What it costs to buy property in United States
A foreign buyer should budget roughly 0.1%–0.3% of the purchase price on top of the price itself. No licence or permit is required.
What you pay
- Settlement and recording0.1%–0.3% of the price$500–$1,500
| On a purchase of | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settlement and recording | $400 – $750 | $500 – $1,500 | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Total on top of the price | 0.2%–0.3% | 0.1%–0.3% | 0.1%–0.3% |
Who carries the taxes and fees
What the seller pays — not you
- Documentary stamp tax on the deed — 0.7%$0.70 per $100 of price, customarily the seller's though negotiable. Miami-Dade charges differently — $0.60 per $100 with a surtax on anything other than a single-family home.
Guides that add every tax together and present the total as a buyer's bill overstate the cost. These are the seller's.
Can you buy as a foreigner?
No licence required
No restriction on foreign ownership of Florida real estate, and no residency or visa requirement to buy — owning property confers no immigration status either way. A foreign seller is a different matter: FIRPTA withholding of up to 15% of the price applies on the way out, which the buyer is responsible for remitting.
No approval to wait for
With no permission to obtain, the timeline is set by conveyancing rather than by a government queue.
Take it with you
These figures as a PDF, worked out at the price you enter, with every source and the date it was checked.
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Nearby markets compared
What a foreign buyer pays on top of a $500,000 price, here and in the markets around it nearest in cost.
- United StatesNo licence0.1%–0.3%
- MexicoLicence needed3.4%–7.4%
An estimate for budgeting, not legal or tax advice. These rates are traced to published sources but have not been reviewed by a practitioner in this jurisdiction. Confirm the current position with an attorney before you commit.
Florida has no statewide rule on who pays what, and county custom decides it. These figures follow South Florida practice, where the seller carries the deed tax and the owner's title policy — in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and most of North and Central Florida the buyer pays for title insurance instead, which adds materially and is not priced here. Financing adds lender charges and a further 0.35% documentary stamp on the note.