Notes from Tony Fitzgerald's desk on how Florida mortgages actually work — the escrow resets, the homestead deadlines, and the details nobody mentions at the closing table. Written for Sarasota, Bradenton, and the Gulf Coast.
Before a Florida closing, the lender needs a binder with the right mortgagee clause, enough coverage, wind covered, and flood if the map says so. Here is the checklist, and why waiting until closing week is risky.
Two nearly identical Florida homes can get very different insurance quotes in the same week, because each carrier files its own pricing on its own schedule. Why the first quote is a sample of one, and why getting it late can change your approval.
Two identical homes on the same street can land in different flood zones, because the boundaries follow elevation and water flow rather than property lines. Here is how to check a property yourself before you write an offer.
Two housing reports landed on August 25, 2026. Nationally home prices are still rising, only slower. Tampa was the weakest of twenty cities, and new home sales across the South fell hard. Here is what that changes if you are buying or selling here.
People move to Florida for the obvious reasons, then the first full year costs more than they planned. It is almost never the mortgage. It is insurance, the tax reset off the seller's capped figure, and the CDD fee outside the HOA statement.
School started August 10 in Sarasota and Manatee. Some Manatee families started at a different school this year because the boundary moved, not because they did. Buying partly for a school? Here is how to verify the zone on the parcel.
Lakewood Ranch sits across the Sarasota and Manatee county line, so your neighbor can be in a different county. It changes your tax rate, where you file homestead, your TRIM notice and school zoning. Here is how to check your parcel.
Tony Fitzgerald · NMLS #1284924 · 1st Response Mortgage · powered by Mpire Financial Group LLC · NMLS #2108504 · Florida License #MLD2467 · Mortgage Broker · Sarasota, FL · (941) 941-5150