Thinking of Buying a Holiday Home in Orlando?

Yes. Mortgages are available to UK and other overseas buyers through US lenders offering foreign national mortgage programmes.

Depending on the lender, property and your individual circumstances, mortgages may be available with deposits from around 25%.

Interest rates and lending criteria vary, so we can introduce you to mortgage specialists who regularly work with UK buyers purchasing property in Florida and can explain the current options available to you.

If you intend to rent your property, mortgage interest may also be deductible against US rental income depending on your individual tax position. You should take advice from a US tax professional on your own circumstances.

Orlando is a year-round holiday destination, although rental demand and rates vary throughout the year.

Christmas and New Year, Easter, spring break and the main summer holiday periods can all produce strong demand, while other times of the year can be more price-sensitive.

The size and type of home also makes a difference. A smaller family villa can have a different booking pattern from a large resort home designed for several families travelling together.

Rather than concentrating on one particular season, we look at a property's potential across the whole year when helping you assess its rental prospects.

There isn't one particular size or type of Orlando holiday home that will always produce the highest return.

Rental performance can vary considerably depending on the resort, purchase price, number of bedrooms, facilities, running costs, competition from similar homes and how well the property is presented and marketed.

Larger resort homes can generate higher rental income because they accommodate bigger families and groups, but they also generally cost more to buy and run. Smaller homes may generate less overall rental income but can sometimes produce an attractive return relative to their purchase price and running costs.

When we're helping you choose a home, we'll look at the available rental data and comparable properties to help you understand its realistic rental potential rather than simply relying on headline rental projections.

HOA stands for Homeowners Association. Most Orlando holiday-home communities have an HOA, with owners paying a regular fee towards the management and upkeep of the ommunity.

What the HOA fee includes varies considerably from one resort to another. It can cover things such as communal areas, security, landscaping and resort facilities such as clubhouses, pools, gyms and other amenities. In some communities, the fee may also include additional services relating to the individual property.

HOA fees can make a significant difference to the ongoing cost of owning a holiday home, so we'll explain exactly what the fee is and what it includes when we're helping you compare properties.

No. Not every home in the Orlando area can be used as a short-term holiday rental.

The property needs to be in an area where short-term rentals are permitted, and there may also be community or HOA restrictions that need to be considered. The appropriate Florida and local licences and registrations must also be in place before the home is rented to guests.

This is one of the things we'll check when helping you choose a property, particularly if generating rental income is an important part of your plans.

Closing costs are the additional costs associated with completing the purchase of your Orlando home.

As a general guide, if you're buying without a mortgage, you should budget around 2% of the purchase price for closing costs. If you're financing the purchase with a US mortgage, we'd suggest budgeting around 4%.

These costs can include title and settlement charges, recording fees and other costs associated with transferring ownership, together with lender-related costs when a mortgage is involved.

The exact amount will vary depending on the property, the transaction and your financing, and we'll help you understand the likely costs before you commit to a purchase.

An ITIN is an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number issued by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to people who need a US taxpayer identification number but aren't eligible for a Social Security Number.

As a UK owner renting out your Orlando holiday home, you'll need an ITIN to file your US tax returns.

This isn't something you'll be left to arrange on your own. We can introduce you to a US accountant and tax adviser experienced in working with UK owners, who can help you obtain your ITIN and look after your ongoing US tax requirements.

UK passport holders can spend extended periods enjoying their Orlando holiday home.

The simplest option for most UK visitors is to travel under the Visa Waiver Program using an ESTA, which allows visits of up to 90 days at a time.

If you want to stay for longer than 90 days, you can apply for an appropriate US visitor visa, which can allow longer stays. The length of stay permitted is ultimately determined by US immigration authorities.

Buying a property doesn't automatically give you US residency, but it doesn't prevent you from spending substantial periods of time at your Orlando home either. If you're planning longer or more frequent stays, we can point you towards the appropriate specialist advice.