Why did my Space Coast mortgage payment go up when my interest rate is fixed?

Almost always the escrow account, not the loan. Your Brevard County, Florida property taxes and homeowners insurance get re-estimated every year, and when they rise, the escrow portion of your payment rises …

How much can a public adjuster charge on a Space Coast insurance claim?

Florida caps public adjuster compensation at 20 percent of claim payments, or 10 percent for claims tied to a Governor-declared state of emergency during the year after that declaration. Those caps apply to every …

What happens if the seller of a Space Coast home is a foreign person?

Under FIRPTA, the buyer of a Brevard County, Florida property generally has to withhold 15 percent of the sale price and send it to the IRS. The obligation sits on the buyer, not …

Do Space Coast homes need to be tested for radon?

Florida requires a radon disclosure on every home sale contract in Brevard County, but it does not require testing. Radon is measured in picocuries per liter, and the EPA recommends fixing any home that tests at 4.0 …

Do I owe tangible personal property tax on a rental in Brevard County, FL?

Possibly. Furnishings and appliances you own inside a Space Coast rental property are taxable personal property in Florida. Most single-family landlords fall under the $25,000 exemption, but you have to file once to …

What are non-ad valorem assessments on a Brevard County, FL tax bill?

They are flat-rate charges for specific services like trash collection, fire protection, and stormwater. On a Brevard County tax notice they sit below a bold horizontal line, separate from your property taxes, and they are …

How do you check for open or expired building permits on a Brevard County, FL home?

Search the property address in Brevard County's online permit system before you close. An open permit on a Space Coast home follows the property, not the seller, so it becomes your …

Should Space Coast buyers check for Chinese drywall in Brevard County homes?

Yes. Homes built or renovated on the Space Coast during the mid-2000s boom can contain defective imported drywall, and Florida saw the highest share of complaints in the country.

Defective imported drywall, often called …

How are property taxes prorated at closing in Brevard County, FL?

Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so at a Brevard County closing the seller credits the buyer for the taxes owed from January 1 to the closing date on a Space Coast home.

Property …

Which old electrical panels should Space Coast buyers watch for?

Federal Pacific (FPE Stab-Lok) and Zinsco panels, plus older aluminum branch wiring, are the electrical red flags in older Melbourne, Rockledge, and Merritt Island homes across Brevard County.

Electrical problems do not announce themselves the way …