Working in Port Charlotte, Charlotte County

Where Florida transactions get complicated

The survey is where the story of a property is usually kept. Encroachments, an easement nobody mentioned, a fence that has been in the wrong place for twenty years, an addition that crosses a setback — none of that appears in the listing and all of it can affect title, insurance or your ability to do what you were planning to do. Order it early enough that its findings can still be negotiated.

The parts people underestimate

• Windstorm and flood are underwritten separately from the main policy across much of Florida. Price them on the specific address before you are under contract, not after.
• For condominium buildings of three storeys or more at the relevant age, Florida requires milestone structural inspections and a structural integrity reserve study. Both change assessments and financeability. Read them before waiving anything.
• The homestead exemption reduces taxable value on a Florida primary residence, and the Save Our Homes cap limits how fast the assessed value rises afterwards. Portability may carry a benefit from a prior Florida homestead. Your county property appraiser is the authority, not your agent.
• Title in Florida is customarily handled through a title company rather than an attorney as a matter of course, which changes who you call when a question arises mid-contract.

Straight answers first

A fair number of Port Charlotte purchases begin with somebody who is not in Florida yet. That works, but it works better with a plan behind it: walkthrough video that shows the electrical panel and the ceilings rather than the view, an inspection booked before you fly in rather than after, and a clear understanding of what I will and will not sign on your behalf. I represent you on the Florida side. If there is a property to sell where you live now, I can refer you there through The Keyes Company.

Other cities in Florida

• Venice
• West Palm Beach
• North Port
• Royal Palm Beach
• Port St Lucie
• Coconut Creek
• Clermont
• Sebring
• All of Florida