Relocation · Homestead, the Redland and Florida City
Moving to Homestead from out of state
Mauryn Regueiro
You do not need to live here to buy here. You need a plan, a date and someone local. Here is the order I would do it in.
Step 1. Know your date
Amendment 3 passed, and it treats people who become Florida residents on or after January 1, 2027 differently from everyone who is already a resident. Make Florida your permanent home by December 31, 2026 and you may avoid that. Read the details in Moving to Florida before 2027, and ask your tax or legal advisor how it applies to you.
Step 2. Pick your area
Homestead, the Redland and Florida City are three different places with three different tax pictures. Homestead has the newest neighborhoods and everyday shopping. The Redland is farm country, open and quiet. Florida City is the closest to the Keys. Read what the Redland actually is and living in Florida City before you choose.
Step 3. Get approved first
Before you fall for a house, know your number. I am licensed as a Realtor and as a Mortgage Loan Originator, so you can have both conversations with one person.
Run a house before you fly down
Give me an address you like and I will send you what that house costs to own today, in 2027 and in 2028. It takes me a few minutes and it costs you nothing.
I need a name, an address, and either a phone or an email.
I use this to send you your numbers and the occasional follow up. Reply STOP at any time. I do not share your details with anyone else.
Step 4. Buy from a distance
Much of the process can run by phone, video and e signature. I will tell you the one or two moments that are worth being here for. Some new homes are ready to move into, and some have closing costs paid. Offers change fast, so start with what is actually available.
Start with the homes out here, not what the portals show for Miami.
Find my new homeStep 5. Make Florida your home
Establishing a permanent residence can include a Florida driver's license, voter registration, vehicle registration, a declaration of domicile, and moving your mailing and financial addresses. It is separate from owning the house.
Step 6. File for homestead
Own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, then file for homestead by March 1. I will walk you through it when you get there.
What you will need to buy: what you actually need to buy a house out here.
Thinking about the move?
Every new construction home in Homestead, the Redland and Florida City, filtered the way you would actually shop.
Homestead · Redland · Florida City Search homesThe areas, the drive, the houses, and the parts nobody puts in a relocation guide.
More from the blog
Mauryn Regueiro
I am a Realtor and a Mortgage Loan Originator here in Miami-Dade, so the home, the timeline and your monthly cost all get answered in the same conversation.
@descubrehomestead · NV Realty & NV Lending
FL Lic. #3290618 · NMLS #2515401 · Equal Housing Opportunity
Where this comes fromWLRN, Florida approves Amendment 3 · ClickOrlando, how the new property tax plan works · Bilzin Sumberg, the December 31, 2026 residency deadline · Florida TaxWatch, 2026 Amendments Guide · Florida Policy Institute, Voter Guide