Choosing your property type in Florida: house, condo, mobile home, and alternatives

Section 01The 60-second version

Florida's property menu falls into seven broad legal categories, plus several overlay community types. Single-family homes and most townhouses sit under fee-simple ownership, with optional or mandatory homeowners' association (HOA) governance under Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes. Condominiums and condo-organised townhouses sit under Chapter 718 and operate as real-property fractions of a master parcel, with substantial post-2021 reform burden (SB 4-D, SB 154) including milestone inspections, structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS), and fully-funded reserves since 2025. Cooperatives, rare in Florida outside specific contexts (some mobile home parks, a few legacy buildings), sit under Chapter 719: the owner holds shares in a corporation that owns the building, not a deeded interest in the unit. Mobile and manufactured homes split into three regimes depending on whether the resident owns or leases the underlying land: land-owned (real property under Chapter 193 F.S. with DR-402 declaration), park-leased (personal property with annual decal under Chapter 723 F.S., the Florida Mobile Home Act), or cooperative-owned park (Chapter 719 F.S. with shares in the resident-owned park). Condotels, condominium-hotel hybrids, are a specialised condo subtype with material financing and tax restrictions. Owner-occupied multifamily (duplex through fourplex) is a fee-simple variant where the owner lives in one unit and rents the others. Across these types, three community overlays cut transversally: gated versus non-gated, 55+ active-adult under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA, 42 U.S.C. 3607(b)(2)(C)), and master-planned versus standalone. The right choice for a Canadian buyer depends on use profile (saisonnier, permanent, investment with personal use), risk tolerance for non-controllable recurring costs, and exposure tolerance to hurricane and flood risk by zone. The decision is not "house versus condo" alone, despite that framing dominating most online discussion.

Section 02Who this guide is for

This guide addresses three Canadian buyer profiles: the snowbird acquiring a saisonnier residence used primarily December through April, the permanent resident relocating to Florida for full-year occupancy, and the investor with personal use acquiring a property used some weeks per year and rented for the remainder. The structural property-type analysis is the same for all three; the persona-specific weighting of factors (recurring cost tolerance, rental restrictions, distance management) differs.

This guide is not a buying-process guide. The mechanics of the FAR/BAR contract, the closing process, foreign-national mortgage qualification, and the title insurance regime are covered in the dedicated articles in chapter 01 acquisition. This guide takes the property-type decision in isolation: which type of property is structurally best suited to the buyer's situation.

Section 03What changed since 2021: the post-Surfside reset

Before addressing the property-type menu, one structural fact reshapes the entire condo segment of the Florida market. On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condominium in Surfside (Miami-Dade County), partially collapsed with 98 fatalities. The Florida Legislature responded with Senate Bill 4-D (signed May 26, 2022) and Senate Bill 154 (signed June 9, 2023), substantially amending Chapter 718 F.S. The reforms apply to condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories.

The core changes: a milestone inspection is required at 30 years from initial occupancy (25 years for buildings within three miles of the coastline), with a structural engineer's certification, repeated every 10 years thereafter. A structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) must be performed at least every 10 years on all reservable items (roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows, exterior doors). As of January 1, 2025, condo associations must fully fund the reserves identified in the SIRS; pre-2025 reserve waivers are no longer permitted on the SIRS-listed items.

The financial consequence on older buildings is material. Buildings with deferred maintenance and previously waived reserves are now confronting catch-up special assessments. The published range observed in the market over 2023-2025 has been broad: from low five figures USD per unit in well-managed buildings to over USD 200,000 per unit in extreme cases (mostly older oceanfront buildings in South Florida). For a Canadian buyer, the practical implication is that a condo unit's purchase price is no longer a complete cost figure; the next 10 years of expected special assessments based on the SIRS and current reserve funding posture must be added to the analysis.

This is not a reason to avoid Florida condos. It is a reason to read condo documents (the declaration, bylaws, latest SIRS, current reserve balance, recent special-assessment history) before closing, and to budget the recurring-cost picture realistically. The detailed treatment is in the chapter 02 articles "SB 4-D: 30-year milestone inspection" and "Condo reserve study (SIRS)".

The takeaway: in 2026, the canonical Canadian framing of "condo as the simpler, cheaper option" is structurally outdated for older buildings. A 1985 oceanfront condo in Hallandale and a 2018 inland condo in Naples present radically different economic profiles even at similar list prices.

Section 04The full menu of property types

1. Single-family home (fee-simple)

The Canadian-familiar baseline. Owner holds a deed to the lot and the structure. Property tax assessed annually by the county property appraiser. May or may not sit within an HOA. If within an HOA, governance under Chapter 720 F.S.; if not, no community-level fee. Insurance through a standard HO-3 policy. Maintenance, roof, structure, exterior, all owner responsibility. Hurricane and flood exposure depend on zone and elevation. The most flexible property type, with the fewest external-governance constraints, and typically the highest carrying cost in absolute USD terms.

2. Condominium (Chapter 718 F.S.)

Owner holds a deeded interest in the unit (interior airspace and improvements typically) plus a fractional undivided interest in the common elements (land, structure, amenities, hallways, mechanicals). Governance by the condominium association under Chapter 718. Monthly condo fees cover master insurance (covering the structure shell, sometimes more), exterior maintenance, common-area utilities, reserves, and amenities. Owner carries an HO-6 unit-owner policy for interior, contents, and personal liability. Subject to milestone inspections, SIRS, and special assessments described above. Typical range of monthly fees varies enormously: from USD 300 to 600 in inland mid-rises with modest amenities to USD 2,000+ in oceanfront luxury buildings or aging high-rises with major reserve catch-up. The condo segment is now bifurcated between newer, well-reserved buildings (predictable cost, market premium) and older, under-reserved buildings (lower entry price, special-assessment exposure).

3. Townhouse (two regimes)

The single word "townhouse" describes the building form (a row of attached units, each two or three stories, sharing common walls), but covers two distinct legal regimes. Fee-simple townhouse: owner holds a deed to the unit and the underlying small lot, governed by an HOA under Chapter 720, similar to a single-family home in a managed community. Maintenance often shared (roof, exterior paint) under the HOA; sometimes individual. Condo townhouse: organised as a condominium under Chapter 718, with no deeded land underneath the unit, the entire townhouse complex being a condo. Governance, reserves, milestone obligations, and SIRS apply identically to a vertical condo. The seller's listing usually does not make the distinction visible; the master deed does. The dedicated article "Townhouse and villa in Florida: condo or fee-simple?" treats the operational consequences in detail.

4. Villa (label, not legal category)

"Villa" is a Florida marketing label, not a juridical category. It typically describes a single-story attached or detached unit in a managed community, often within a 55+ overlay. The villa's actual legal form is either condo (Chapter 718), fee-simple with HOA (Chapter 720), or, rarely, cooperative (Chapter 719). Reading the master deed identifies the regime. A buyer who relies on the marketing description to assume the regime is taking a documentation shortcut that often produces surprises at closing or post-closing.

5. Cooperative (Chapter 719 F.S.)

Rare in Florida in the broad market, present in two contexts: some legacy multifamily buildings (mostly South Florida pre-1970) and certain resident-owned mobile home parks. Owner holds shares in a corporation that owns the building or park, plus a proprietary lease for the unit or lot. Not a deeded property interest. Governance and transfer mechanics differ materially from condos. Mortgage availability is restricted. The dedicated article "Co-op (rare in FL): how it works" in chapter 01 covers the Florida-specific mechanics.

6. Mobile and manufactured home

The most heterogeneous category. Three distinct regimes:

(a) Land-owned mobile home (real property). Owner owns both the home and the land. Mobile home is permanently affixed and declared real property via Florida Department of Revenue Form DR-402, then issued a permanent "RP" decal. Assessed and taxed as real property under Chapter 193 F.S., eligible for homestead exemption if the owner is a Florida resident. This regime is the closest to the Canadian baseline of "you own the house and the land it sits on."

(b) Mobile home in a park (personal property). Owner owns the home, leases the lot from the park owner. Home is titled and tagged as a motor vehicle or similar personal property by FLHSMV; an annual mobile home decal is purchased. Lot rental governed by Chapter 723 F.S. (Florida Mobile Home Act) where the park has 10 or more lots; by Chapter 83 (Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) below 10 lots. Lot rent escalates per the rental agreement and statutory limits. The home depreciates over time more like a vehicle than a typical real-property structure.

(c) Resident-owned mobile home park cooperative. The residents collectively own the park through a cooperative corporation under Chapter 719 F.S. Each resident owns shares plus a proprietary right to a specific lot. Rare but a notable variant for Canadians who wish to remove the lot-rent escalation risk while staying in the manufactured-home segment.

The full treatment is in the dedicated article "Mobile and manufactured homes in Florida: a Canadian buyer's guide".

7. Condotel (condominium hotel hybrid)

A condo-organised property where the building operates as a hotel and individual units are held in a condo regime. Owner uses the unit some weeks per year and places it in the hotel rental pool the remainder. Material financing restrictions: most conventional and foreign-national mortgage programs do not lend on condotels. Tax treatment more complex (transient rental tax obligations). The dedicated article "Condotel: financing and tax restrictions" in chapter 01 covers the operational picture.

8. Owner-occupied multifamily (duplex, triplex, fourplex)

A fee-simple residential structure with two to four units, where the owner lives in one and rents the others. Subject to the same single-family financing programs in many cases (an important advantage over five-plus-unit buildings, which fall under commercial financing). Florida Statutes treat one to four-unit owner-occupied properties under Chapter 83 part II for the rented units. The arithmetic of "house hacking" (rental income offsetting carrying cost) works in some Florida sub-markets and not others. For Canadian buyers, the cross-border tax footprint of US rental income (IRS Form 1040-NR, Form W-8BEN, ITIN, plus Canadian foreign-source-income reporting) adds complexity. Treated in chapter 03 (renting) and chapter 08 (banking) for the tax angle, and partially in this guide for the property-type framing.

Section 05Three community overlays

Across the seven property types, three community-level overlays cut transversally and meaningfully change the profile of an otherwise standard property.

Gated versus non-gated. A gated community adds physical security (gate, sometimes guard) and often higher HOA fees. The trade-off is access friction (deliveries, contractors, guests) and a higher property tax in some districts due to private-road maintenance reimbursement structures. For a snowbird leaving the property unattended six months per year, gating shifts modestly in favour. For a permanent resident with active service-provider needs, gating shifts modestly against. Not a structural decision driver, but a non-trivial preference factor.

55+ active-adult community. A community can lawfully restrict residency to households where at least one member is 55 or older, under the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA, 42 U.S.C. 3607(b)(2)(C), implementing regulations at 24 CFR Part 100 Subpart E). The "80/20 rule": at least 80 percent of occupied units must have at least one resident age 55 or older; the remaining 20 percent may be occupied by younger residents at the community's discretion. The 100 percent 62-and-older alternative also exists but is far less common. The community must publish age-restriction policies, conduct biennial age verification surveys, and follow HUD implementing regulations. The detailed treatment is in the dedicated article "55+ active-adult communities in Florida: HOPA, the 80/20 rule, and what Canadians should expect".

Master-planned with Community Development District (CDD). A CDD is a special-purpose local government created under Chapter 190 F.S. that builds and finances community infrastructure (roads, drainage, amenities) through bonds repaid by a CDD assessment line on the annual property tax bill, separate from the millage and HOA fee. Common in newer master-planned communities (The Villages, Ave Maria, several Lakewood Ranch districts). Material to total carrying cost: a CDD assessment can range from USD 1,200 to 3,500+ per year over a 20 to 30-year amortisation. Often invisible on initial listing prices.

Section 06Three persona paths

Path A. The snowbird

Use profile: residence used four to six months per year (typically late November or December through April), unoccupied the rest. Insurance, maintenance, and security are issues to manage at distance.

Structural fits in descending order: (1) condo in a well-managed mid-rise with comprehensive HOA cover for exterior and structure; (2) single-family home in a managed HOA community with concierge or property-management arrangement; (3) land-owned manufactured home in a 55+ community; (4) park-leased mobile home in a 55+ park (lowest-cost entry point, with the trade-off of lot-rent escalation risk).

Why condo often wins for the snowbird. The HOA-managed exterior (roof, paint, landscaping) removes the maintenance burden during the unoccupied months. Master insurance covers most of the building shell. Hurricane preparation is a community-level rather than individual responsibility for the structure. The trade-off: SB 4-D special-assessment exposure on older buildings.

Why single-family sometimes wins. Total privacy, no rental restrictions (some condos restrict short-term rentals or require multi-month minimums, complicating the snowbird who wants to lease the unit during off-season to offset cost), and no monthly condo fee. The trade-off: full maintenance and hurricane prep responsibility, requiring a property manager (typical USD 200 to 500 per month for monthly visits, more for active management).

Mobile home park paths. Snowbird-heavy parks in 55+ Florida (Lakeland, Sebring, Sarasota, Bradenton, Naples-area inland) can deliver a saisonnier residence at one-fifth the cost of a comparable condo. The trade-offs are well documented in the dedicated mobile home article: lot-rent escalation under Chapter 723, depreciating asset, hurricane exposure of older units, and resale liquidity.

Path B. The permanent resident

Use profile: full-year occupancy as principal residence, often with family. School quality, commute, and neighbourhood liveability matter more than for the snowbird; long-run economics matter as much.

Structural fits in descending order: (1) single-family home in a non-HOA or low-HOA-fee community, ideally homestead-eligible (Florida residents only) for the property tax shield; (2) single-family home in a managed HOA community for the amenities; (3) fee-simple townhouse for a buyer prioritising lower carrying cost; (4) condominium for buyers in dense urban submarkets where single-family availability is limited.

Why single-family typically wins. Florida's homestead exemption (USD 51,411 in 2026 per the Lee County Property Appraiser methodology) plus the Save Our Homes 3 percent annual cap on assessed-value increase produces a meaningful property tax shield over a multi-year horizon. The shield only applies to the homestead-eligible permanent resident, and only on a single-family home or a condo unit (mobile homes also eligible if declared real property). The dedicated article "Homestead exemption 2026" in chapter 02 covers the full mechanics.

The condo trade-off for permanent residents. A condo permanent resident gets the homestead exemption on the unit but absorbs the SB 4-D special-assessment exposure. For a younger buyer with a 30-year horizon, an older condo with high reserve catch-up can be a structurally bad fit; the same buyer in a newer condo with funded reserves faces a different profile.

Path C. The investor with personal use

Use profile: property used some weeks per year by the owner, rented the rest. Cross-border tax footprint (IRS, CRA) is material. Cash-flow analysis, not just appreciation thesis, drives the decision.

Structural fits in descending order: (1) single-family home or fee-simple townhouse in short-term-rental-permissive cities (Davenport, Kissimmee, certain Cape Coral and Naples-area submarkets), with HOA short-term-rental rules carefully verified; (2) condo in a building that allows short-term rentals or rental flexibility (most condos restrict to 30-day or longer lease minimums); (3) owner-occupied duplex/triplex/fourplex; (4) rare: condotel, which is structurally designed for this profile but introduces the financing and tax restrictions noted above.

The HOA short-term rental constraint. Most managed communities (HOA or condo) impose minimum lease terms ranging from 30 days to 12 months. Snowbird investors who plan to lease their unit during the December to April peak via Airbnb or Vrbo (typical short-stay format) need to verify the community's rental rules before closing, not after. The dedicated chapter 02 article "Short-term rental restrictions (HOA / condo)" treats this in operational detail.

The cross-border tax footprint. A Canadian non-resident earning US rental income from Florida real estate must file IRS Form 1040-NR, may elect under IRC § 871(d) to treat the rental as effectively connected to a US trade or business (allowing deductions), must obtain an ITIN (Form W-7), and faces 30 percent withholding on gross rents under Chapter 3 of the IRC absent the election. The Canadian side reports the same income on the T1 with foreign tax credit. Detailed treatment in chapter 03 (renting) and chapter 08 (banking).

The takeaway: the best property type for an investor depends materially on the rental strategy (long-term, mid-term saisonnier, short-term vacation), and the strategy depends on the city's regulations and the specific community's HOA or condo bylaws. There is no universal "best" type for the investor profile.

Section 07Comparison: the four operative types

Equivalent treatment for Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and other Canadian provinces is in progress. The Quebec reference reflects the most commonly contacted Canadian-buyer source market for Florida.

Section 08Worked examples

Example A. Snowbird in a Naples 1990s condo

A retired Quebec couple acquires a 2-bedroom unit in a 1992-built mid-rise condo (8 stories) in Naples. Purchase price USD 525,000. Monthly condo fee USD 950 in 2026. The building completed its 30-year milestone inspection in 2022 and the SIRS was performed in 2023. The SIRS identified USD 4.2 million of structural reserve needs over 10 years across 86 units, of which USD 1.8 million was already in reserve. The post-2025 fully-funded posture requires catch-up.

The board adopted a 7-year special-assessment plan: USD 32,000 per unit total, in seven annual instalments of USD 4,571. Combined with the regular condo fee, the buyer's effective monthly cost during the 7-year window is approximately USD 1,331 per month for HOA-related items, before utilities and insurance. The HO-6 policy runs USD 1,800 per year. Property tax (no homestead, non-resident) at a millage of 11.5 produces USD 6,038 per year on the assessed value (assumed at market). The all-in saisonnier carrying cost is on the order of USD 24,000 per year before utilities and travel.

The buyer's structural decision: the condo regime works for a saisonnier user who values the maintenance-free exterior and the master-policy hurricane cover during the unoccupied months. The post-Surfside cost is real but predictable through 2032. A newer condo (post-2010) at USD 625,000 with a USD 580 monthly fee and no special-assessment exposure presents a different profile and is the alternative the buyer should price-compare against.

Example B. Permanent emigrant family in a Cape Coral single-family

A Belgian-Canadian family (two adults, two children) relocates from Montreal to Cape Coral and acquires a 2015-built 4-bedroom single-family home with pool. Purchase price USD 685,000. Within an HOA at USD 175 per month covering common-area landscaping and gate. After establishing Florida residency, the family files for homestead exemption. Assessed value at acquisition: USD 685,000; with the USD 51,411 homestead exemption, taxable value: USD 633,589. Millage at 12.0: annual property tax USD 7,603. Save Our Homes 3 percent cap applies in subsequent years.

HO-3 insurance USD 4,200 per year (Cape Coral hurricane exposure premium). NFIP flood insurance USD 1,400 per year (Zone X with limited preferred-risk coverage). Total fixed annual: USD 13,303 plus utilities and pool maintenance. The single-family path delivers full flexibility (children, pets, school district choice), the homestead tax shield, and no condo-association politics. The trade-off is full responsibility for hurricane preparation, roof replacement (typical 18-25 year cycle on a Florida tile or shingle roof, USD 18,000 to 35,000+), and exterior maintenance.

Example C. Investor with personal use in a mobile home park

A snowbird couple from Ontario acquires a 1998 doublewide manufactured home in a 55+ resident-owned cooperative park in Sarasota. Home purchase USD 145,000. Co-op share for the lot: USD 32,000 (capital contribution to the cooperative corporation). Total acquisition USD 177,000. Monthly co-op fee USD 380, covering park maintenance, water, sewer, common amenities (clubhouse, pool, shuffleboard). No lot rent (the cooperative structure removes that line item). Annual mobile home license tax (the home retains its tag despite the lot ownership through co-op share): USD 95.

Insurance on the home: USD 1,400 per year (older unit, hurricane exposure, lower coverage limits). The annual carrying cost: USD 6,055 plus utilities. The buyer plans to use the home January through April and rent November through December under the park's allowed-rental rules (verified before purchase: cooperative bylaws permit short-term rental up to 60 days per year subject to board approval).

The structural decision: the cooperative path delivers ownership of both the unit and the underlying land share, removes lot-rent escalation exposure, and produces a low total carrying cost. The trade-off: liquidity is constrained (resale to another retiree who can be approved by the cooperative board, and who must purchase the share in addition to the home), and the asset class depreciates differently from real property. The all-in path works for a buyer who prioritises low cost over appreciation.

Section 09Common mistakes

Assuming "townhouse" implies a single legal regime. Florida townhouses can be condo (Chapter 718) or fee-simple (Chapter 720). Insurance, maintenance, special-assessment exposure, and milestone obligations all differ. The master deed identifies the regime; the listing usually does not.

Assuming the condo monthly fee is the full recurring cost. Special assessments under SB 4-D, SIRS-driven reserve catch-up, and one-off repair assessments can add several thousand USD per year for older buildings. A buyer who underwrites only on the published monthly fee is undermeasuring the cost.

Treating "villa" as a juridical category. Villa is a Florida marketing term, not a statutory designation. The actual legal regime (condo, fee-simple HOA, or rare cooperative) determines obligations. Reading the master deed at due-diligence stage, not after closing, is the avoidance step.

Confusing land-owned mobile home with park-leased mobile home. The two regimes share the building type but differ on every legal and financial dimension: ownership of land, property tax basis, homestead eligibility, lot rent, statutory protections, depreciation curve, resale dynamics. A Canadian buyer who reads "mobile home for sale" without verifying the land arrangement risks acquiring an asset radically different from what was assumed.

Underestimating the CDD line. A community development district assessment (USD 1,200 to 3,500+ per year) appears separately on the annual tax bill, not in the listing or HOA fee. Buyers in newer master-planned communities (The Villages, Ave Maria, Lakewood Ranch) regularly miss the CDD line until the first November tax bill arrives.

Assuming HOA short-term rental rules are flexible. Most HOA and condo communities impose 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, or 12-month minimum lease terms. A snowbird investor who plans to Airbnb the unit on a weekly basis must verify the community's rules before closing. Post-closing remediation is rarely available.

Treating a 55+ community as universally restrictive. The HOPA 80/20 rule allows up to 20 percent of units to be occupied by households without a 55+ resident, at the community's discretion. The community's own bylaws may be more restrictive (100 percent 55+, or 100 percent 62+). The Canadian buyer with adult children who occasionally visit, or with a younger spouse, must read the community's bylaws specifically, not rely on the federal floor.

Ignoring hurricane and flood zone differentials. Two single-family homes a quarter-mile apart can have radically different insurance profiles based on flood zone, wind zone, and elevation certificate. The chapter 02 articles on Citizens Property Insurance, NFIP/FEMA flood, and required inspections develop this in detail. The property type is one factor; the geographical risk profile is another, and they multiply.

Failing to read condo documents before signing. A condo purchase commits the buyer to the master deed, bylaws, rules and regulations, current reserve study, and current SIRS. The chapter 02 article "Reading condo documents before buying" walks the document list and the red flags. Most Canadian buyers read closing documents carefully but skip the condo association documents, which is structurally backwards: the closing documents formalise a single transaction, the condo documents define a multi-year carrying-cost commitment.

Section 10Step-by-step decision checklist

Step 1. Define the use profile. Snowbird (4 to 6 months per year), permanent resident (full year), or investor with personal use (some weeks plus rental). The persona shapes the property-type fit hierarchy.

Step 2. Define the geographic submarket. South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach), Gulf Coast (Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sarasota), Treasure Coast, Tampa Bay, Central Florida, or Panhandle. Each submarket has distinct property-type availability, pricing, and hurricane risk profile. The chapter 10 city files cover the geographic specifics.

Step 3. Define the budget envelope. All-in: purchase price, expected closing costs (typically 2 to 4 percent of price for a Canadian buyer including doc stamps, intangible tax on mortgage, title insurance, escrow), expected first-year carrying cost (HOA, taxes, insurance, utilities, management). Build the 10-year carrying-cost view, not just the closing-cost view.

Step 4. Filter the property-type menu against the persona. Use the persona path sections above to narrow from 7 types to 2 or 3 plausible types.

Step 5. For each plausible type, identify three candidate properties. Visit (in person or by qualified Realtor on FaceTime) at minimum three representative properties per type. The chapter 01 articles "Touring from a distance" and "On-site visit checklist" cover the visit mechanics.

Step 6. Read the condo or HOA documents for each candidate. Master deed, bylaws, rules and regulations, current SIRS (condos), current reserve balance, last 3 years of special assessments. The chapter 02 article "Reading condo documents before buying" walks the protocol.

Step 7. Build the 10-year carrying-cost projection for the top candidate. HOA or condo fee with 3 to 5 percent annual escalation, special-assessment plan if disclosed, property tax with millage assumption, insurance, expected reserve catch-up, utilities, management. Compare across candidate types.

Step 8. Verify rental rules if rental is part of the plan. HOA or condo bylaws on minimum lease term, board approval requirement, frequency of rental, registration requirement. The chapter 02 article on short-term rental restrictions is the reference.

Step 9. Engage the closing professionals before final decision. Florida-licensed Realtor, closing agent (title company or Florida-licensed real estate attorney, depending on county custom), insurance broker for HO-3 or HO-6 plus flood quote, cross-border tax advisor for the holding-structure question (personal name versus LLC versus Canadian corporation, treated in chapter 01 articles in the holding-structure topic).

Step 10. Close and document. Retain copies of all governance documents (master deed, bylaws, declaration, rules and regulations) as part of the buyer's permanent file.

Section 11FAQ

Q. Can a Canadian non-resident buy any of these property types?

A. Yes for all listed types as a matter of US federal law. There is no federal restriction on Canadian non-resident purchase of Florida real estate. Some HOAs and condo associations have approval processes that extend to non-resident buyers (interview, background check, financial documentation). Some communities have approval policies that effectively reduce the willingness to approve non-resident foreign buyers, though categorical refusal based on nationality alone would face Fair Housing Act exposure. Cooperative purchases (Chapter 719) involve a stricter share-transfer approval process that historically has been less foreign-buyer-friendly.

Q. Is "condotel" really a separate type or just a condo with rental rights?

A. Structurally a condotel is a condo (Chapter 718). Operationally and from a financing perspective it is treated as a separate category by most US lenders. Many foreign-national mortgage programs explicitly exclude condotels. Conventional 30-year fixed financing is rarely available; financing typically routes to commercial or specialty programs. Cash purchase is the most common path. The chapter 01 dedicated article covers the operational picture.

Q. What's the difference between a condo association and an HOA?

A. A condo association governs a Chapter 718 F.S. condominium, covering both the building shell and the common elements. An HOA governs a Chapter 720 F.S. community of fee-simple homes, where individual owners hold deeds to their lots. The condo association has stronger statutory powers (lien priority, special-assessment authority, milestone obligations); the HOA has comparable but distinct powers under Chapter 720. A buyer can encounter both regimes simultaneously: a fee-simple townhouse in a community that also includes condo buildings, where a master association coordinates above unit-level associations.

Q. Does Save Our Homes apply to a Canadian non-resident?

A. No. Save Our Homes (the 3 percent annual cap on assessed-value increases under Florida's Constitution) requires homestead status, which requires Florida residency. A non-resident Canadian benefits from a different cap (the 10 percent non-homestead cap, also in Florida law) but not the 3 percent cap. Detailed treatment in the chapter 02 article "10% non-homestead assessment cap".

Q. Can a 55+ community refuse to sell to me if I have grandchildren who visit?

A. No, not based solely on grandchildren visiting. HOPA addresses occupancy, not visits. Most 55+ communities allow visitors of any age subject to community-defined visit-duration limits (commonly 14 to 30 days per visit, sometimes 90 days per year). Permanent occupancy by the under-55 grandchild (a parent moving in with the grandparent, a long-term custody situation) is the situation HOPA bears on. Reading the community's specific rules is the operational step.

Q. Is a mobile home a worse hurricane risk than a single-family home?

A. Generally yes for older units, less so for newer manufactured homes built to current HUD Code wind-zone standards. The HUD Code (24 CFR Part 3280) was substantially upgraded in 1994 to require Wind Zone II (most of Florida) or Wind Zone III (Florida Keys and certain coastal counties) construction. Pre-1994 units are materially more exposed to hurricane wind damage. A 2010 Wind Zone III manufactured home well-anchored to a permanent foundation in a 55+ community 30 miles inland presents a manageable risk profile; a 1985 mobile home in a coastal park is structurally exposed.

Q. Does property type affect Florida estate-tax exposure for a Canadian non-resident?

A. Florida has no state-level estate tax. US federal estate tax exposure for non-resident aliens applies to US-situs assets above a USD 60,000 threshold, modified by the Canada-US Tax Convention treaty exemption (proportional). The treaty exemption is property-type-neutral; what matters is the value of US-situs assets and the holding structure. Detailed treatment in chapter 05 (succession).