What should a buyer’s agent verify before you commit to a Northeast Florida home?

Buying a home in Northeast Florida involves more than finding the right property and negotiating the purchase price. From property taxes and insurance costs to HOA restrictions, inspections, and title considerations, several important details can significantly impact your investment. Knowing what to verify, and when, can help you avoid unexpected expenses and make a more informed purchasing decision.

Key Takeaways

• The St. Johns County Clerk lists the documentary stamp tax on deeds at $0.70 per $100 of the transaction price, and the contract, not the statute, decides which party bears it.
• The seller’s tax bill is a poor guide to yours, because their homestead exemption and capped assessment do not automatically transfer to you.
• A CDD charge and an HOA fee are different obligations from different bodies, so each needs its own documents and its own payment history.
• An inspection report does not establish insurability, so a written insurance quote belongs before your inspection period ends.
• The legal description on the title commitment should match the survey, especially on waterfront lots, shared access, private roads, and drainage easements.

How do you check taxes, HOA, and CDD charges on a Northeast Florida home?

Pull the parcel’s records from the county Property Appraiser and Tax Collector, model your taxes on the likely post-sale assessment, and request HOA and CDD documents separately. A listing’s tax estimate is a starting point, never the answer. This is the first place a Northeast Florida home can stop making financial sense.

What belongs in a tax-history review?

Start with the parcel itself. In St. Johns County, the Clerk directs property-record and homestead-exemption questions to the Property Appraiser. I want to see:

• The current assessed value, exemptions, and taxable value
• Prior-year tax bills
• Any unpaid taxes
• Any tax-deed activity
• Any pending value-adjustment issue

Timing matters on that last item. For 2026, the county’s Value Adjustment Board accepted online petitions from August 17 through September 11, and that window has closed. If the seller disputed an assessment, an exemption denial, or a classification, ask what was filed and how it was resolved before you rely on the numbers.

A property that traces back to a tax certificate or tax-deed sale needs a specialized title review. The Clerk explains that delinquent taxes can lead to a tax-deed sale, which works differently from an ordinary financed or cash purchase.

Why isn’t the seller’s tax bill your tax bill?

Because the seller’s exemption and capped assessment are theirs, not yours. A recorded sale can trigger a reassessment process, and homestead treatment does not carry over on its own. Model your payment on the likely post-purchase assessment, then confirm the specific parcel with the county Property Appraiser. I’d rather you see a higher, realistic number before you offer than a lower, optimistic one after you close.

How are HOA and CDD charges different?

A CDD is tied to a public community-development district, while an HOA is a private association. Treat them as separate line items, because they come with separate paperwork.

For the HOA, ask for:

• The current budget, declaration, bylaws, and rules
• The fee schedule and any pending special assessments
• Architectural restrictions and meeting minutes
• Resale or estoppel information

For the CDD, ask for:

• The district’s current assessment statement
• The debt-service schedule
• The operations-and-maintenance charge
• The payment history
• Any announced future projects

Communities across St. Johns, Duval, and Flagler counties handle these differently, so I never assume one development’s structure applies to the next. Your actual monthly cost depends on the specific parcel, which is where a conversation with me before you write an offer pays off.

Which inspection and insurance findings should change your decision?

Findings that point to water intrusion, structural movement, or aging major systems should change your decision, because they can affect both repair cost and whether the home can be insured. An inspection tells you the condition of the house. It does not tell you whether an insurer will cover it.

When does a general inspection need backup?

A general inspection is the baseline. Depending on the property, I may recommend supplementing it with evaluations of the roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, structure, septic, well, pool, seawall, dock, termites and other wood-destroying organisms, mold, drainage, and flood exposure. Not every home needs every one. A condo needs a different scope than a waterfront house with a dock.

In coastal and low-lying areas around St. Augustine and Jacksonville, I pay particular attention to water intrusion, crawl-space moisture, corrosion, drainage patterns, storm damage, elevation, and prior flood claims. For more on how inspection practices are shifting, see these home inspection trends for Northeast Florida buyers. If you’re weighing whether to skip the inspection, read my breakdown on whether to waive it first.

When should you get an insurance quote?

Early, before you’re committed. Review insurance and property taxes before the offer is final, because both can move the real cost of owning the home. Ask about each coverage separately:

• Homeowners coverage
• Windstorm coverage
• Flood coverage
• Roof age and any replacement requirements
• Named-storm deductibles
• Exclusions and prior claims
• Water-damage limitations
• Whether the insurer will require repairs or mitigation documentation

If the quote comes back with conditions, you want to learn that while your contract still gives you options, not after the deadline has passed.

What should the title company confirm before you close?

Your title company should confirm a clean title commitment, a legal description that matches the survey, and a recordable deed, and your agent should confirm they’ve told you what remains unresolved. Closing and recording in Florida run through the title company, so your agent’s job is to make sure nothing is left to assumption.

What does the title review cover?

Give the title company the exact names and legal description from the contract, then ask what is still open: title commitment items, payoffs, liens, judgments, permits, municipal liens, and easements. The county’s public-record services are what allow a title company to investigate prior deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded matters.

Compare the legal description with the survey. This matters most for waterfront property, lots with shared access, conservation areas, private roads, and drainage or utility easements. A transfer isn’t recognized as complete in the public record until it is entered in the county’s official records, so the Clerk’s recording requirements for correct names, signatures, witnesses, notarization, and legal description are not a formality. If a deed or payoff correction is needed, it should go to the title company before the scheduled closing, not travel as an informal copy.

What closing-cost categories should you expect to see?

I won’t put a total on your costs here, because yours depends on your contract, loan, and property. The categories to look for on your settlement statement are:

• Title search and title insurance
• Recording charges
• Lender charges
• Survey and inspection charges
• Prepaid taxes and insurance
• HOA or association-document charges
• CDD prorations or assessments
• Documentary taxes set by law

The statutory tax rates are fixed, but who pays what is stated in your contract and settlement statement. Loan-related taxes also exist: the Clerk lists a documentary stamp tax on mortgages and an intangible tax on the mortgage amount. Those apply to your loan, not to the home’s annual property-tax bill. For a personalized look at your numbers, I’ll walk through them with you and your lender.

How do all the checks fit together?

When my buyers ask what I’m doing between the accepted offer and the closing table, this is it. I work to spot the problems early, while there is still room to negotiate, so you can decide with the full picture. If you want to understand your options before committing, my related post on why buyers don’t regret buying in Northeast Florida covers the broader decision.

Curious how this works in practice? Read what clients say about working with me on Google and Zillow.

FAQ

How do I check the property’s tax history before buying in St. Augustine or Jacksonville?

Look up the parcel with the county Property Appraiser and Tax Collector. Review the assessed value, exemptions, taxable value, prior-year bills, unpaid taxes, and any tax-deed or value-adjustment activity. In St. Johns County, the Clerk points property-record questions to the Property Appraiser. I also compare that history with the likely post-sale assessment.

Will my property taxes go up after I buy a Florida home?

They can, because the seller’s homestead exemption and capped assessment do not automatically transfer to you. A recorded sale can trigger a reassessment process. Don’t rely on a listing’s tax estimate. Confirm the specific parcel with the county Property Appraiser and budget from a realistic post-purchase figure.

How can I find out whether a home has a CDD assessment?

Ask for the district’s current assessment statement, debt-service schedule, operations-and-maintenance charge, and payment history, and confirm them through your title company. A CDD is tied to a public district, so it is separate from any HOA fee. Your agent should ask for both sets of documents before your deadlines expire.

What inspection findings should make me reconsider a Northeast Florida home?

Findings tied to water intrusion, crawl-space moisture, corrosion, poor drainage, storm damage, or prior flood claims deserve the closest look, especially in coastal and low-lying areas. Aging roofs and major systems matter too, since they can affect repair cost and insurability. Because a report doesn’t establish insurability, pair it with a written insurance quote.

Who pays documentary stamp tax on a Florida home purchase?

It depends on your contract. The St. Johns County Clerk lists the rate on deeds at $0.70 per $100 of the transaction price, but the rate being fixed by law doesn’t settle who bears it. The contract determines the allocation, so confirm it in yours and on your settlement statement.

Ready to run these checks on your Northeast Florida home?

The right Northeast Florida home is the one you understand completely before you sign: the taxes, the association charges, the condition, the insurance, and the title. I coordinate these checks so nothing surfaces for the first time at the closing table. To talk through a specific property, schedule a consultation at danielle@daniellefraserrealestate.com or call (904) 907-4559. If you’re ready to start looking, you can also search listings here.

Equal Housing Opportunity. Danielle Fraser, Sales Associate | FREC, regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC). This article is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice; confirm your own numbers with your title company, tax advisor, or lender. Listing and market information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, so verify current details through the MLS.