Real Estate 101
Plain-English Florida real estate.
Closing costs, title insurance, and Florida market notes, written by the people who close deals every day for the people who don't.
All Articles
- FeaturedWhat an Owner's Title Policy Covers (and Why You Want One)What an owner's title policy protects, how it differs from the lender's policy, and why declining it is a real risk even when no one requires it.
- Closing CostsUnderstanding Coral Gables and Miami-Dade Closing CostsThe taxes and fees that make up a Coral Gables or Miami-Dade closing, the local owner's-policy and surtax nuance, and why the contract controls.
- Closing CostsEstimating Your Florida Closing Costs Before You CloseA practical guide to estimating Florida closing costs ahead of time: the inputs that matter, what the number includes, and what can still move.
- Closing ProcessThe Florida Real Estate Closing Process, Step by StepEvery stage of a Florida closing in order, and how the title and settlement agent acts as the neutral party that ties it all together.
- For SellersFlorida Homestead Tax Portability: What Sellers Should KnowHow Florida's Save Our Homes cap and portability work in concept for a seller moving to a new Florida homestead; general information only, not tax advice.
- Closing ProcessMunicipal Lien Searches in Florida: What They Catch That a Title Search Doesn'tWhy a municipal lien search is a critical part of a Florida closing, what it reveals beyond the recorded title search, and who customarily pays for it in Miami-Dade.
- Closing CostsReissue and Substitution Rates: How Refinancing Can Lower Your Title PremiumHow Florida's reissue and substitution rates can lower the lender's title premium on a refinance, explained qualitatively, with how to confirm eligibility.
- For SellersSelling Your Florida Home: Title Steps That Keep Your Closing on TrackThe behind-the-scenes title work a Florida seller controls, and how starting it early keeps your closing from slipping.
- Title 101Do You Need Title Insurance on a Refinance?Why every Florida refinance needs a new lender's title policy, what it protects, and how reissue and substitution rates can lower the premium.
- Title 101Title Insurance vs. a Title Search: What Is the Difference?Why a title search and a title policy are two different things, what each one does, and why a Florida buyer needs both.
- Closing ProcessWhat to Bring to Your Florida ClosingExactly what buyers and sellers should bring to a Florida closing, including a strong wire-fraud caution before you send any money.
- Closing CostsWho Pays for Title Insurance in Florida?Who customarily pays the owner's and lender's title policies in Florida, and why Miami-Dade is different.
- Closing ProcessWhy a Survey Matters in a Florida ClosingWhat a current survey shows, how it interacts with title coverage, and when one is required; general information only, not legal or survey advice.
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