Generally, no — not unless Florida is your permanent, primary residence. Florida’s homestead exemption is available only on a taxpayer’s permanent primary residence. If PSL is your winter home and you maintain your primary residence in another state, you are not eligible for the Florida homestead exemption on the PSL property. Equally important: you can claim a homestead (or equivalent residency-based) exemption in only one state. Claiming homestead in Florida while also claiming a residency-based benefit in your home state is considered fraud and can carry steep back-tax, penalty, and interest consequences.

Florida does not impose a strict minimum-days requirement to establish residency for homestead. Instead, the test is intent, supported by objective evidence. To establish Florida as your permanent residence and qualify for homestead, you generally need to demonstrate intent through actions such as obtaining a Florida driver’s license, registering to vote in Florida, registering your vehicles in Florida, filing federal taxes using your Florida address, and establishing local ties (physicians, banks, professional relationships). You must own and occupy the property as your permanent residence as of January 1 of the tax year, and the standard application deadline is March 1. Temporary absences — travel, a seasonal stay up north, medical care — do not defeat the exemption as long as you intend to return.

For those who qualify, Florida homestead provides up to a $50,000 exemption on assessed value (a first $25,000 that applies to all taxing authorities, and a second $25,000 that applies to non-school taxes on assessed value above $50,000). There are additional exemptions for seniors, veterans, and persons with disabilities, subject to income and eligibility limits. Just as valuable is the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how fast your assessed value can rise once you have homestead.

Save Our Homes (SOH) is a constitutional cap that limits the annual increase in the assessed value of a homesteaded property to the lesser of 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index. Over time, in a rising market, this can create a large gap between a home’s market value and its (much lower) assessed value — meaning long-term homesteaded owners pay dramatically less in taxes than a new buyer would on an identical house next door. This is one of the biggest financial reasons snowbirds eventually convert to full-time Florida residency: the longer you hold homestead, the more the cap works in your favor.

Portability allows a Florida homesteaded owner to transfer their accumulated Save Our Homes benefit (the gap between market and assessed value) to a new Florida homestead — up to $500,000 of transferred benefit — generally within a three-year window. If you sell one Florida homestead and buy another, portability can carry your tax savings with you. Note that portability applies to moves between Florida homesteads; it does not transfer a benefit from another state. If you are upsizing or relocating within Florida, ask the property appraiser how portability would apply to your specific situation.

As a non-homestead property, your PSL home will not receive the homestead exemption or the 3% Save Our Homes cap. However, Florida does provide a separate protection: a 10% annual cap on assessment increases for most non-homestead properties (this cap does not apply to the school-tax portion of your bill, and certain changes like new construction or a change of ownership can reset it). So while a second home is taxed less favorably than a homestead, your assessed value still cannot jump without limit year to year. Plan your budget around the full, non-homestead tax bill.

Yes — buyers should go in clear-eyed. St. Lucie County has carried one of the highest overall millage (property tax) rates in Florida in recent years, well above the statewide average. The exact rate is set annually by the various taxing authorities and changes each budget cycle, so you should always pull a current estimate for the specific property. The St. Lucie County Property Appraiser publishes a tax estimator tool, and a good local agent will run realistic tax numbers for any home you are seriously considering. For a second home without homestead protection, taxes are one of the largest line items in your carrying cost — do not estimate them casually.

In simplified terms: your taxable value (assessed value minus any exemptions) is multiplied by the millage rate (expressed in mills, or dollars per $1,000 of taxable value) for all the taxing authorities that apply to your property. A non-homestead property has a higher taxable value (no exemptions) and is therefore taxed on a larger base than an otherwise-identical homestead. Because PSL’s millage is on the higher end statewide, the difference between owning as a homestead versus a second home can be substantial over time.

Several. First, how you hold title matters for estate planning and probate avoidance — Florida recognizes forms such as sole ownership, tenancy by the entirety (for married couples, offering creditor protection), joint tenancy with right of survivorship, and ownership through a revocable living trust or LLC (common for investment properties). Out-of-state owners frequently use a living trust to avoid Florida probate on the property after death. Second, always obtain an owner’s title insurance policy and a thorough title search at purchase to protect against liens, errors, or competing claims. Third, if you own in another state too, coordinate your overall estate plan across both. Decisions about title and entity structure have tax and legal consequences, so involve a Florida real estate attorney and your CPA before closing.

It is strongly worth reviewing. Even part-time owners hold real property in Florida, and that property is subject to Florida law on death — potentially triggering ancillary probate in Florida if not planned around. Many snowbirds title their Florida home in a revocable living trust or otherwise structure ownership to avoid a separate Florida probate. Florida has no state estate or inheritance tax, which is an advantage, but the mechanics of transferring property still require planning. Consult a Florida estate attorney.

This is one of the most important — and most expensive — parts of owning Florida property. Homeowners insurance in Florida is among the most costly in the country, running well above the national average, and second/vacation homes can be priced differently (sometimes higher) than primary residences because a home that sits empty for months presents added risk. A standard Florida homeowners policy typically includes a separate hurricane/windstorm deductible, calculated as a percentage of your dwelling coverage (commonly 2%, 5%, or even 10%) rather than a flat dollar amount — on a $400,000 home, a 5% hurricane deductible is $20,000 out of pocket before coverage kicks in. In some coastal areas, windstorm coverage is excluded from the base policy entirely, requiring a separate windstorm policy through a private carrier or Florida’s state-backed insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance. The practical takeaway: get actual insurance quotes on the specific property — including wind and flood — before you remove your inspection contingency.

Flood is never covered by a standard homeowners policy — not even flood caused by a hurricane’s storm surge. Flood coverage requires a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood insurer. Note a significant change: as of January 1, 2026, Citizens policyholders with homes insured above $400,000 in dwelling coverage are required to carry flood insurance to keep their Citizens wind coverage, with the flood requirement expanding to additional Citizens policyholders in subsequent years regardless of flood zone. Even where flood insurance is not legally required, coastal and low-lying Florida buyers should treat it as essential.

You may not be required to, but you should seriously consider it. Flood zones are redrawn over time, much of Florida is low and flat, and a large share of flood claims come from properties outside the highest-risk zones. Given Florida’s exposure to heavy rain and storm surge — and the 2026 expansion of Citizens’ flood requirements — many advisors recommend flood coverage for nearly all Florida homes. Get a quote and make an informed decision rather than assuming you are safe because of your zone.

There are some encouraging signs. Florida’s 2022–2023 insurance reforms have drawn new private carriers into the state, and Citizens has been shedding policies to the private market while moderating some rate pressure at recent renewals. That said, Florida premiums remain high in absolute terms, and the new flood-coverage requirements add cost for many owners. Treat any improvement as gradual, and budget based on real current quotes rather than optimistic assumptions.

Florida has no state personal income tax, which is a major reason people relocate here. However, your tax-residency status for your home state’s income tax is a separate question that depends on that state’s rules (often involving day-count tests and domicile factors), and some high-tax states scrutinize departing residents closely. If reducing your home-state income tax is part of your motivation, work with a CPA to establish Florida domicile properly and document it — the same residency evidence that supports a homestead claim supports your income-tax domicile position.

If you rent your Florida property short-term (generally six months or less), you will typically be responsible for collecting and remitting Florida sales tax and county tourist development (“bed”) tax on those rentals, and registering with the state. Requirements vary, and platforms sometimes handle part of this. Investors planning seasonal or vacation rentals should confirm the registration and tax-collection obligations for St. Lucie County before listing.

The cardinal rule: do not claim residency-based benefits in two states at once, and make sure your stated intent matches your actions. If you tell Florida you are a permanent resident to get homestead, but you are simultaneously claiming a resident exemption, in-state tuition, or a homeowner benefit elsewhere, you are exposed. Conversely, if you intend to make Florida home, follow through with the full set of residency steps so your homestead and income-tax-domicile positions are well documented. When in doubt, get professional advice before you file anything.