Buying a Home in Miami? California Rules Don't Apply

Buying a home in Miami as a California resident comes with one assumption that turns out not to be true, and it has nothing to do with the property. Paula Aragone explains how buying a home in Florida works differently from California, what a transaction brokerage relationship actually is under Florida law, and why the buyer protections you take for granted at home are not automatic here. She also tells the story of her own remote Miami purchase in spring 2020, when 23 years and more than 900 transactions were not enough to stop her from doing the whole thing blind. Whether you are buying a condo in Miami, a second home, or relocating outright, this is the conversation to have before you make an offer. ONE EMAIL A MONTH, NO LISTINGS, NO PITCH Paula writes one email a month about buying in Miami from California. What she has learned, what she got wrong, what she does differently. Sign up and you also get her list of the exact questions to ask about representation before you sign anything with an agent in Florida. It takes a minute and there is no obligation: https://aragoneassociates.com/relocat... FLORIDA IS NOT CALIFORNIA, AND NOBODY HAS TO TELL YOU In Florida, a transaction brokerage is the presumed relationship unless the buyer or the seller establishes something different in writing. A transaction broker provides a limited form of representation. They may assist both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction, and unlike a single agent, they do not owe either party undivided loyalty, obedience, full confidentiality, or full disclosure. Read that back. That is not a scandal and nobody did anything wrong. It is the Florida default, and a great many transactions close under it perfectly well every year. WHAT IT ACTUALLY COST HER Not bad guidance. None. Nobody telling her what to ask for, what to push for, what was normal in that building, or what she should have been worried about. She was on her own and did not know she was on her own. The property was fine. The purchase was fine. She just did the whole thing blind when she did not have to. WHY THIS IS A VIDEO AND NOT A CONFESSION Paula caught it because catching it is her job. 23 years, 900 transactions, and she stepped into the empty chair and ran her own negotiation. A buyer without a real estate background does not have that to fall back on. You cannot catch what she caught, because catching it takes hundreds of transactions to learn. The one thing that saved her is the one thing most buyers do not have. THE METHOD THAT CAME OUT OF IT First, before anyone looks at anything, decide what you want the property to do. Live in it, rent it, or both. In Florida that answer lives in the condominium documents, not in the brochure, and it eliminates buildings before you fall in love with them. Second, establish who represents whom in writing before an offer exists. Not after. Not verbally. Upfront, so nobody discovers their own position at the closing table. Third, bring a licensed Florida agent in from day one, so the Florida side is always handled locally. Through the brokerage and luxury portfolio network there are trusted agents across all areas of Miami and the rest of Florida. THREE MISTAKES SHE KEEPS CATCHING Falling for the building before deciding what it is for, when not every building allows every combination and that answer is in the condo documents, which most people read after they are already emotionally committed. Budgeting the purchase instead of the ownership, because what it costs to buy and what it costs to hold are two different numbers and the second one decides whether you still love the place in year three. And not asking who is actually on your side. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The mistake 0:19 Who I am 0:39 Florida is different 0:57 Spring 2020 1:49 What I missed 2:30 Read that back 3:04 What it cost 4:04 What saved me 4:46 Why this video 5:18 The method 6:56 Three mistakes 7:58 Ask upfront 8:33 The email This is episode 5 of the Orange County to Miami series. Episode 1 covers the five decisions to settle before you tour anything. Subscribe so you do not miss what comes next. ABOUT ARAGONE & ASSOCIATES Paula Aragone is a Certified Luxury Specialist, Certified Relocation Specialist, and CPRES with more than 900 transactions and $900M in sales across Southern California. Over 23 years, Paula and her team have guided more than 200 relocations and specialize in luxury, trust, probate, divorce, downsizing, and relocation real estate throughout Orange County. Paula is also a Miami property owner, so she understands this decision as both a professional and an owner. We maximize value and minimize stress. Strategy is what we do. aragoneassociates.com #BuyingAHomeInMiami #MiamiRealEstate #BuyingAHomeInFlorida #FloridaRealEstate #CaliforniaToFlorida #MiamiCondos #OrangeCountyRealEstate #MiamiRelocation #MiamiSecondHome #RelocationSpecialist