Country guide · Canada
Buying Miami real estate from Canada.
Canadians are one of South Florida's largest groups of international buyers, and the whole process is very doable from Canada. Here's a straight-talking guide, plus working tools for your budget in Canadian dollars and your days in the sun.
ECB via Frankfurter, Oct 8, 2026 · Freddie Mac PMMS, Oct 8, 2026
Cross-border toolkit
Run your own numbers.
Your budget, in U.S. dollars
What your home-currency budget buys in Miami.
- Closing costs to plan
- 2 to 5% on top
- Money moves by
- Wire to escrow
- Go deeper
- The strong dollar, explained →
Fetching today's reference rate…
Each rate shows its source and date: the official rate where the country publishes one (Colombia's TRM, the BCRA quote for Argentina), the ECB reference rate for the euro, the Canadian dollar and others. Banks and currency specialists quote their own rates. Many buyers use a currency specialist rather than a retail bank counter, and plan the conversion in advance. Chile, Peru, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala: Rates By Exchange Rate API.
Snowbird day counter
The IRS "substantial presence" formula: this year's days + ⅓ of last year's + ⅙ of the year before.
- This year counts
- every day
- Last year counts
- one third
- The year before counts
- one sixth
- The formula needs this year at
- 31 days or more
Tax-residency math only. Immigration stay limits are separate, and owning a home doesn't extend either. Many snowbirds near the line ask a cross-border CPA about the closer-connection filing (Form 8840). Confirm your situation with a professional.
Know before you go
Taxes and stays for Canadian buyers.
High-level orientation only. The details below change and depend on your situation. The whole point is to know which questions to ask your cross-border professionals.
Important: the points above are general education, not tax, legal, or financial advice. U.S. and foreign rules, rates, and day-count limits change and depend on your personal circumstances. Before you buy, sell, rent, or plan your stay, confirm the current details with a licensed cross-border CPA, an immigration attorney, and a qualified lender. I'm glad to introduce you to professionals who work with international clients every day.
Selling later (FIRPTA)
When a non-U.S. person sells U.S. property, U.S. rules generally require the buyer to withhold a portion of the sale price and send it to the IRS. You then file a U.S. return to reconcile and often recover part of it. Some lower-priced primary residences are treated differently. Run a quick estimate with the FIRPTA estimator, and confirm the current rules with a cross-border CPA.
Renting it out
Rental income is generally taxable in the U.S. and also reportable at home. By default, 30% of the gross rent is withheld; many owners instead elect to be taxed on net income (Form W-8ECI to the payer), which needs an ITIN and a U.S. return filed on time. Canada has an income-tax treaty with the U.S., and how it applies to your rent is for a CPA who files on both sides: set it up before the first booking.
Snowbird stay limits
Canadian citizens can generally visit without a visa, but owning a home doesn't grant the right to stay indefinitely. Visitors are limited in how long they can be in the U.S. each year, and staying too long can trigger U.S. tax-residency tests. Track your days (the day counter above shows the tax-side math) and ask an immigration attorney about your situation.
U.S. estate considerations
U.S. real estate counts toward U.S. estate tax for non-residents. A non-resident's U.S. assets above $60,000 require an estate-tax filing, rates reach 40%, and U.S. citizens and residents, by contrast, have a $15 million exemption in 2026. Ask a cross-border CPA about the estate-tax relief in the U.S.-Canada tax treaty. How you take title can matter, so talk to a cross-border attorney or CPA before you close.
For every foreign buyer
The rest is the same from any country.
The process, the financing and the U.S. rules don't change with your passport, so they live on the international page.
Rules for every foreign buyer
Visas, U.S. estate tax, FIRPTA, rental income, homestead, deed stamps and pre-construction deposits.
How you buy without leaving home
Paying cash or financing, step by step, and what I handle on the ground.
Cash or a cross-border mortgage
The two common paths, and this week's U.S. rate benchmark.
Why Miami
Sunshine, no state income tax, and real demand.
A few reasons so much international capital lands in South Florida, and why buyers keep coming back.
Escape the winter
Direct flights from Toronto, Montreal and cities across the Americas and Europe put a warm-weather home a few hours away, ideal for snowbirds and families alike.
No Florida state income tax
Florida levies no state income tax. Combined with a deep luxury market, that's a big part of the draw for international capital.
Strong rental & resale demand
Year-round tourism and in-migration support both seasonal rental income and long-term appreciation potential across the right neighborhoods.
A market you can read
I bring real comps, neighborhood intelligence and off-market opportunities so you buy on evidence, not a brochure.
See the market numbers →From the Market Desk
The dollar, rates and prices, this week.
Canadian buyer FAQ
Questions buyers from Canada ask.
Not covered here? Ask me on WhatsApp, which works worldwide, or call 786-578-6900.
Can I really buy from Canada without flying to Miami?
Cash or a U.S. mortgage as a Canadian buyer?
Do I need a visa to buy or to visit?
Will my winters in Miami make me a U.S. tax resident?
What taxes should I plan for?
How do I handle the currency exchange?
Can you connect me with cross-border professionals?
Start here
Tell me about your Miami plans.
Share a few details and I'll map out the process for your situation, and introduce you to the cross-border lenders, CPAs and attorneys who handle international clients every day. No pressure, no obligation.
Buy from home. I'll be your eyes here.Live video tours, a straight read on every building, and the cross-border lenders, CPAs and attorneys to get it done, on your time zone.
Licensed Florida Real Estate Agent · Carmona Realty Group
What you'll get back
- A clear, step-by-step plan to buy remotely.
- Intros to vetted cross-border lenders & tax pros.
- Curated options, on and off market.