What to sort out before you close on a Florida home

Insurance is usually the last item addressed before a Florida closing and one of the most common causes of a delay. Handled early it is routine. Handled late it can move a closing date.

Start when you go under contract

The moment to raise insurance is when the contract is signed, not when the lender asks for a binder. Under contract you still have inspection and negotiation leverage. After that window closes, whatever you learn becomes your problem to solve alone.

What to gather

Four items do most of the work.

The roof's documented age and material. Not the seller's estimate, the permit record. This single item drives more Florida eligibility decisions than anything else.

A wind mitigation inspection. It documents construction features that affect windstorm rating. If a recent one exists, get a copy. If not, arrange one.

A four point inspection for older homes, covering roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Many carriers require it above a certain age.

The prior claims history on the property. Losses follow the address, not just the owner, and a prior water or roof claim can affect what is available to you.

What to watch for

Older plumbing, older electrical panels, and roofs near the end of their accepted age range are the three findings most likely to narrow options. So is a property in a flood zone where the buyer had not planned on flood coverage.

None of these are automatically deal breakers. All of them are better known during inspection than during the final week.

Where to start

If you are under contract, or expect to be soon, that is the right time for a review. Bringing what you have lets us tell you early whether anything about the property will complicate coverage, while there is still time to do something about it.

Related: how roof age affects eligibility, the flood waiting period exception, and Florida homeowners insurance.