Buying on the Pinellas beaches? Start here.
Browse what's for sale, get the checklist of what to verify, or send me a property you've found. Houses and condos, every beach town.
Keller Williams St. Pete · Arrivato Homes
Call or text 727-230-9999
The Pinellas beach buyer checklist
One printable page set for houses and condos: the records to pull, the questions to ask the listing agent, and when in the deal to ask them.
- Flood zone, elevation and permit records for a house
- Condo documents: SIRS, milestone reports, reserves, insurance
- Questions for the listing agent and the association
- What to get before the offer, during inspections and before closing
Ask about a property, or tell me what you're looking for.
I reply personally, usually the same day.
Send an address or building name and I'll tell you what's worth checking before you offer: flood and permit records for a house, or the building's documents, reserves and financing picture for a condo.
Prefer to talk? Call or text 727-230-9999
House or condo? Read what matters for each.
Short, plain-English guides to the questions a beach listing doesn't answer. Local examples come from St. Pete Beach; the questions apply in every beach town.
Buying a beach house
- Flood zone and Base Flood Elevation
- Storm damage, repairs and permit history
- The FEMA 50% rule and future renovations
- Flood and wind insurance
Buying a beach condo
- Milestone inspections and SIRS
- Reserves and special assessments
- Master insurance and deductibles
- Financing and rental rules
If you want to go deeper.
The twelve beach areas, and why the town matters
The Gulf beaches are a string of separate cities and towns, plus unincorporated Tierra Verde at the south end. Which one a property sits in decides whose rules apply. A mailing address doesn't always tell you, so confirming the jurisdiction is the first step for any property.
What changes from town to town, and what doesn't
The 50% rule and floodplain rules
Each city and town administers its own floodplain rules, including how it counts improvement and repair costs toward the 50% threshold. Tierra Verde follows Pinellas County's rules.
Permit history
Permits, inspections and substantial-damage determinations are kept by the jurisdiction the property is in.
Short-term rentals
Minimum rental periods are set by each city's zoning. A condo or HOA's own documents can be stricter still. Both have to allow the rental you have in mind.
Flood zone and elevation
The flood zone and Base Flood Elevation depend on the exact lot, not the town. The Elevation Certificate records the numbers for a specific house.
Florida condo safety law
Milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS) are state law, so they apply to qualifying buildings in every beach town.
Condo financing
Lenders review the building as well as the buyer: reserves, litigation, insurance, rental mix and inspection record.
Common questions, answered in the guides
How I work with buyers
Most beach properties are fine to buy. The point of the research is to know which records, documents and professional opinions you still need before you make an offer, so the surprises happen on paper instead of after closing.
Records first.
Permits, elevation certificates, association reports and insurance history, pulled for the specific property.
The right specialist for each question.
Engineers, insurance agents, lenders and attorneys answer what's theirs to answer. I help you know what to ask them.
A clear list of unknowns.
What's verified, what isn't, and what it would take to find out.