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NON-RESIDENT BUYER GUIDE

For owners-to-be who don’t live in Florida. Buying a Miami condo from outside the state or the country means a different stack of decisions — financing without a US credit history, ITINs, wire structuring, remote closings, HOA discipline, FIRPTA exposure when you eventually sell. Sequenced below by who you are, not by what part of the process you’re at.

Bilingual EN/DE

Absentee-Owner Specialist Since 2006

Remote Closings, Wires + Inspections

Selling, not buying? See the Miami Condo Seller FAQ ->
Start here
New here? Start with the decision, not the paperwork.
Miami condos do not cash-flow the way they used to -- so why do people still buy? The three reasons that still make it a smart purchase, and the honest costs.
Why buy Miami real estate now? ->

For US Out-of-State Buyers

For US buyers relocating to Miami from New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, and the rest of the country. State-tax interaction on the purchase side (no Florida state income tax — but your home state still has claims while you’re a resident there), homestead exemption timing, remote inspections, and the playbook for buying without flying down. Not sure Miami still makes sense to buy? Start with the reasons ->

What changes when you move from NY to FL — state tax, homestead exemption, residency establishment, NY audit risk on the move, and the Miami neighborhoods NY relocators actually settle in.

NJ exit tax, residency rules, what to do with the NJ property, and Miami buying considerations for ex-NJ residents.

IL state tax exit, residency rules, what Chicago professionals look for in a Miami condo, and the Brickell/Edgewater pipeline for IL relocators.

CA’s aggressive residency claims, what CA-to-FL movers do with their CA property, and the Miami neighborhoods that read as a step up (not down) for CA buyers.

For International Buyers

For buyers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Latin America. Foreign-national mortgage programs (no US credit history required), ITIN setup, international wire structuring under Bank Secrecy Act rules, remote contract execution via Florida RON, and the FIRPTA paperwork you’ll inherit on your eventual sale. Not sure Miami still makes sense to buy? Start with the reasons ->

Working in German across contracts, HOA documents, lender paperwork, and closing. The bilingual buyer-side counterpart to the German-speaking seller representation.

How non-US buyers finance a Miami condo without a US credit file. Lender shortlist, documentation stack, typical LTV, rate premium, and timeline from application to clear-to-close.

What the 15% FIRPTA withholding will look like when you eventually sell — and the documentation discipline that starts at purchase, not at listing. The single biggest cost surprise for international buyers.

How non-US buyers get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, why you need one before closing, and the W-7 timeline (it’s longer than you think).

For Pre-Construction Buyers

For buyers signing a developer reservation today on a building that delivers in 2027 or 2028. Deposit ladder, developer contract terms that can be redlined and ones that can’t, how pre-construction interacts with FIRPTA at resale, and when pre-construction actually beats buying a resale unit (and when it doesn’t). Not sure Miami still makes sense to buy? Start with the reasons ->

Miami pre-con runs 40-50% in milestone deposits across reservation, groundbreaking, top-off, and delivery — the 50-60% balance is due at closing via mortgage or cash. How it varies by developer, and what happens if a project stalls.

Which clauses in a pre-construction purchase agreement can be negotiated, which cannot, and the three pages that decide whether you have any recourse if the project delivers two years late.

When pre-con math actually beats buying a similar resale unit, and when the developer premium is buying you nothing. Specific Miami buildings used as the comparison.

End-loan options for pre-con buyers, why your reservation deposit isn’t financeable, and what international buyers can expect when the building actually delivers.

For 1031 Exchange Buyers

For investors rolling proceeds from another US investment property into a Miami condo. Qualified intermediary selection, 45-day identification window, 180-day closing window, like-kind treatment of condos, and the Miami buildings that actually work for a 1031 (rental restrictions kill more 1031s than tax surprises do). Not sure Miami still makes sense to buy? Start with the reasons ->

The full 1031 playbook for buyers identifying a Miami condo as their replacement property. Timeline, identification rules, boot, debt requirements, and why most 1031s into Miami condos fail at the building level, not the IRS level.

Who holds your sale proceeds between closings – and how to vet one in a state that doesn’t license or audit QIs. Segregated accounts, bonding, fees, the disqualified-person rule, and what happens if the QI fails.

Which Miami buildings actually permit unit rentals (and at what minimum term), which prohibit them entirely, and the buildings that pencil out for a 1031 replacement.

Why a 1031 from a California or New York property into a Miami condo has state-tax considerations a Florida-only exchange doesn’t. Clawback rules and timing.

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