Buyer & Seller FAQs | Justin Wiechart, Florida Home Leader

Question 1

I'm buying my first home in Central Florida. What is the smartest first step?

Accepted Answer

Get pre-approved before you look at a single house. Pre-approval tells you what you qualify for and makes you a serious buyer the moment the right home appears. Then build the real monthly number: payment, taxes, insurance, HOA, and utilities, because the mortgage calculator leaves those out. You do not need 20% down: Florida buyers use conventional loans with smaller down payments and government-backed programs every day. And remember a first home is a step, not a finish line. It builds equity, locks in your monthly cost, and sets you up for the move-up later.

Question 2

What should I do between offer acceptance and closing?

Accepted Answer

Treat that window as a working checklist, not a break. In the first week, confirm your loan approval and order the inspections: in Central Florida that means a general home inspection, a four-point or wind mitigation survey if your insurance needs one, and specialists for the roof, pool, septic, or well when the property has them. Check the title early for liens, easements, HOA covenants, deed restrictions, and any pending violations. And verify the two things that undo deals late: whether the flood zone matches your lender's requirements, and what the homeowners insurance actually costs on that roof.

Question 3

I'm moving to Central Florida from another state. How should I start?

Accepted Answer

Start with one call before you book a flight. We map the timeline, budget, and financing order first so you do not waste a trip, then coordinate a concentrated visit to tour, offer, and inspect, with remote video showings while you are still out of state. And know that Florida's customs are different from most states: title closing practices vary from county to county, and Florida does not mandate a seller disclosure form. When you cannot be on the ground full time, your agent's due diligence matters more, not less.

Question 4

How do I choose the right real estate agent in Central Florida?

Accepted Answer

Ask three things: how long they have held a license, how many of their sales are your kind of property, and what happens when the deal turns hard. County lines here change title customs, and lakefront changes everything about due diligence, so experience with your exact situation beats a big team with a thin bench. Look for an agent who will tell you when not to buy or sell, not just when to sign, and who answers questions the same day they are asked. I have been licensed since June 2002 and have closed more than 200 homes across Central Florida. The process is the product.

Question 5

How long does it take to sell a home in Central Florida?

Accepted Answer

Plan on a six-week sprint from the decision to the launch. The first week is the pre-market audit: comps, condition review, and the insurance and title questions buyers will raise. Then staging and photography toward the best light. Then the launch, priced to the evidence, because the first 14 days on market tell the story: a home priced right from day one sells on schedule, and a home priced to hope sits. From offer to closing, the same discipline applies: negotiation, inspections, and a closing calendar managed so you always know the next step.

Question 6

What should I investigate before buying a lakefront home in Central Florida?

Accepted Answer

A lakefront home is priced on three things a normal home never considers: the water access, whether it is deep water, a canal, or a shallow cove; the condition of the dock and seawall; and the views from the living spaces. Two identical floor plans can differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars on those three facts alone. Before you offer, we also check what the water level does in the dry season and whether the dock and seawall are permitted and sound. That is the kind of due diligence I investigate before you spend a dollar or fall in love.

Question 7

Who pays for the buyer's title insurance policy in Florida?

Accepted Answer

Florida has no statute assigning that cost, so it follows local county custom, and the custom genuinely differs from county to county. In many Florida counties the seller customarily pays the buyer's owner's title policy, but in a few counties the buyer pays it instead. The owner's policy is a one-time purchase that protects the buyer for as long as they own the home against hidden liens, title defects, and claims that predate the purchase. Before we write an offer or a listing, I tell you exactly what the custom is for that county and what the policy will cost, so the number is in your net sheet or closing cost estimate from day one.

Question 8

What closing costs should a buyer expect in Central Florida?

Accepted Answer

Buyers customarily pay their loan-related costs: origination points, appraisal, credit report, and lender processing. Buyers also pay the lender's title insurance policy, plus any inspections they order, the survey if one is ordered, and the recording fees on the deed and mortgage. Every Florida closing carries a stack of fees beyond the purchase price, so I give every client a written estimate before we write an offer. The closing statement should confirm what the contract said, never surprise you.

Question 9

Do I need flood insurance to buy a home in Florida?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the property's flood zone, so we check the zone before you commit. If the home sits in a mapped flood zone, your lender will require flood coverage as a condition of the loan. Even outside a lender requirement, we quote homeowners plus flood where it makes sense, because in Florida the insurance quote can change what the house is worth to you. Confirming that the flood zone matches the lender's requirements is part of the due diligence window before closing.

Question 10

How should I prepare my home before listing it?

Accepted Answer

Start with a pre-market audit before the sign goes up: comps, condition review, and the insurance and title questions buyers will raise. Sellers who skip the pre-listing inspection often watch requested credits grow at the buyer inspection. Then stage and photograph toward the best light, and price with evidence, not hope, because the first 14 days tell the story. Gather your current policy, roof documentation, and any wind mitigation certificates before listing, because buyers will ask, and the answers are part of the home's story.

Straight answers for real Central Florida decisions.