities and internet vary by pocket
FPL is common. Water, sewer, and fiber are not identical in every village. If you work remotely, test the address instead of assuming the county average.
08
Make a second-pass list
Beaches, a grocery you like, a primary-care option, and one rainy-day indoor plan. If those four work, the rest of the county gets easier.
Still in the house you have now? We can help you find a qualified realtor in your current community.