I am well aware that a great number of folks out there are considering relocating to Florida or purchasing a second property in this state. Stay tuned for some helpful advice if you are interested in establishing residency in THE SUNSHINE STATE if you are reading.
HI EVERYBODY, I’m Melanie Atkinson, a real estate agent working for Smith & Associates in Florida’s lovely Tampa Bay area. AND SINCE TODAY IS YOUR FIRST DAY AS A NEW RESIDENT OF FLORIDA STATE, WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT VERY GLAMOROUS BUT ARE REQUIRED OF YOU IN THIS CAPACITY. YES, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO VISIT THE DMV… IN ADVANCE OF MY GETTING STARTED, I WILL FIRST PRESENT MY STANDARD. Disclosure… I am a Realtor… I assist individuals in the buying and selling of homes… I am neither a lawyer nor a certified public accountant. Since many of the topics that I am about to cover are rather complex, I would ask that you seek the advice of an experienced specialist in the field if you have any questions. Because so many of the people I interact with and work with have these questions, this video aims to provide a guideline.
I will also include links in the description so that any of you who are interested can find out more information. Establishing One’s Residency in Florida: When you can call Florida your existing, fixed, and permanent home, others will refer to you as a Floridian. There are a few distinct approaches one can take to demonstrate this point. If you do not own real estate in another state and buy or rent a home or apartment in Florida, you can establish your residency by doing all of the things you would normally do when you move… First, if you do not own real estate in another state, you can establish your residency in Florida by purchasing or renting a home or apartment in Florida.
You can alter your driver’s license, register your children for local schools, obtain work in Florida, sign up to vote, and more if you live in Florida. Through the acts you have taken, you have demonstrated that you are a permanent resident of Florida because you have done all of those things. This is where things start to become a little more tricky for you if you own property in another state and want to keep that property, but you also want to own a home here and change your residency to Florida. If this is something you are looking to accomplish, you should seek the advice of a legal professional as soon as possible. However, because many people who only live in Florida part-time wish to take advantage of the state’s reduced tax rates, this is typical. What you need to be aware of is that the state you are leaving doesn’t want you to change your domicile because then they lose out on those tax dollars, so it is up to you to make sure that you are following all of the steps to establish yourself as a resident of Florida properly.
The state you are leaving doesn’t want you to change your domicile because they lose out on those tax dollars. To demonstrate to the state of Florida that you intend to make Florida your primary place of residence, you will be required to submit a Declaration of Domicile. You need to demonstrate that you have a place to live in Florida to get your Declaration accepted, but you also need to demonstrate that you intend to remain in the state and become a resident. You are required to obtain a driver’s license from Florida, register to vote, open bank accounts in the state of Florida, and file your tax returns using your Florida address. The difficult element is demonstrating that you have the “will to stay.” Carry out the necessary research, and if you still have questions, see an expert. Obtaining Your Driver’s License and Registering Your Vehicle: Within the first thirty days of establishing residency in Florida, anyone who is a new resident is required to obtain a driver’s license in the state of Florida.
You will be required to bring in primary identification evidence, such as a birth certificate or passport, proof of address, and social security documentation. This primary identification document must be different from your out-of-state driver’s license. It’s a lot, and you don’t want to come there without all of the necessary paperwork, so make sure to read the description of this video for the link to the DMV. Also, if you can, please schedule an appointment! If you don’t have one, you might be waiting for a while! When it comes to transferring a car title to the state of Florida and registering a vehicle, the state’s official website is quite murky and difficult to understand. I did include it in the description, but if you want to simplify things, you can always give one of the offices in the county where you will be moving a call. In all honesty, I made a call to the tax collector’s office to seek some explanation.
When it comes to transferring your vehicle’s title, the process can vary from state to state, depending on where the vehicle is currently titled. It’s possible that you won’t have to transfer it at all. In addition, you have thirty days from the time you first establish residency in Florida to register your vehicle there. If you want to register your vehicle in Florida, you will need to produce documentation that you have Florida car insurance; therefore, you need to take care of getting car insurance first. You also need to provide a copy of your driver’s license and confirmation that you own the vehicle, and because this is your first application, the fees are more expensive. Additionally, a verification of the vehicle’s VIN is required of them.
The good news is that you should be able to obtain your driver’s license, title transfer, and registration, all taken care of on the same day. You may need to navigate to many windows, and the process may take some time, but it is preferable to go twice. Before going in for any of this, it is highly recommended that you give the tax collector’s office a call to ensure that you are performing all of these steps appropriately. Also, schedule that appointment so it won’t take up as much of your time. When you go to the office of the Tax Collector, don’t forget to sign up to vote while you’re there! Pet Registration Every animal in Florida needs to have a valid license. Forms for registering pets in Florida can be obtained from any local veterinarian.
Dogs and cats older than four months are needed to acquire a pet license, and they must also have either initial rabies vaccinations or booster shots. You will be issued a pet license tag in Florida once a pet registration form has been completed and your pet has been vaccinated against rabies. Check your county’s website to see what the fees are for registering your pet, as they will differ depending on where you live in Florida. Exemption for Primary Residence You are eligible to apply for a Homestead Exemption in Florida if you have an established residency there and you own a home there. If you do so, you will receive a reduction in the assessed value of your home. It also restricts the amount of increase in your assessed value that can occur annually to no more than 3 per cent. Florida homeowners get a nice break on their taxes because of this provision.
Remember that the first of March is the cutoff date for registration each year, so don’t forget! You can accomplish this by using the website or office of your county’s property appraiser. Epass or Sunpass There are several toll highways in Florida, and the majority of them do not have pay booths. If you live in an area serviced by toll roads or intend to do a significant amount of travelling around the state of Florida, you will want to invest in either a SunPass or an E-Pass. They are called different names in different cities, but both will function on all toll highways in Florida.
Any grocery store, convenience store, or gas station should be able to provide you with a sticker or movable transponder. After obtaining one, you will be able to create an account online. Either you may link it to a credit or debit card to have the balance automatically topped off, or you can add money to it as you go along. Obtaining Gainful Employment This is a question that I am frequently asked, and to tell you the truth, I wish I could be of more assistance to you all about it. I am sorry to say that job services are not one of my areas of specialization. However, I did seek the advice of a friend of mine who works in information technology recruitment. He recommended that people begin their employment search online by uploading their resumes to Indeed, Careerbuilder Monster.com, and Linked In. Recruiters are continuously looking for the ideal candidates to fill open positions for their various customers.
Conduct a job search on one of these websites to investigate the opportunities available in the service business and see what comes up. There is a link in the job description that will take you to a website where you can look for positions in the state government of Florida, which you can use if you are interested in working for that state. Please keep in mind that if you work in the medical or educational fields, we are always looking for more people like you here in Florida. Moving to Florida to retire There is a website for the Department of Elder Affairs in Florida that provides much information that is truly helpful. If you are thinking about retiring there, you should check it out. There are a plethora of connections on that website, some of which include information on assisted living facilities, veteran affairs, and a link to the Older Floridians Handbook.
Other links on the website include a link to 55+ communities organized by county. Downloading this manual is strongly recommended because it contains much useful information that you won’t want to miss out on. The URL is now included in the description. If you plan to retire in our beautiful state, you should check it out. The process of moving to a different state can be very stressful… I hope that this helps alleviate some of that burden in some small way. Don’t forget to call me if you are looking to purchase or sell a house in the Tampa Bay Area; I will be pleased to assist you in any transaction. If you are interested in viewing something else on my channel, I have a video titled Worst Things About Living in Florida… that you might find entertaining. to make sure you are moving here with your eyes wide open. Thanks for watching; I’ll see you next time. With All My Love, Melanie
