Orange County
House flipping in Orlando, FL: transfer taxes, property tax and a flip calculator
Every flip in Orlando pays deed and transfer taxes twice: once when you buy and once when you sell. In Orange County they add up to about 0.7% of the price. Here is what each one is, who usually pays it, how property tax works for investors, and a calculator to run your deal.
Projected net profit
$47,476
15.8% margin on ARV over 6 months
Cash needed
$42,524
Return on cash
112%
Max offer
$170,500
$30k profit, 12% margin
70% rule
$160,500
70% of ARV minus rehab with 10% contingency
Where every dollar goes
- Purchase
- $160,000
- Rehab with contingency
- $49,500
- Buy closing costs
- $3,501
- Loan points and fees
- $5,880
- Loan interest
- $9,364
- Taxes, insurance, utilities
- $3,280
- Selling costs
- $21,000
- Total cost
- $252,524
- Break-even ARV
- $248,976
Planning defaults: hard money 11%, 2 points, $1,500 fees, 90% of price and 100% of rehab, interest on drawn funds; 5.5% commission and 1% concessions; state closing and transfer taxes. Not a quote.
Comps, rehab, refi and a verdict for a real address. Your numbers come with you.
Transfer and recording taxes in Orlando
| Level | What it is |
|---|---|
| State | Florida documentary stamp tax on deeds: $0.70 per $100 of consideration (0.7%) in every county except Miami-Dade. Who pays is set by contract; seller customarily pays on deeds (custom unsourced, verify). (source) |
| On your loan | Florida documentary stamp tax on notes and mortgages: $0.35 per $100 (0.35%) (tax on a note itself capped at $2,450; mortgages uncapped). Plus nonrecurring intangible tax of 2 mills (0.2%) on obligations secured by Florida real estate, paid at recording; the lender is the taxpayer. (source) |
Who pays: set by contract; the seller customarily pays deed stamps.
What it costs on a typical flip
- Buy at $200,000: deed and transfer taxes
- $1,400
- Record a $180,000 purchase loan
- $990
- Sell at $300,000: deed and transfer taxes
- $2,100
This adds every cited rate on each side, buyer and seller, so you see the full cost of the round trip. Who actually pays each piece depends on custom and your contract. Recording fees and title insurance are extra.
Property tax in Orlando for investors
Florida's 3% Save Our Homes cap is for homesteads only; non-homestead residential property (9 or fewer units) has a 10% annual assessment cap that excludes school levies and resets to just value the year after a change of ownership (F.S. 193.1554). A 2026 ballot measure may lower this to 5% from 2027 (verify). (source)
For a flip, property tax is part of carrying cost every month you own the house. For a rental, budget the bill the county will send after you buy, not the seller's bill.
Run the numbers
The calculator above uses general closing cost defaults outside Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia. For Orlando, add the taxes above to your numbers: about $2,390 on the buy side and $2,100 on the sale in this example.
Questions
How much is the transfer tax in Orlando?
The cited deed and transfer taxes total about 0.7% of the price in Orange County. On a $300,000 sale that is about $2,100. Who pays: set by contract; the seller customarily pays deed stamps.
Is Orlando a good place to flip houses?
It depends on the deal, not the city. Buy at a price that leaves room for every cost: closing and transfer taxes on both ends, loan points and interest, carry, commission and concessions. Run the numbers on each house.
Is there a tax on the loan in Florida?
Yes. Florida documentary stamp tax on notes and mortgages: $0.35 per $100 (0.35%) (tax on a note itself capped at $2,450; mortgages uncapped). Plus nonrecurring intangible tax of 2 mills (0.2%) on obligations secured by Florida real estate, paid at recording; the lender is the taxpayer.
Facts checked 2026-10-10 against the linked official sources. Tax rates and fees change; confirm them with your closing attorney, title company or the locality. Not legal, tax or lending advice.
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