Found 317 blog entries tagged as Florida.

Should you establish Florida residency before December 31, 2026?

If the property tax amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot passes, people who are permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026 would be eligible for the larger homestead exemption starting in 2027. Someone who establishes Florida residency on or after January 1, 2027 would begin at a $50,000 exemption and reach the larger amount only after maintaining a Florida homestead for four years. Nothing changes unless at least 60 percent of voters approve it. If a move here was already on your list, though, the calendar is worth understanding now rather than in January.

By Billy Joe Smiley | October 7, 2026

A good share of the people I sell to here start out as part-timers.…

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What Does 106 Hidden Ridge Rd Offer at $499,900?

106 Hidden Ridge Rd is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home with 2,004 sq ft of heated/cooled living space, listed at $499,900 in the Palm Ridge subdivision of St. Joe Beach. Built in 2006 on a 0.33-acre lot, the property features a spring-fed pond, a screened Florida room with French doors, vaulted ceilings in the great room, and a bonus room sized for a real office or studio. There's no HOA, all utilities are connected, and the location sits roughly midway between Port St. Joe and Mexico Beach, with Gulf access a short drive in either direction.

By Billy Joe Smiley | September 11, 2026

106 Hidden Ridge Rd is a three-bedroom, two-bath home on a third of an acre in the Palm Ridge subdivision of St. Joe…

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By Billy Joe Smiley | August 2026

There are properties you evaluate, and there are properties that stop you.

172 Red Hawk Lane is the second kind.

It sits on a 0.72-acre Gulf-front homesite in Indian Pass Shores, a small community on one of the last stretches of undeveloped Old Florida beach on this coast. The home was built in 2024, fully custom from the foundation to the pecan wood cabinetry and designed the way serious Gulf-front homes rarely are: for the people who will actually live in it. Six bedrooms. Five and a half baths. A private heated Gunite pool facing open water. An elevator. And from the main living level, an unbroken view of the Gulf that runs to the horizon without a roofline, a utility pole, or another house interrupting…

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Can I sell my Forgotten Coast home if it already has vacation rental bookings on the calendar?

Yes, and on this coast it happens constantly. Florida's standard purchase contract handles it directly in Paragraph 6(b), which covers a property that will still be subject to a lease or occupancy agreement after closing. The buyer reviews the booking schedule, deposits for post-closing stays are credited to the buyer at the table, and the guests keep their vacation. For an investor buyer, a full calendar is usually an asset rather than an obstacle, because they are purchasing income that begins the day they take title.

By Billy Joe Smiley | September 10, 2026

This question comes up almost every time an owner of a rental property on Cape San…

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Do Florida's condo milestone inspection and reserve rules apply to the condo I want to buy on the Forgotten Coast?

Only if the building is three habitable stories or taller. Florida's milestone inspection law and the Structural Integrity Reserve Study requirement both key off that three-story threshold, and plenty of the low-rise condo and townhome buildings on this coast sit below it. For buildings that do qualify, the milestone inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, and the reserve study gives you a written, dollar-by-dollar picture of what the building needs. Both are genuinely good news for a buyer, because they turn what used to be guesswork into documents you can read before you ever write an offer.

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What will I owe in capital gains when I sell my Forgotten Coast vacation home?

Federal long-term capital gains tax on the profit, at 0, 15, or 20 percent depending on your taxable income, with no Florida state capital gains tax on top of it. The $250,000 and $500,000 primary-residence exclusion does not apply to a home you have used only as a vacation property. The number that matters is your gain, not your sale price, and gain is the sale price minus your adjusted basis minus your selling costs. Every improvement you have made and every dollar of cost to sell reduces it, which is why the owners who plan ahead here consistently keep more of their money.

By Billy Joe Smiley | September 1, 2026

I want to say up front that I am a broker,…

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Do You Need a License to Rent Your Forgotten Coast Home Short-Term?

Yes. If you rent a whole home for stays under 30 days more than three times a year, Florida requires a state DBPR vacation rental license, and your county adds its own layer on top. On the Forgotten Coast that means a Gulf County STR business license, a City of St. George Island business license, or a Bay County Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate, depending on where the property sits, plus sales tax and tourist development tax registration.

By Billy Joe Smiley | August 27, 2026

I get this question from almost every investment buyer I work with, and it usually comes up late, right after they have fallen in love with a house and started running the rental numbers in…

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What Do You Have to Disclose When Selling a Home on Florida's Forgotten Coast?

Florida sellers must disclose known facts that materially affect a home's value and aren't obvious to a buyer, a rule from the 1985 case Johnson v. Davis. As of October 2024, you also have to complete a separate written Flood Disclosure before the contract is signed, and as of October 2025 that requirement expanded to cover any flooding you know about, even without an insurance claim. Selling as-is doesn't change any of this. The good news is that this process is straightforward once you know the two pieces, and getting it right upfront protects both you and the buyer.

By Billy Joe Smiley | August 25, 2026

I sit down with almost every seller on this coast for…

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How Does a 1031 Exchange Work When You Sell Investment Property on the Forgotten Coast?

A 1031 exchange lets you sell a qualifying investment or rental property and roll the proceeds into your next one without paying federal capital gains tax right now. You defer the gain instead of losing a chunk of it, as long as you use a qualified intermediary, identify a replacement property within 45 days, and close within 180. Florida has no state capital gains tax to worry about, but documentary stamp tax still applies on both sides of the exchange. Get the timeline and the paperwork right, and this is one of the most valuable tools an investor on this coast has for building real wealth over time.

By Billy Joe Smiley | August 13, 2026

If you own…

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One Day on the Market: Park Point Custom Home with St. Joe Bay Views

This secluded dunes custom home in Park Point at Secluded Dunes on North Cape San Blas lasted just one day on the market—proof that the right buyer showed up at the perfect time. With St. Joe Bay right out the back door and uninterrupted vistas into the St. Joe Peninsula State Park, it’s a rare find in the heart of the Forgotten Coast.

A Setting Like Nowhere Else

Backing up to the state park means your "neighbors" are the deer and native fauna that make this world-class preserve so special. From sunrise over the bay to peaceful evenings, the views and wildlife take center stage every day.

Highlights at a Glance

Stunning St. Joe Bay views from the backyard


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