How do you buy a Port St. Lucie home from outside the U.S.?
Get your financing in writing first
Whether the loan comes from a lender at home or a U.S. lender that works with non-residents, get the approval in writing for this kind of purchase: a rental, a second home or a future primary home. Brent sets the contract's financing and closing dates to fit that lender.
Call before you contact a builder or tour
Many builders pay the buyer's agent only if the agent is registered before your first contact, and a web form counts. For resale homes, you sign a written buyer agreement before touring, including a live video tour.
Build the shortlist with the real costs
Check each home's taxes after the reset, insurance and fees, and its leasing rules if you plan to rent it out first. Brent puts the homes for each tour on a private online page with the facts for each one.
Tour in person or by live video
One day of showings when you are in Florida, or a video walk-through first and an in-person visit for the finalists.
Offer on the number
Brent's Sharp Number on the home before you offer: 3 closed sales and 3 active listings, adjusted. A broker's opinion of value, not an appraisal.
Inspect and insure while you are away
The home inspection, and the four-point and wind mitigation reports an insurer may want, happen without you there. Get the insurance quote on the exact address during the inspection period.
Close remotely
A Florida title company or attorney closes the purchase with you signing where you live. Confirm wiring instructions by calling the title company at a number you found yourself, never one from an email.
What should you ask a lender outside the U.S. before you shop?
- Is the approval for this use? A loan approved for a rental, a second home and a primary home can carry different terms. Say which one you are buying.
- Will the lender close in Florida? Ask whether it works with Florida title companies and closing attorneys, and what it needs from them.
- Who orders the appraisal, and how long does it take? The lender's appraisal sets the timeline for your financing date in the contract.
- How long does the money take to move? Currency transfers to the title company's escrow account can take days, so build that into the closing date.
Brent does not arrange loans. He fits the contract to your lender's timeline and keeps the dates in writing. This is general information; your lender's written terms decide.
Buying a rental now and moving in later: what changes when you move in?
It is a common plan: buy now, rent the home out, and make it your own home later. Three things change along the way.
| Item | While you rent it out | After it becomes your permanent home |
|---|---|---|
| Property taxes | No homestead exemption: about $9,479 a year on a $400,000 home in the city at 2026 proposed rates, before any CDD; assessment increases limited to 10% a year on non-school taxes | Homestead exemption once you own and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1 and file by March 1; the property appraiser decides residency |
| Insurance | A dwelling policy for a rental; Citizens' 2026 average in St. Lucie County is $2,461 | A homeowner policy; Citizens' 2026 St. Lucie average is $3,391 |
| Leasing rules | The home's listing and association documents must allow leasing on your terms | No longer limit you |
| Selling later | Taxed as an investment; FIRPTA can apply if you are a foreign person | The home-sale exclusion needs 2 of the 5 years before the sale owned and lived in; ask a CPA how it applies to you |
Check the leasing rules before you offer, not after: limits such as a minimum lease length or a cap on leases per year can apply even to homes with no HOA. The full checklist is in our guide to buying a rental in Port St. Lucie.
What is FIRPTA, and when does it apply?
FIRPTA is a federal rule for sales by foreign persons, so it matters when you sell, not when you buy. When a foreign person sells U.S. real estate, the buyer generally must withhold 15% of the amount realized and send it to the IRS. There is no withholding when the price is $300,000 or less and the buyer will live in the home, and 10% applies between $300,000 and $1,000,000 when the buyer will live in it. A seller can apply on Form 8288-B to reduce the withholding to the expected tax. Whether an exception applies depends on how your eventual buyer will use the home, so plan it with a CPA who handles cross-border tax before you buy, not after you list.
Spending part of the year here? Count your days.
Owning a Florida home does not make you a U.S. resident for tax purposes, but the days you spend here can. The IRS applies a substantial presence test: at least 31 days in the current year and 183 days over three years, counting every day this year, one third of last year's days and one sixth of the year before. Someone present fewer than 183 days this year who keeps a tax home and a closer connection to another country can claim the closer connection exception by filing Form 8840. Your cross-border CPA decides how this applies to you; Brent flags it before you buy so it is part of the plan.
Can you buy new construction from outside the U.S.?
Yes, and registration matters even more from a distance. Some builders accept a first tour by video with your agent; Lennar's broker policy does. Others require your agent at the first in-person visit, and a web form or a call to the builder before registration can cost you the representation the builder would have paid for. Read how builder registration works before you fill out any builder form. Moving from another U.S. state instead? See moving to Port St. Lucie.
Before you book a flight
Talk to Brent before your first tour
- A shortlist built on your budget and the rules you need
- Leasing rules checked if you plan to rent it out first
- Tours in person or by live video
Brent Sharp, Broker / Owner
Call or text (772) 272-9571 Call Brent Text Brent
Licensed Florida real estate brokerage, DBPR license CQ1051669. Port St. Lucie, FL.
Questions buyers who live outside the U.S. ask
I live in Canada. Can I buy a home in Port St. Lucie?
Yes. You sign a written buyer agreement, tour in person or by live video, and close remotely through a Florida title company or attorney. Plan for property taxes without a homestead exemption unless the home becomes your permanent residence, and for FIRPTA withholding when you sell later. A cross-border CPA should review your plan first.
Can I use a lender from outside the U.S.?
Many buyers do. Get the approval in writing for this kind of purchase, a rental, a second home or a future primary home, and confirm the lender works with Florida closings. Brent sets the contract's financing and closing dates to fit the lender's timeline.
Can I rent the home out until I move in?
Often, if the home's leasing rules allow it. Check the listing's lease fields and the association documents before you offer. While it is rented, there is no homestead exemption; once it becomes your permanent residence on January 1, you can file for one by March 1.
Do I pay more property tax if the home is not my main home?
Usually, yes. On a $400,000 Port St. Lucie home at 2026 proposed rates, the bill is about $9,479 a year without a homestead exemption and about $8,500 with one, before any CDD fee. The exemption requires permanent residence on January 1.
What is FIRPTA withholding?
A federal rule for sales by foreign persons: the buyer generally withholds 15% of the amount realized and sends it to the IRS, with exceptions at $300,000 or less when the buyer will live in the home. Form 8288-B can reduce it. Ask a CPA.
How do I close on a Florida home from another country?
Through a Florida title company or attorney, signing where you live. Confirm any wiring instructions by calling the title company at a number you found yourself, and allow a few days for an international transfer to reach escrow.
Sources
- Internal Revenue Service: FIRPTA withholding (15% generally; Form 8288-B), reviewed July 21, 2026; Exceptions from FIRPTA withholding ($300,000 or less when the buyer will live in the home), reviewed July 15, 2026; Instructions for Form 8288 (10% for a home the buyer will live in, up to $1,000,000), reviewed April 30, 2026. Accessed October 25, 2026. IRS Topic 701, sale of your home (2 of 5 years), reviewed October 12, 2026. IRS Substantial presence test, reviewed March 14, 2026, and Closer connection exception (Form 8840), reviewed July 16, 2026.
- St. Lucie County Property Appraiser, 2026 proposed taxing authority rates, used for the $400,000 example with and without homestead. Accessed October 20, 2026.
- The Florida Statutes: section 193.155 (homestead assessments), sections 193.1554 and 193.1555 (10% non-homestead limit), section 196.011 (filing by March 1). Accessed October 20, 2026.
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, 2026 Approved Rate Changes by County (St. Lucie HO-3 $3,391, DP $2,461). Accessed October 20, 2026.
- National Association of Realtors, Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements. Lennar, Broker Participation Policy. Accessed October 8, 2026.
General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Residency and homestead questions go to the property appraiser; tax questions go to a CPA; loan terms come from your lender in writing.
Last updated · Reviewed by Brent Sharp, Broker