If you’re buying or selling a house in Miami, make sure there are no open permits! If you find any, they should be closed prior to closing…. WELL IN ADVANCE OF CLOSING.
Open permits can be grounds for the title company to balk or the lender to renege on financing. Uncovering open permits and closing them out typically falls on the shoulders of the SELLER. Real estate terms (and contracts) vary though, sometimes placing that responsibility on the BUYER.
Buyers can (often) cancel a contract if open permits are uncovered prior to the end of a specified inspection period. It’s a shame to go through the process of finding a buyer (listing and showing your house… finding a ready, willing and able buyer… agreeing on price and terms ) and then have it all go south because of an open permit.
Currently in Miami-Dade it’s estimated that there may be as many as 20,000 open permits.
Navigating building, zoning, and permitting can be an absolute quagmire. With often just a month or two from contract to closing, there’s not a lot of time for dealing with and rectifying open permits.
Your Realtor can provide information: 1) companies that specialize in closing-out permits, and 2) Building and Zoning contacts within the various South Florida municipalities. EWM Realtors provides a site, with links where buyers and sellers can connect online and gather information on closing permits. To connect directly to that site, click here.
