Foreign Buyer’s Guide to Florida Real Estate (2026)
Foreign buyers purchased $56 billion of U.S. homes between April 2024 and March 2025, and Florida took 21% of that activity — the top share of any state, per the National Association of REALTORS® (2025). If you’re buying from abroad, the opportunity is real. The tax and financing details are where most of the money is won or lost.
This guide is educational and isn’t legal or tax advice. Confirm your own situation with a cross-border tax attorney or CPA before you sign anything.
Key Takeaways
- Florida is the #1 U.S. market for international buyers — 21% of all foreign purchases, a streak of 15+ years (NAR, 2025).
- Nearly half of foreign buyers pay cash — 47%, versus about 28% of buyers overall (NAR, 2025).
- Financing is available through foreign-national loan programs that skip the U.S. credit score and Social Security number.
- FIRPTA withholds 15% of the amount realized when a foreign person sells U.S. real estate (IRS) — and the buyer is the withholding agent.
- Ownership structure matters because a non-resident’s U.S. estate-tax exemption is just $60,000 (IRS).
Why Is Florida the #1 U.S. Market for International Buyers?
Florida has been the leading U.S. destination for international buyers for at least 15 straight years, capturing 21% of all foreign purchases in the 2025 National Association of REALTORS® study. No state income tax, direct flights to Latin America and Europe, and a deep luxury-coastal inventory keep it on top of the list.
The appeal isn’t only sunshine. Florida pairs asset protection and a landlord-friendly legal system with year-round rental demand, established international communities, and a currency-diversification story that draws capital when home markets wobble. That post-pandemic relocation wave hasn’t reversed — it has settled into a steady pipeline of buyers moving equity into South Florida. You can see how that migration reshapes pricing in our Palm Beach County luxury migration analysis.
Where do these buyers come from? The top five origins concentrate in the Americas, Asia, and Europe:
According to the National Association of REALTORS® (2025), foreign buyers acquired 78,100 U.S. properties worth $56 billion between April 2024 and March 2025 — a 44% jump in transactions and the first year-over-year increase since 2017. Florida alone accounted for roughly one in five of those purchases.
What Do International Buyers Pay — and How Many Pay Cash?
The median price paid by international buyers hit a record $494,400 in the 2025 National Association of REALTORS® report, and 47% paid all cash — versus about 28% of buyers overall. Foreign buyers skew toward higher price points and cash-forward offers, which is exactly the profile that thrives in South Florida.
Why does the cash share matter so much? In competitive Palm Beach County listings, a cash offer with a fast, clean close often beats a higher financed bid. International buyers who arrive with funds ready aren’t just buying a home — they’re buying negotiating position. Even buyers who plan to finance frequently close in cash first, then pull equity out later once they’ve established U.S. banking relationships.
The National Association of REALTORS® (2025) reports a record median foreign-buyer price of $494,400, up 4.1% year over year, with nearly half of international buyers paying entirely in cash. That cash rate is almost double the all-cash share among U.S. buyers as a whole.
Can a Foreign National Get a Mortgage in Florida?
Yes. A majority of foreign buyers still finance — only 47% paid cash in the 2025 National Association of REALTORS® report — and specialized foreign-national loan programs don’t require a Social Security number, a U.S. credit history, or a green card. Lenders underwrite on what you can document instead.
Two paths dominate. A full-documentation foreign-national loan qualifies you on assets, income, and foreign or alternative credit references — think reference letters from your home-country bank. A DSCR loan qualifies the property on its rental income rather than your personal earnings, which suits investors. Either way, expect a larger down payment, commonly 25% to 40%, plus healthy cash reserves and interest rates a step above conventional loans. Portfolio and private lenders handle most of this business, and Florida lenders see it constantly. Our financing overview walks through what to prepare.
In the 2025 National Association of REALTORS® data, 47% of international buyers paid cash — meaning the majority financed. Foreign-national lenders typically ask for 25% to 40% down and underwrite on documented assets and foreign or alternative credit rather than a U.S. score.
How Does FIRPTA Withholding Work?
FIRPTA requires 15% of the amount realized to be withheld when a foreign person sells U.S. real estate, and the buyer is the withholding agent responsible for sending it to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). The “amount realized” is essentially the gross sales price. Importantly, this is a withholding — a prepayment — not the seller’s final tax bill.
There’s real nuance to it. When the buyer will use the home as a residence and the price is $300,000 or less, no FIRPTA withholding applies; between $300,000 and $1,000,000 the rate drops to 10%. A seller who expects the actual tax to be lower than the withholding can apply for a reduced-withholding certificate (Form 8288-B), and everyone reconciles the real number when the seller files a U.S. return — often getting a refund.
What most buyer guides skip: FIRPTA can land on you. If you purchase from a foreign seller, you — not they — are legally on the hook to withhold and remit that 15%, and you can be held liable if you don’t. A Florida title company plus a cross-border CPA keep that obligation from quietly becoming your problem at closing. Please treat this as a starting point and confirm specifics with a cross-border tax attorney or CPA.
The Internal Revenue Service sets FIRPTA withholding at 15% of the amount realized on a disposition of U.S. real property by a foreign person, with reduced rates or exemptions for lower-priced residences and for sellers who obtain a withholding certificate. The withholding is credited against the seller’s actual U.S. tax liability.
Should You Buy in Your Own Name or Through an LLC?
It depends on your goals — and on estate tax. A non-resident who dies owning U.S. real estate is exposed to federal estate tax on U.S.-situated assets above just $60,000, per the Internal Revenue Service, against a $15 million exemption for U.S. citizens in 2026. That gap is the single biggest reason foreign buyers ask about ownership structure.
Buying in your own name is simple and cheap, but it leaves that estate-tax exposure and U.S. probate on the table. Many international buyers instead hold property through an LLC or a layered entity structure to address liability, privacy, and estate exposure — though entities add cost, filing obligations, and complexity, and they don’t automatically erase tax. Estate-tax treaties between the U.S. and your home country can raise the exemption or provide credits, which is why the right answer is personal.
The detail that catches families off guard: that $60,000 threshold hasn’t moved in decades and isn’t indexed to inflation. On a $1.5 million Jupiter condo, the distance between a citizen’s exemption and a non-resident’s is enormous — which is exactly why ownership structure gets decided before the offer, not after. Rates run from 18% up to 40%, so this is a conversation for a cross-border attorney or CPA, not a form you check at the closing table.
The Internal Revenue Service requires an estate-tax return (Form 706-NA) when a non-resident’s U.S.-situated assets exceed $60,000 at death, with rates climbing from 18% to 40%. U.S. citizens, by contrast, receive a $15 million federal exemption in 2026 (IRS). Estate-tax treaties can change the math.
What Does a Florida Closing Look Like From Overseas?
Most Florida closings run through a title company and can be finished remotely — a plus for the 47% of international buyers who pay cash and want speed, per the National Association of REALTORS® (2025). Expect a title search, title insurance, and funds delivered by wire rather than a handshake at a table.
The sequence is predictable: signed contract, an escrow deposit, a title and lien search, inspections, then settlement. When you can’t attend in person, a limited power of attorney or a notarized, sometimes consular-authenticated, signing package handles your paperwork from abroad. You’ll generally want a U.S. tax identification number (an ITIN) for filings down the road. Two cautions matter most — verify every wire instruction by phone with a known contact, because wire fraud targets exactly these deals, and start the process early if you’re financing. Our buyer resources lay out the full timeline. Cash purchases often close in two to four weeks.
Cash deals close faster and cleaner, which suits overseas buyers. Redfin (2026) found West Palm Beach led the nation with 47.2% of December 2025 home purchases paid in cash. A Florida title company, remote signing, and verified wire instructions are the practical backbone of a smooth settlement.
How Does Palm Beach County’s Cash Market Reward International Buyers?
Palm Beach County is built for cash, and international buyers fit right in. West Palm Beach led every U.S. metro with 47.2% of December 2025 home purchases paid in cash, according to Redfin (2026) — while the national share was just 29%. A cash-deep market is a comfortable market for buyers moving capital from abroad.
That depth runs strongest in exactly the places overseas buyers want: waterfront estates, golf and boating communities, and new luxury construction from Jupiter down through Palm Beach Gardens and the barrier-island towns. No state income tax, a stable legal system, and world-class marinas make the county a natural home base for a second residence or an income property.
The local nuance: in Palm Beach County, a financed offer competes against a wall of cash. If you’re financing from abroad, the winning move is often a strong proof-of-funds letter, a larger deposit, and a pre-underwritten foreign-national loan — so your bid reads as cleanly to a seller as a cash offer would.
Redfin (2026) ranked West Palm Beach first in the country for all-cash purchases at 47.2% in December 2025, more than 18 points above the 29% national average. That cash depth insulates local values from mortgage-rate swings and rewards buyers who arrive with funds ready.
Buying in Your Language: The Trilingual Advantage
Mexico (8%) ranks among the top five origins for U.S. foreign buyers, and buyers from across Latin America and Europe make up a large share of Florida demand, per the National Association of REALTORS® (2025). Working in your own language removes real friction from a cross-border purchase — especially when the subject is FIRPTA or entity structuring.
Cibie Cahur works with clients in English, Spanish, and French, which means the hardest parts of a deal — contract terms, financing conditions, tax questions to route to your CPA — get explained clearly the first time, in the language you think in. For international families, that clarity is worth as much as the market knowledge. You can read more about how the team serves multilingual buyers on our trilingual real estate page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners buy property in Florida?
Yes. There’s no citizenship or residency requirement to own real estate in Florida. Foreign nationals can buy and hold property outright, in their own name or through an entity. The practical work is in financing, tax planning, and closing logistics — not in whether you’re allowed to purchase in the first place.
What is FIRPTA and does it affect me as a buyer?
FIRPTA requires 15% of the amount realized to be withheld when a foreign person sells U.S. real estate, and the IRS makes the buyer the withholding agent. So if you buy from a foreign seller, you’re responsible for withholding and remitting it. Exceptions and reduced rates exist — confirm your case with a cross-border CPA.
Can a foreign national get a mortgage in Florida?
Yes. Foreign-national loan programs don’t require a U.S. credit score, a Social Security number, or a visa. Expect roughly 25% to 40% down, cash reserves, and underwriting based on documented assets or the property’s rental income. A majority of foreign buyers finance rather than pay cash, per the National Association of REALTORS in 2025.
Do I need an ITIN or a Social Security number to buy?
You don’t need a Social Security number to purchase. You’ll generally want an ITIN — an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — to file U.S. tax returns, report rental income, and reconcile any FIRPTA withholding when you eventually sell. Your title company or CPA can help you apply for one during the process.
Should I buy through an LLC?
Sometimes. Entities can address liability, privacy, and estate-tax exposure — a non-resident’s U.S. estate-tax exemption is only $60,000, per the IRS — but they add cost and filing duties, and they don’t automatically reduce tax. Decide the structure with a cross-border attorney before you make an offer, not after.
Is now a good time to buy in Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach County’s cash-heavy, no-income-tax market stays resilient through rate cycles — West Palm Beach led the nation at 47.2% all-cash purchases in December 2025, per Redfin. Whether it’s the right time for you depends on your goals and financing. A local team can pressure-test the numbers before you commit.
Cibie Cahur leads The Cahur Group at Keller Williams Realty, a Top 1% Keller Williams agent from 2017 through 2024 and an eight-agent team serving Palm Beach County and Martin County, Florida. Cibie works with clients in English, Spanish, and French and can be reached at 561-401-5758.
Thinking about a Florida purchase from overseas? Reach out for a private consultation — available in English, Spanish, or French — and we’ll map your financing, tax questions, and target communities before you make an offer.
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS® — “International Buyers Purchased $56 Billion Worth of U.S. Homes from April ’24 to March ’25” — https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/international-buyers-purchased-56-billion-worth-of-u-s-homes-from-april-24-to-march-25 — Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- Internal Revenue Service — “FIRPTA Withholding” — https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/firpta-withholding — Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- Internal Revenue Service — “Exceptions from FIRPTA Withholding” — https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/exceptions-from-firpta-withholding — Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- Internal Revenue Service — “Some Nonresidents with U.S. Assets Must File Estate Tax Returns” — https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/some-nonresidents-with-us-assets-must-file-estate-tax-returns — Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- Redfin — “All-Cash Home Purchases Ended 2025 at Five-Year Low” — https://www.redfin.com/news/all-cash-home-purchases-december-2025/ — Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- Morgan Lewis — “IRS Announces Increased Gift and Estate Tax Exemption Amounts for 2026” — https://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/2025/10/irs-announces-increased-gift-and-estate-tax-exemption-amounts-for-2026 — Retrieved 2026-07-02.