About the Deadline
How Long Do I Have to Report a Fire Claim?
One year from the date of loss for an initial or reopened claim, and eighteen months for a supplemental claim. Both windows were shortened by legislation effective in 2023, so older guidance saying two and three years is out of date.
My Fire Was Ten Months Ago and I Have Not Filed.
Deal with that this week rather than next month, and take advice from a public adjuster or a lawyer rather than a buyer. The window is a statutory bar, not a target, and comparing cash offers is the wrong priority until it is addressed.
I Filed, but I Have Found More Damage Since.
That is a supplemental claim, and it has its own window of eighteen months from the date of loss. Do not assume the original filing preserved it indefinitely.
The Fire Was Two Years Ago. Is the Property Worthless?
No. It means insurance proceeds are probably no longer part of the picture, which changes what the property is worth but not whether it has value. The land and any salvageable structure are unaffected.
About the Deed Tax
Why Is My Condo More Expensive to Sell Than My Neighbour's House?
The Miami-Dade surtax exempts documents transferring only a single-family dwelling and nothing else. A house is taxed at $0.60 per $100 of consideration; a condo, townhouse, duplex or larger building carries an extra $0.45, taking it to $1.05.
Is That Different From the Rest of Florida?
Yes, and Miami-Dade is the only county where it is. Everywhere else in the state the deed tax is a flat $0.70 per $100 with no surtax. A Miami-Dade single-family transfer is the cheapest in Florida; a Miami-Dade condo transfer is the dearest.
Who Pays It?
Customarily the seller on the deed, though all parties to the document are liable regardless of who agrees, and the contract can allocate it. Confirm what any offer assumes before comparing net figures.
How Do I Confirm My Property's Classification?
The property appraiser's folio record. It is free, it takes two minutes, and it settles the question rather than leaving it to how the building is described.
About Associations and Shared Buildings
I Own a Condo and the Building Was Damaged.
The association controls restoration of the structure, not you. Your unit may be repairable in weeks and irrelevant if the building around it is not. Ask the association for its position and its insurance situation in writing, because a buyer will want both.
The Fire Spread to the Unit Next Door.
That generates claims in more than one direction and can affect what either owner may do. It is worth establishing early, because a buyer will find it in diligence and finding it themselves costs you more.
Can I Sell a Unit While the Building Is Still Being Restored?
Yes. The uncertainty about the building's timeline affects the figure, so the more you can document about the association's position, the tighter that figure becomes.
About the Rebuild
Why Is Rebuilding More Expensive Here?
Miami-Dade sits in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and anything replaced is built to that standard. Windows, doors and roofing assemblies generally require product approval before installation. Replacement cost per square foot is therefore above the national figures many buyers work from.
An Offer Looks High. Should I Be Suspicious?
Ask what rebuild cost per square foot they assumed and whether it reflects the hurricane zone. A buyer working from a national figure has understated their own cost, and that gets discovered rather than absorbed.
The Masonry Walls Survived.
Frequently the best outcome available on older stock. A sound shell removes both the demolition cost and much of the structural rebuild, and rebuilding within an existing envelope avoids some of what a new structure attracts.
Does Flood Zone Status Affect a Fire Rebuild?
It can. Where a property sits in a mapped flood zone and damage passes a threshold share of value, a rebuild may have to meet current elevation requirements rather than replicate what was there. Get the determination in writing rather than from an online map.
About the Sale and the Paperwork
What Does It Cost Me?
Nothing. No fee for the figure, no commission, no repair spend and no obligation if you decline.
Do I Have to Disclose the Fire?
Florida has no mandatory statutory form, but a seller must disclose facts materially affecting value that are not readily observable. Damage a buyer can see is theirs to notice; damage behind a repair is not, and an as-is clause does not remove the duty.
How Fast Can This Close?
Florida closes through title companies rather than attorneys on both sides, so a clean file moves quickly. An estate, an association or an unresolved lien slows it considerably.
Where Do Deeds Record?
With the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, which maintains the Official Records and collects the deed tax at recording.
The Owner on the Deed Has Died.
The estate has to be able to convey. It is a common cause of delay and worth starting even before you decide whether to sell.
If your question is specific to your property — and the good ones usually are — send the address. The answer often turns on the property type and the date of the fire, and our service area index sets out what changes where.