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Buying a Home

Buying a Home · Miami & South Florida

Plan the purchase before the search gets emotional.


Plan your first home or your next one in Miami-Dade or Broward. Compare monthly costs, financing, inspections, insurance, and offer terms, and coordinate a sale if you need to. The Miami market moves fast. A plan is what lets you move with it.

Full buyer representation Bilingual English · Spanish CIPS designation Miami-Dade & Broward
Your Numbers

Start with a payment you are comfortable living with.


Include principal and interest, property taxes, homeowners and windstorm insurance, flood insurance where required, mortgage insurance if any, and association dues. In South Florida, insurance and dues can change the answer more than the interest rate does.

Monthly

  • Loan payment at today’s rate
  • Taxes, using the purchase price rather than the seller’s current bill
  • Homeowners, windstorm, and flood insurance quotes
  • Association or condo dues
  • Utilities and upkeep

Before and at closing

  • Escrow deposit with the offer
  • Inspections and appraisal
  • Down payment and closing costs
  • Prepaid taxes and insurance
  • Reserves you want to keep

A Florida detail: property taxes reset to market value when a home changes hands, so the seller’s current tax bill understates yours. Ask us for an estimate based on the price you plan to pay, and remember to file for the homestead exemption by March 1 if the home will be your permanent residence.

Financing

Get the approval before the house.


Pre-approval, not pre-qualification

A pre-approval based on verified income, assets, and credit makes your offer credible and tells you the real budget. We introduce you to lenders who close on time in Miami.

Cash buyers

Cash moves fastest, but still deserves inspections, a title search, and a clear closing timeline. Proof of funds should be ready before the first showing.

International buyers

Foreign-national loans exist, typically with larger down payments and their own documentation. We work with these programs every week and can walk you through them in Spanish.

Guía para compradores →

Inspections in South Florida

Look past the staging at the systems.


InspectionWhat it coversWhy it matters here
General home inspectionStructure, roof, electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, appliances, and visible defects.The baseline for every negotiation on repairs or credits.
Four-point and wind mitigationRoof, electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning age and condition, plus the home’s storm-resistant features.Insurers often require them on older homes, and the results drive your premium.
Termite and wood-destroying organismsEvidence of active infestation or damage.Common in Miami’s climate and frequently required by lenders.
Seawall, dock, and septicSpecialized inspections for waterfront homes and properties not on county sewer.Repairs in these categories are expensive and easy to miss on a walk-through.
Condo documentsBudget, reserves, milestone inspection, structural reserve study, rules, and assessments.Florida gives resale condo buyers a short window to cancel after receiving the documents. Read them in time.
Offer Terms

Write an offer that can win and still protect you.


Terms that belong in the conversation

  • Price, relative to recent sales and the current competition
  • Escrow deposit amount and timing
  • Inspection period length and what happens if issues appear
  • Financing and appraisal contingencies
  • Closing date and any occupancy arrangement
  • Included items, from appliances to hurricane shutters

How we negotiate

We start from your actual priorities. Sometimes the most valuable term is price. Sometimes it is timing, protection during inspections, or certainty of closing. Florida’s commonly used “as-is” contract gives you the inspection period to walk away or renegotiate, and we use that window carefully rather than casually.

Selling a home at the same time? The sequence matters more than the search. Compare sell-first, buy-first, and coordinated moves →

How It Works

A clear path from consultation to keys


1

Consultation and wish list

Budget, must-haves, deal-breakers, and the neighborhoods that fit your commute and your week.

2

Pre-approval and search plan

Verified numbers with a lender, then a focused search across the MLS, new construction, and the homes in our own network.

3

Tour and compare

We visit together with a checklist, so each home is judged on the same points.

4

Offer, inspection, appraisal

We write, negotiate, and manage every deadline in the contract.

5

Insurance, title, closing

Policies bound, closing statement reviewed, final walk-through done, keys in hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions buyers ask about Miami


Which neighborhoods should I look at?

That depends on your week: where you work, where the children go to school, and how you like to spend weekends. Pinecrest, Coral Gables, South Miami, Brickell, Doral, Weston, and Pembroke Pines each answer differently. Explore neighborhoods →

How competitive are offers right now?

It varies by price range and neighborhood. Our market reports show what is actually happening in Miami-Dade and Broward this month. Market reports →

Should I consider new construction?

Often yes, especially in Brickell and Downtown. Pre-construction has its own rules on deposits and timing. The developer checklist →

Is this my first home?

Then start with the cash plan and readiness check written for first-time buyers. First-time buyer guide →

Your Advisors

Ana Maria and Nicolas Pol


A family owned boutique brokerage serving Miami since 2007, in English and Spanish, for local families and international buyers alike.

Ana Maria Pol

Ana Maria Pol

Principal Broker & President

954.270.8759
ana@polrealty.com

Nicolas Pol

Nicolas Pol

Real Estate Agent & Marketing Coordinator

954.604.2415
nicosellsmiami@gmail.com

Dedicated to you. Committed to excellence.

Pol Realty · 9825 SW 77th Pl, Miami, FL 33156 · info@polrealty.com · Equal Housing Opportunity. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This page is general guidance, not legal, tax, lending, or insurance advice.