A fresh kitchen is easy to notice. The issues that change a purchase budget are often harder to see. Before getting attached to a house, I want answers on five things.
This is a buying checklist, not a substitute for inspections. Use your contract’s actual deadlines and bring the right professionals in early enough to act on their findings.
1. The roof and insurance
Florida law does not impose a universal 15-year shingle-roof maximum.
Florida does not set a universal 15-year shingle-roof maximum for homeowners policies. Under Florida Statutes section 627.7011(5)–(6), insurers cannot refuse or nonrenew solely because a roof is under 15 years old. For an older roof, the homeowner must be allowed an authorized inspection; five or more years of remaining useful life protects against an age-only rejection. Other lawful underwriting reasons can still apply.
Ask for the roof age, replacement permit and repair history. Have an inspector evaluate condition and obtain a property-specific insurance quote. Do not treat a single roof-age rule as applying to every carrier and material.
Citizens’ inspection requirements illustrate why documentation matters: its four-point inspection covers roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Other insurers may have different underwriting requirements. Confirm what your selected carrier needs before the relevant contingency expires. Citizens inspection requirements.
2. The permit history
Check permit status and the path to resolution before committing.
Compare advertised improvements with the available records. Ask about additions, conversions, roof replacement and major electrical or plumbing work. A missing record calls for investigation; it does not, by itself, prove the work was illegal or defective.
The City of Orlando provides a permit-status lookup by address, permit number, project name or parcel ID. Properties in other jurisdictions require the appropriate city or county records. Ask the building department and title professional to clarify open or expired permits and the path to resolution. Orlando permits and inspections.
3. The HOA and any CDD
HOA dues and any district assessments belong in the same complete budget.
Get the dues, budget, pending assessments and rules. Clarify maintenance responsibilities, rental limits and architectural approvals. If a CDD applies, request its assessment details separately.
Put every charge into the ownership budget and check whether it is already included in the tax escrow estimate. A payment illustration is useful only when all obligations are accounted for once.
4. Drainage and flood questions
Use both map information and a physical review of the lot.
Look at where water can go around the lot, driveway and neighboring properties. Ask about prior flooding, drainage work and insurance claims. Map information and a physical review answer different questions, so use both.
Request property-specific flood-insurance guidance rather than assuming a neighborhood-wide statement settles the issue. Where necessary, ask an engineer or other qualified specialist to investigate drainage or elevation concerns.
5. Evidence of water intrusion
Use visible clues to direct the inspection and request documentation.
Look for ceiling stains, swollen trim, musty odors and repairs concentrated in one spot. Ask what happened and request the supporting records. These are clues for an inspector, not a diagnosis from a showing.
If the general inspection raises concerns, obtain the specialist assessment and written repair scope before deciding what credit or price adjustment would be sufficient. A credit without a reliable scope can leave you carrying the unknown cost.
Put the checks in order
A credit is useful only when the underlying work is understood.
Request records early, book the inspections, secure insurance quotes and track every deadline in the contract. Then decide whether to proceed, negotiate or use any contractual cancellation right with professional guidance.
The goal is to understand the property before you own its problems. Once the evidence and budget make sense, you can decide whether the house deserves your enthusiasm.
Work with me
Weighing a Central Florida purchase? Send me the address, budget and what you need the property to do. We can discuss the records, costs and tradeoffs before you commit.
yogi@orlandosgreatesthomes.com | (321) 217-4220
Yogi Ganeshram, Real Estate Agent | eXp Realty LLC
Reviewed October 18, 2026. Educational information; confirm legal, tax, insurance and financing questions with the relevant professional. Market snapshots describe their stated geography and period, not an individual property. Illustrations are not quotes.