The international buyer's path
- Sign from abroad: remote online notarization for eligible documents, coordinated mail-away for the rest
- Fund from abroad: verified international wire procedures, with the documentation compliance requires
- Vesting your way: individually, in a U.S. LLC, or another structure — coordinated with your advisors' plan
- Understand every document: multilingual walkthroughs of the commitment, statement, and deed
Decisions to make before the contract
How you take title has tax, liability, and estate consequences that differ enormously for non-U.S. persons — U.S. estate tax exposure alone makes many foreign buyers choose structures over personal ownership. That advice belongs to your tax counsel and, for the legal structures, attorneys; the law firm can coordinate with your advisors under a separate engagement. What we insist on: decide the vesting before the contract is signed, because changing buyers mid-deal costs time and sometimes taxes.
Also think ahead to your exit: when a foreign owner eventually sells, FIRPTA withholding applies to the sale. Buying with the exit's paperwork in mind (ITINs, records of cost basis) makes that future closing dramatically smoother.
What surprises international buyers
Florida's promulgated title premium (set by rule, not negotiation), the escrow-centric closing model (no notaire, no bank-led settlement), association approval processes on condos, and the sheer speed — U.S. closings move faster than most of the world's. We bridge the expectations gap file by file; it's a large share of our practice.