What should I know about buying a new-construction home in Florida?

If the community is in a community development district, the contract must say so in bold type right above your signature: the district can levy its own taxes or assessments on the house, set each year by its board, to build, run and maintain its public facilities and services, in addition to county and other local taxes. Ask the builder what the yearly district amount is. In a community with a homeowners association, you must get the association's disclosure summary before you sign. Counties and cities also charge impact fees on new homes to pay for the public facilities new growth needs, collected no earlier than the building permit; ask whether the price includes them. If something is wrong after you move in, the law gives the builder a chance to fix it first: you must give written notice of the defect at least 60 days before filing suit, the builder may inspect within 30 days, and it must answer in writing within 45 days. A suit over the construction must be filed within 4 years, and in any case within 7 years of the certificate of occupancy, even for a defect found later. Repairs made under the warranty do not extend that time.

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