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Florida Real Estate, Explained Simply

Buy, sell & invest in Florida — with the real numbers first.

Sourced guides on home prices, insurance costs, condo assessments, licensing and exam prep — plus free tools to run your own numbers before you talk to anyone.

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150Exam practice questions
2026Data, updated

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Estimates only — not a loan offer. Defaults use Florida figures from our guides: $415,000 statewide median price, ~6.95% 30-yr rate, 0.85% effective tax rate, $8,471 average insurance. See the complete Florida buying guide.

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Latest Florida Guides

EPAmendment 3 Amendment 3
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Florida Property Tax Bill November 2026: Due Date, 4% Early Discount, and Why Amendment 3 Won't Change This Bill

Florida Property Tax Bill November 2026: The Short Answer Your Florida 2026 property tax bill is due on November 1, 2026, and the smartest move for most homeowners is to pay it in November. Paying in November earns a 4% discount under Florida law, the largest discount available all year. Pay in December and the discount drops to 3%, in January to 2%, in February to 1%, and in March to nothing at all. The bill is not actually late until April 1, 2027, when unpaid taxes become delinquent, but every month you wait past November costs you a full percentage point. Key takeaway: Pay your 2026 Florida property tax bill in November for the 4% discount. The bill arriving in your mailbox this week was calculated under current law, so the November 3 vote on Amendment 3 does not change a single dollar of it — even if the amendment passes. Pay this bill on the normal schedule, take the discount, and treat Amendment 3 as a question about your 2027 bill, not this one. This guide covers the exact dat...

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EPFlorida Housing Costs Florida Housing Costs
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Florida Amendment 3 (2026): What the Property Tax Vote on November 3 Would Actually Change

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Florida voters will decide Amendment 3, titled "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments." It is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment (CS/HJR 1-F, passed by the Legislature in a June 2026 special session). Because it changes the state constitution, it needs at least 60% of the vote to pass. This is not a tax cut that is already law, and it is not the 2024 Amendment 3 about marijuana — that was a different measure in a different year. The short answer If Amendment 3 passes, and only if it passes: The homestead exemption for non-school property taxes rises to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, and to $250,000 on January 1, 2028, with inflation adjustments from 2029. The annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property falls from 10% to 5% for non-school taxes. School taxes do not change. Save Our Homes does not change. Your November 2026 tax bill does not change either way — the...

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EPBuying Guide Buying Guide
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Condo vs House in Florida: Which Costs Less in 2026?

A condo in Florida looks cheaper than a house. The listing price usually is. But in 2026, the listing price is the least honest number in a Florida condo purchase, and it is not the number that decides whether a condo or a house costs you less each month. The honest comparison runs on four lines: the mortgage, the tax bill, the insurance, and the association dues. Add a fifth line that only applies to condos — the building's reserve health — and the answer changes for a lot of buyers. This guide works through all five with current Florida numbers, so you can see which side wins for your budget rather than trusting a rule of thumb. The short answer Buy the house if you want control over your costs and you can afford the higher purchase price and the full insurance bill. Buy the condo if the lower purchase price matters more than control, and only after you have checked the building's reserve study and any pending assessments — not just the monthly dues. Statewide, the median...

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EPBuying Guide Buying Guide
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Rent vs Buy in Florida in Late 2026: Is Renting Cheaper at 7.32% Mortgage Rates?

Rent vs Buy in Florida in Late 2026: The Short Answer Right now, in late October 2026, renting is cheaper month to month in Florida, and buying only wins if you stay put for years. At the current 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 7.32%, a median-priced Florida single-family home costs roughly $3,280 a month all-in with 20% down, against a statewide median rent of $2,493 a month. That is a gap of about $787 a month before maintenance and HOA dues. Key takeaway: Renting wins on monthly cash flow in late 2026. Buying wins on long-term wealth only if you stay at least 5 to 7 years, can handle Florida's insurance and HOA costs, and are not stretching to buy at the top of your budget. If you might move within 3 years, rent. If you are settled, buying in Florida's late-fall window deserves a serious look. This guide works through the real October 2026 numbers, not rules of thumb from 2021. Every price, rate and rent figure below comes from data released in October 2026, and every mon...

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EPFirst-Time Buyers First-Time Buyers
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Florida Mortgage Rates October 2026: 7.32% and What It Means for Your Monthly Payment

The headline number Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending October 22, 2026 put the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 7.32%, down from 7.40% the week before. The 15-year fixed averaged 6.68%, down from 6.71%. Loan Week ending Oct 22, 2026 Previous week A year ago 30-year fixed 7.32% 7.40% 6.19% 15-year fixed 6.68% 6.71% 5.44% Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released October 22, 2026 (via GlobeNewswire/Morningstar). One weekly fall does not make a trend: the 30-year rate had climbed for seven straight weeks to a 52-week high of 7.40% before this dip, and it is still 1.13 percentage points above a year ago. What this survey actually measures The PMMS covers conventional, conforming, fully amortizing home-purchase loans for borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit. It is a weekly average from loan applications, not a quote. Your own rate will differ by credit score, down payment, loan type, points, and the day you loc...

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EPBest Time to Buy Best Time to Buy
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Best Time to Buy a House in Florida in 2026: Late Fall Windows for Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Miami

If you are buying a home in Florida this year, this is not a generic "fall is a good time to buy" article. According to Realtor.com's 2026 Best Time to Buy Report, reported by Florida Realtors, the single most favourable buying week of the year in Jacksonville and Orlando is October 25–31, 2026 — the very week this article is published. Tampa and Miami follow a month later, with their best window running November 29–December 5, 2026 , the latest window among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. That split is the whole story: Florida does not have one best week to buy. It has two, and which one matters to you depends entirely on which metro you are buying in. This guide explains what Realtor.com actually measured, what each of Florida's four largest metros offers buyers in its window, what the current market underneath those seasonal patterns looks like right now, and — most importantly — how to use a buying window without letting a calendar date push you into a...

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EPBuying Guide Buying Guide
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Florida First-Time Home Buyer Programs 2026: Down Payment Assistance and How to Qualify

Florida First-Time Home Buyer Programs 2026: Down Payment Assistance and How to Qualify Buying your first home in Florida is often less about finding a house you like and more about finding a way to cover the upfront costs without draining every dollar you have saved. The down payment gets most of the attention, but closing costs, prepaid taxes and insurance, and the first months of homeownership costs matter just as much. That is why Florida's first-time buyer programs are worth understanding before you start touring homes. They do not remove the need for careful budgeting, and they do not guarantee approval, but for eligible buyers they can change the size of the cash you need at closing. This guide explains the main statewide options offered through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, who they are designed for, how the assistance is structured, and the practical steps to check whether you may qualify. It focuses on the program rules as published by Florida Housing, because ...

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