Relocation
The Florida side of the move
Taxes, homestead, licensing deadlines, what your money buys, and the order to do things in. This part is the same whether you are leaving Albany or Akron, so it is written once here and written properly, rather than summarized on six different pages.
What changes about taxes when you move to Florida?
Florida levies no state personal income tax and no state estate tax, both fixed in the state constitution and statute. Florida homestead also carries an assessment cap. What any of that saves you depends entirely on your own situation, and several origin states already exempt most retirement income. That question belongs with a CPA.
Here is what is factual, with the citation, so you can take it to your accountant rather than take my word for it:
| Item | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | No tax on the income of natural persons who are residents of the state | Florida Constitution, Article VII, Section 5(a) |
| State estate tax | Eliminated for people who died after December 31, 2004 | Florida Department of Revenue, Chapter 198 F.S. |
| Homestead exemption | Up to $25,000, plus an additional exemption of up to $25,000 on assessed value above $50,000 for levies other than school district levies | Section 196.031, Florida Statutes |
| Save Our Homes cap | Annual reassessment increase limited to the lower of 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index | Section 193.155(1), Florida Statutes |
| Portability | An accumulated assessment difference may transfer to a new Florida homestead, capped at the lesser of $500,000 or the difference between just and assessed value | Section 193.155(8), Florida Statutes |
The part that trips up first-time Florida buyers
The Save Our Homes cap and portability apply to Florida homesteads. Arriving from another state, you have no Florida assessment difference to port, and the cap only starts running once you establish homestead here. Your first year is assessed at market value with no cap history behind it, which is why a seller's prior-year tax figure on a listing is a poor guide to your own bill.
I am a REALTOR®, not a CPA or an attorney. Everything above is a statement of what Florida law says, not advice about your situation. Take it to a tax professional before you make a decision based on it.
How long do I have to get a Florida license and registration?
Thirty days from establishing residency for a Florida driver license, and 10 days for titling and registering your vehicles. The vehicle deadline is the tighter one and the one people miss, because it needs a VIN verification, proof of Florida insurance, and your original out-of-state title before you can start.
| Item | Deadline | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Florida driver license | 30 days | Identity, Social Security number, and two proofs of Florida residential address |
| Vehicle title and registration | 10 days | Proof of identity for every owner, proof of Florida insurance, the original out-of-state title, HSMV form 82040, and a VIN verification |
The VIN verification is the step that surprises people. It has to be done in person by law enforcement, a military police officer, a licensed dealer, or a tax collector employee. If your car is still up north when you establish residency, that is a problem to solve before the clock starts rather than after.
Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, New Resident, retrieved September 2026. Deadlines and document lists change. Confirm current requirements with FLHSMV before you rely on this. Updated September 2026.
Which airport should family fly into?
Orlando International is about 65 miles away and has by far the widest nonstop network of the nearby airports. Orlando Sanford is closer at about 54 miles, and Tampa International is about 90 miles. Ocala International, despite the name and its proximity, has no scheduled commercial passenger service.
| Airport | Driving distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando Sanford (SFB) | ~54 mi | Closest of the four |
| Gainesville Regional (GNV) | ~64 mi | Nonstop to four hubs only |
| Orlando International (MCO) | ~66 mi | Widest nonstop network |
| Tampa International (TPA) | ~90 mi | Second widest network |
Route availability changes every season, so check current nonstops rather than trusting any list, including this one. Ocala International sits closest of all of them and is the one people assume they can use; it is a general aviation airport with no scheduled passenger service, so it is not an option for visiting family. The state pages carry the likely departure airports and the driving distance from each of the six states that send the most people here.
Source: driving distances from Rome2Rio, retrieved September 2026, and cross-checked against ClosestAirportTo. They agree within about five miles. Distances are to a single reference point; The Villages spans roughly 20 miles north to south, so your actual drive depends on which village you buy in. Ocala International's lack of scheduled service is per the City of Ocala, which describes it as a general aviation airport. Updated September 2026.
What does your money buy here?
In the trailing window from May 4 through September 21, 2026, 868 homes closed inside The Villages at a median $355,000 and a median $236 per square foot, in a median 42 days at 98 percent of list price. Single family homes ran a median $389,000 and villas $294,250.
| Type | Closed | Median price | Median $/sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single family | 605 | $389,000 | $237 |
| Villa | 242 | $294,250 | $237 |
| Manufactured (post 1977) | 20 | $180,750 | $143 |
Those are sale prices, and they are not the whole number. Every home here carries a bond, which is infrastructure debt assigned to the parcel and repaid on your tax bill, plus a monthly amenity fee. A home listed at $400,000 with a $28,000 bond balance is a larger commitment than one listed at $412,000 with the bond paid off, and nothing on a search portal will tell you that. Read the bond explainer before you shop.
Insurance is the other line that moves. Buyers arriving from the northern states usually find Florida homeowners insurance costs more than what they are leaving, and roof age drives most of that difference. The true cost calculator puts mortgage, tax, insurance, amenity fee and bond into one monthly number. Quoting insurance is a licensed activity, so take any figure to an agent before you rely on it.
Source: Stellar MLS closed residential sales inside The Villages, May 4 to September 21, 2026, compiled by Cristian Gonzalez, eXp Realty. This is the trailing window, used for every area so the comparison is like for like. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Updated September 2026.
A sensible order of operations
Understand the bond, run a real monthly cost on a realistic price, narrow the community to three or four sections, get an actual insurance quote, then talk to a CPA before you commit. Visiting a sales center first is the common mistake, because it narrows your options to new construction before you know what the resale market offers.
- Understand the bond. It changes what every listing price means, and it is the single most common thing buyers from out of state get wrong.
- Run the true monthly cost on a realistic price, with the amenity fee and bond included.
- Narrow the six sections to the one or two that fit how you want to live, then narrow to villages inside them. Build era drives roof age, bond balance and floor plan all at once.
- Get a real insurance quote on a real address. It is the line item most likely to move your number, and it varies more by roof than by price.
- Talk to a CPA about what actually changes for you. Several northern states already exempt most retirement income, so the savings are rarely what the headline suggests.
- Plan the visit. Tell me before you tour a sales center, because representatives there work for the developer and can only show you what the developer is selling.
Who does the sales representative work for?
The representatives at the developer preview centers work for the developer, not for you. That is not a criticism, it is their job, and they are generally good at it. It does mean they can only show you what the developer is selling, which is new construction, and it means nobody in that conversation is representing your side of it.
The detail that matters: the sales representatives at the developer's preview centers work for the developer, not for you. You can buy a home the same week you arrive. What you will not get in that process is someone whose duty runs to you when it is time to talk about the bond balance or whether the floor plan holds value. More on new construction versus resale, including the registration rule that decides whether you can have your own representation at all.
What this page is not
It is not tax, legal, or financial advice, and it is not an insurance quote. The tax items above are citations to statute so you can take them to your own accountant. Bond payoff decisions have tax and financing consequences that belong with a CPA and a lender. Title and homestead questions belong with a real estate attorney. I am a REALTOR®, and the useful thing I can do is get you accurate numbers on specific addresses.
Researching from out of state
Send me the address and I will send you the real number
Bond balance, annual assessment, amenity fee, and the tax picture on any specific home you are looking at. Usually back within a day. No obligation and no listing presentation unless you ask for one.
Ask about a specific home
Paste an address or a listing link and tell me what you want to know.