What to Think About Florida

Florida holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many British people.

The availability of affordable transatlantic flights, combined with the draw of major tourist attractions has created a massive holiday industry specifically tailored to Brits holidaying in Florida. With many of these holiday makers living in rented accommodation rather than hotels during their stay in the “Sunshine State” it’s not surprising that many of them get a real taste for the Florida lifestyle and look for a way to make it a bigger part of their lives.

Some go as far as to make a permanent move, taking up employment or starting their own business in Florida. Others postpone their move until retirement provides the opportunity for a major lifestyle change and a permanent move to Florida.

The largest group however satisfy their desires by the purchase of property in Florida to provide a personal holiday base, subsidized by renting out the property to other holiday makers. Done properly, this can give you a fantastic holiday home, a good steady return on your investment, and an appreciating asset. Hardly surprising it’s an attractive proposition for thousands of families every year.

The incredible level of demand has spawned an entire industry that makes its living selling Florida property – and associated service – to the Brits. Unfortunately, the quality of advice and information given to these buyers isn’t always what it might be, and it is all too common for the outcome to be unsatisfactory when buying property in Florida.

It seems that many people think that because there are so many similarities between our countries and the language we speak; it is safe to assume that the systems for buying property, the appropriate laws and customs that apply – will all be the same too.

Of course, this is far from true and there are many potential pitfalls for the unsuspecting British buyer. However, these can all be safely negotiated with a little advance research and by selecting the right advisors to help you in your quest.

Reading this web site is an excellent start!

Never, ever make the mistake of assuming something will work a certain way because that is what would happen in the UK – and never assume that anyone will highlight the differences for you …

… Unless of course you have sensibly enlisted the help of someone who is specifically experienced in the exact business of helping British people buy property in Florida. That is really the only guaranteed way of getting through the process from start to finish without tears. It isn’t enough to work only with people who understand the Florida system – if they don’t also have some understanding of the system you are familiar with they will not know what they have to focus on to help you with the critical differences between the two.

Since I moved from the UK to Florida in 1991, I’ve built up a massive amount of experience in helping UK citizens successfully buy, finance, manage and sell properties here.

This website is a distillation of that experience and I think it’s unique in its field – because it is a truly independent guide based on personal knowledge, not simply a vehicle for advertising developments and services like most of the so-called “guides” to Florida property.

Buying property in Florida is a high-stakes game. The lifestyle, income and security that come from a well-researched and properly executed plan are immensely positive and can change your life – but the price you pay for mistakes can of course be equally significant.

Fortunately, I know how to do this properly and how to avoid the pitfalls along the way, so I look forward to helping you achieve your dream of becoming the owner of property in Florida!

Getting there

There always seems to be a lot of confusion around things like visas and green cards – and in these times of increased security consciousness it may be that the situation will seem to get even more confusing. Much of this lack of clarity is due to the wide variety of different visas that exist for different purposes. In practice there are only a few that cater for the vast majority of people buying property in Florida.

HOLIDAYS AND SHORT VISITS
Most people can simply visit the USA for up to 90 days at a time without a visa under the “Visa Waiver Program”. This is ideal for research visits when considering your plans and will cover most holiday trips to enjoy your own property.

LONGER STAYS/SPLIT
RESIDENCE
A “B-2” visa is still a tourist visa, but it allows you to stay in the USA for up to six months at a time. This would be suitable for example for a retired person who wants to spend half of each year in the UK and half in Florida. You can actually spend more of each year in Florida if you break up your visits, but you have to be careful not to abuse the system (by leaving the USA for a week and then returning for example) or the visa will be revoked.

WORKING IN FLORIDA
If you are moving to Florida because of employment, there are various visa programs to allow this, but they are aimed at executives, skilled and professional workers. All assume the employment is current and they are not designed to allow people to enter the USA looking for work. The requirements for these “L” and, “H” visas vary, but your employer will probably have gone through the process with other workers and will know how it worked.

STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Getting a visa that will allow you to do business in Florida on a long-term basis is a good deal more complicated. Although there are well-established mechanisms and high success rates (assuming you meet the criteria) to facilitate this process, it is by no means guaranteed that you will be successful. The most common – indeed, typically the only – visa for people setting up in business, is the E-2 “investor” visa. This is one of the more complex types of entry visa, and there is extensive documentation to be completed. You may consider recruiting the assistance of a specialist who can guide you not only through the application process, but can advise you in detail as to what features of the businesses you consider will affect your chances of visa success.
In short, you will have to prove that you have committed significant funds to the creation of a US business that can support you, your dependents and will create employment for local people.

RETIREMENT IN FLORIDA

This is such a hot topic we have given it a whole information packed chapter of its own. Click here to read -- How to Legally Retire in The USA

CITIZENSHIP
All visas have to be renewed periodically, so you may eventually decide to make Florida your permanent home and try for the fabled

“Green Card”.
The first thing to be clear about is that American citizenship is quite separate from your visa status, and having any previous visas is completely unrelated to your chances of ever becoming a citizen. There are essentially six ways you might get a

Green Card:

EB5 Investor Visa Pilot Programme is Due to Expire in September 2008 - For More Information Click Here

• Multinational Manager. If you reach a point where you have substantial businesses in both the UK and the USA, the Multinational Manager program may be the easiest way to get a Green Card.
  
  
• Relative Sponsorship. A close relative who is a US citizen can sponsor you. This might be a path for example if a child becomes a US citizen through marriage, as they can then sponsor you.
  
  
• Employer Sponsorship. For example, a child or spouse may become a citizen through the sponsorship of their employer – and then in turn sponsor their parent or partner.
  
  
• Investment. If you invest $1,000,000 (less in some areas) in a business that creates at least 10 new jobs – that alone can qualify you for a Green Card.
  
  
• PPEA. Professionals and People of Extraordinary Ability. This program grants immediate residency to key professionals in high demand sectors (notably health care) and to athletes, artists, researches and so on who can prove extraordinary ability n their chosen field.
  
  
• Lottery. There is an annual lottery that allocates residency to a small number of people in different countries.

With the exception of basic tourist visas, it is probably worth recruiting the services of an immigration lawyer or similar service, as there are many criteria that are firmly believed or definitely known to be in place, but are not documented anywhere for the layman. DIY applications are very likely to fail after long delays and may count against future applications.