Start with a pre-approval, not a search
The biggest advantage of working with one team for real estate and mortgage is that your budget is real before you ever tour a home. A pre-approval from Above and Beyond Mortgage tells you exactly what you can borrow, and it typically stays valid for 60 to 90 days.
The whole application happens remotely, with secure document uploads, e-signatures, and phone or video calls. Many of our buyers are approved before they ever set foot in Florida. The document list stays short:
- Two years of tax returns
- Recent pay stubs
- Bank and investment statements
Tour homes from anywhere
Live video walkthroughs are the norm here, not a compromise. We walk every serious candidate on camera and give honest commentary on neighborhoods, noise, and parking, the things photos never show.
When you cannot be here in person, we are your eyes: checking the neighborhood at different times of day, attending the inspection, and handling walkthroughs for you.
The Florida costs that surprise newcomers
Plan for buyer closing costs of roughly 2% to 5% of the purchase price, on top of your down payment. That includes lender fees, title insurance, documentary stamp taxes, and prepaid taxes and insurance.
Two other Florida specifics are worth knowing early. Wind coverage is part of a standard homeowners policy, while flood insurance is a separate policy, and the lender will require it if the home sits in a FEMA-designated flood zone. We check the flood maps with you during the search, not at the closing table.
Remember the homestead exemption
After closing, the homestead exemption is yours to claim with the county. It is a property tax break for your primary Florida residence, and it is not automatic. We hand you the paperwork and the deadline so the savings do not slip by.
Close without packing a suitcase
Florida is an escrow state: a licensed title company, not an attorney, runs the closing as the neutral party, and most Southwest Florida closings land 30 to 60 days after the contract.
Out-of-state buyers close by remote notary or short visits all the time. The pieces are set up weeks ahead, so closing day is a signature, not a flight.
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