The 10 Questions to Ask Every Florida Builder Before You Sign

Model homes are designed to be experienced, not compared.

You visit one on a Tuesday, another two weeks later, and by then the details have blurred. Which one had the CDD? Which one included the quartz? Which one required you to use their management company? The brochures don't answer it, because brochures are written to sound good, not to be compared.

The fix is boring and it works: ask every builder the same questions, in the same order, and write the answers down.

Here are the ten we'd ask.

1. Are there builder fees added at closing? If so, how much?

Some builders add administrative, documentary, or "builder" fees on top of the contract price. These often appear late, on the closing disclosure.
A good answer is a number, or a clear "none." A bad answer is "nothing unusual" or "just standard closing costs." Ask for the itemized figure.

2. Are there daily or annual resort fees now — or reserved for the future?

Some communities charge a resort or amenity fee separate from the HOA. Ask both halves of that question. A community with no resort fee today may have declaration language reserving the developer's right to add one.
Ask specifically: "Does the declaration permit the developer or association to introduce a resort or amenity fee later?"

3. Is there a CDD? What's the annual amount, and what year does it terminate?

A Community Development District is a special taxing district that finances a community's roads, utilities, and amenities. Where one exists, it appears on your annual tax bill, often for twenty to thirty years.
This is the single biggest hidden differentiator between two Florida communities with similar sticker prices.

4. What are the ownership and rental restrictions in the community documents?

If you may ever rent the home — even to family, even occasionally — you need the declaration and bylaws before you go under contract.
And understand what a builder can actually speak to. A builder can tell you about the community's restrictions. Local government registration requirements and Florida's state licensing and tax rules for short-term rentals are separate layers that apply regardless of what any HOA says.

5. Am I required to use a specific property management company?

Some communities mandate a designated manager. That affects your costs, your control, and sometimes your ability to book your own home when you want it.
Ask the follow-up: "If I manage it myself, does that violate any provision of the HOA documents or my purchase contract?"

6. What is the current HOA amount — and what has it been for the last three years?

The current number is half the story. The trend is the other half.
Ask for: the current monthly amount, the three-year history, and the assessment history.

7. What exactly does the HOA cover, itemized?

"It covers everything" is not an answer. Get a list.
Specifically: water and sewer, landscaping, exterior maintenance, roof, pest control, amenity access, cable or internet, and reserve contributions. Two communities with identical dues can cover wildly different things.

8. What finishes are included in the base price — by brand and model?

Every builder's site says "premium finishes." That phrase is worth nothing until it's attached to manufacturers and model numbers.
Ask for a written specification covering cabinetry, countertops, flooring and tile (including whether tile runs floor-to-ceiling in wet areas or stops at a standard height), appliances, and plumbing fixtures.
Then ask the question that separates builders: What does the model home have that the base price does not?

9. Is there a mandatory furniture package? What does it cost?

Common in resort-oriented communities and frequently non-negotiable. Get the price and the terms in writing.

10. What are the estimated property taxes, and how are they calculated for a non-homestead owner?

If this is a second home, Florida's homestead exemption and 3% Save Our Homes cap don't apply to you. Non-homestead residential property receives a 10% annual assessment cap instead — and that cap resets on change of ownership, with the property reassessed at full market value the year after the sale.
This means the seller's or the model's tax figure is not your tax figure. Ask how they calculated the estimate and verify with the county property appraiser.

Next Steps

We built a one-page version of this with our own column already filled in, so you can hold us to our answers the same way you'd hold anyone else to theirs.

Download the Zenodro Buyers Guide comparison sheet

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Contract terms, warranty coverage, HOA amounts, fees, and tax treatment vary by property and change over time. Verify all figures with the relevant county offices and review all contract and community documents with your own attorney before signing. Zenodro Homes is not a law firm or an accounting firm.

Sources
Florida Senate Bill 360 (2023), amending Fla. Stat. §95.11(3) and §553.84 — statute of repose reduced from ten years to seven; grace period expired July 1, 2024
Fla. Stat. §193.1554 — non-homestead residential 10% assessment limitation; Florida county property appraiser guidance on reassessment following change of ownership
Fla. Stat. Chapter 509 and §509.032(7)(b) — vacation rental licensing and local preemption
Zenodro Homes Buyers Guide, Key Considerations When Purchasing a Property