Buying a home in Florida with me
What happens from the first call to the keys, what I check along the way, and how my work is paid. In Florida or from far away, the steps are the same.
How it works, step by step
First call
Your budget, how you will pay (cash, a U.S. mortgage or a foreign national loan), your timeline and what you want. I work out the cash you need to close and the real monthly cost before we look at anything.
Written buyer agreement
Before we tour any home, we sign a short written agreement. It says what I do for you and how I am paid. More on that below.
Shortlist with real costs
MLS listings with the numbers listings leave out: HOA or condo fees, the property tax you will pay after the sale, an insurance estimate and closing costs.
Tours
Video tours, and in-person showings arranged when you're in town. On video you see the whole property, not only the rooms that photograph well.
Offer
We set price and terms together: deposit, inspection period, financing and closing dates. I write the offer and handle the negotiation.
Inspection period
Home inspection, wind mitigation and 4-point reports where they help, and real insurance quotes while you can still walk away. If something turns up, we renegotiate or cancel within the deadline.
Condo or HOA documents
Budget, reserves, special assessments, meeting minutes, rules. For condo buildings three stories and up, the milestone inspection and the structural reserve study. You have a short legal window to cancel after you receive them, so we read them fast.
Closing
Signing electronically or with a remote notary, and your funds wired to the title company's escrow account. You don't have to fly in.
Wire fraud warning: criminals send fake wire instructions that look like they come from the title company or from me. I will never send wire instructions by email or text. Before you wire anything, call the title company at a number you found yourself and confirm the account.
How buyer-agent pay works since August 2024
Since August 17, 2024, the rules changed across the U.S. (after the National Association of REALTORS® settlement). Before you tour homes with an agent, you sign a written agreement with them.
The agreement states the compensation as a clear amount or percentage. It is negotiable: we agree on it together, and nothing about it is fixed by law.
It can be paid in more than one way. A seller may agree to pay it, often as a concession you ask for in the offer. If the seller pays less or nothing, the rest is paid by you at closing, up to the amount in our agreement.
Listings on the MLS no longer show what the seller offers a buyer's agent, so we decide in each offer whether to ask the seller to cover it.
What's included
- Search across the MLS, including homes that just came on the market
- Full monthly and cash-to-close numbers for each serious option
- Tax estimate at your price, not the seller's bill
- Flood zone and insurance check before the offer
- Condo and HOA document review
- Offer, negotiation and every deadline in the contract
- Coordination with lender, inspector, insurer and title company
- Explanations in Russian when that is easier for you
Tools and guides for buyers
- Where can I afford a home in Florida?Your budget against typical home values city by city, with cash to close.
- Closing cost calculatorDoc stamps, title insurance, lender fees and prepaid items.
- Monthly cost calculatorMortgage plus tax, insurance, HOA and CDD.
- The Florida Home Buyer's Playbook (PDF, 10 pages)Every closing cost, the timeline, inspections, insurance and homestead, plus a one-page checklist.
Guides worth reading first
- Buying a House in Florida Checklist
- Florida Closing Costs for Buyers
- Who Pays Buyer Agent Fees in Florida
- Buying a House in Florida From Out of State
- Buying a House in Florida: Insurance Costs and What to Check
- Florida Condo Milestone Inspections and Reserve Studies for Buyers
- Florida Property Tax After Buying a House
- Real Estate Wire Fraud Florida
Get a shortlist that fits your budget
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll send real listings with the full cost of owning each one: HOA or condo fees, property tax at your price, insurance, and closing costs. No newsletters, no pressure.
- MLS listings, including ones that just hit the market
- Condo budget, reserves and inspection history checked before you offer
- Fully remote if you need it: video tours, e-signing, wire to escrow
Or reach me directly: (754) 203-9632 · info@danmarusinhomes.com · WhatsApp on the same number