Tony Gantjos

To live by the ocean in Florida, you typically need a standard homeowners policy for fire and theft, a separate windstorm policy for hurricane damage, and a mandatory flood insurance policy for storm surges. In 2026, state law requires all Citizens policyholders with homes valued over $400,000 to carry flood insurance regardless of their flood zone, a requirement that will expand to all policyholders by 2027. You should prioritize homes with a roof less than 15 years old or negotiate a new one if older than 15 years old.

Deciding to sell after 8 years is a personal lifestyle choice that often outweighs market timing, especially if the home no longer fits your needs. While you may be trading a lower historical mortgage rate for a higher current one, you likely have significant equity to put toward a large down payment on your next move. Ultimately, if your current home is a barrier to your goals, the financial downside of staying in the wrong place is often greater than the cost of moving.

In Florida, you are legally required to disclose any known facts that materially affect the value of the property and are not readily observable to the buyer. Since the dated insulation is a known defect that impacts the home's climate control and energy efficiency, it is best practice to disclose it to avoid potential post-closing litigation. Most sellers handle this by noting the temperature variance and the contractor's recommendation on the standard Seller's Property Disclosure form.

In Florida, neither realtors nor sellers are legally required to disclose that a homicide, suicide, or death occurred on the property. However, if a crime caused physical damage (such as a meth lab or structural impact), that must be disclosed as a material defect. You can search the local Sheriff's office website.

It is definitely high risk/high reward. You should ask the listing agent for any previous inspection reports or engineer letters they have on file. If the house has been sitting for 6 months, they likely have a report explaining exactly why previous deals fell through and, it may be worth it to hire a structural engineer to determine repair costs.