Moving From Texas to Davie, FL: What to Know 2026

What Changes Financially When You Move From Texas to Davie, Florida?

Moving from Texas to Davie, Florida keeps your zero state income tax, and it usually lowers your property tax rate, because Florida effective rates run well below Texas averages on a comparable home. The tradeoff is homeowners insurance, which runs higher in South Florida. Your Florida homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap build savings over years, not on day one. Confirm current numbers before you set a budget.

You left Texas with a plan in your head. No state income tax, a strong housing market, and a warm weather move that finally puts you near the coast. Most of that plan holds in Davie. The part that surprises Texas buyers is where the money actually shifts once you own here.

Here is the honest version. The income tax win you already had in Texas, so it is not new savings. The property tax picture usually improves. The insurance picture usually gets worse. And the Florida tax benefits everyone talks about are real, but they reward the years you stay, not the day you close. I walk relocating buyers through this exact math before they fall in love with a house, and it changes what they offer and where they look.

The Tax Math: Your Income Tax Win Was Already Yours

Texas and Florida both have no state income tax. That is a genuine reason people move between them, but if you are coming from Texas, you are not gaining anything new on that line. Your comparison is property tax and insurance, not income tax.

On property tax, Florida usually comes out ahead. Effective property tax rates in Texas run roughly double what a comparable Florida home pays, so a Texas owner moving to Davie often sees the rate drop. Do not budget off a rule of thumb though. Broward County sets its own millage, and your bill depends on your assessed value and taxing district. Confirm the current numbers with the Broward County Property Appraiser before you commit to a monthly payment.

Florida then adds two homeowner protections Texas does not match the same way:

1. The homestead exemption. Once Davie is your permanent residence, the Broward County Property Appraiser lets you remove up to $50,000 from your home’s assessed value, applied as a first $25,000 against all taxing authorities and a second $25,000 on assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 that excludes school taxes.

2. Save Our Homes. After your first homestead year, Florida caps how much your assessed value can rise to 3 percent per year, even when the market runs hotter. This is the benefit that makes long tenure Florida owners pay so little. It compounds the longer you stay.

There is a catch that trips up almost every out of state buyer. That Save Our Homes cushion does not follow you across state lines. Portability of a Florida homestead is in state only, so your Texas homestead gives you nothing here. You start at Davie’s current market assessed value, and the cap begins building from your first year. The way I explain it to Davie buyers who owned property taxes here shows the full mechanics in my Davie property tax guide, and the state to state version of this comparison is broken down in my Davie versus New Jersey tax post, which runs the same reassessment logic a Texas buyer needs.

To file, you must own and occupy the home as your permanent residence as of January 1, and file with the county by the March deadline for that tax year. Get your Florida driver’s license and voter registration at the new address early, because those are the proofs the county asks for.

One more thing to watch and not to bank on. Florida has a homestead measure on the November 2026 ballot that could change exemption amounts and residency timing. It is not law yet, and it needs to pass first, so plan around today’s rules and treat any change as upside. Verify where it lands with the county before you count on it.

The Insurance Surprise Most Texas Buyers Miss

This is the line that erases part of the tax win, and it is the one people underestimate. Homeowners insurance in South Florida runs higher than what you paid in Texas, sometimes by a wide margin. Hurricane exposure, roof age, and the cost of rebuilding all feed the premium, and several carriers have pulled back from the Florida market in recent years.

Do not shop for a home before you shop for an insurance quote. Get a real quote on any specific house early in your search, because two homes at the same price can carry very different premiums based on roof age, wind mitigation features, and flood zone. A newer roof and impact windows can move the number meaningfully.

Flood is its own separate cost from your homeowners policy, and Davie has a mix of flood zones. Some parcels sit in higher risk zones that require flood insurance, and some do not. Pull the flood zone for any address you are serious about at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and read my Davie flood zone guide so you know what zone X, AE, and VE mean for your budget before you write an offer.

What Your Texas Budget Buys in Davie

Davie is a single family town at heart, which is usually what Texas buyers are after. You will find one and two story homes, no HOA acreage, and equestrian parcels that feel closer to a Texas ranch lot than a dense coastal grid. Davie protects that character through agricultural zoning and bridle paths, and you can look up land use and permitting rules on the Town of Davie site. The current Davie single family median is $893,000 (single-family median, trailing 182 days ending Sep 7, 2026, based on 206 listings, per BeachesMLS), and homes are closing near 96% of list, so you can see where your Texas equity actually lands here.

A few anchors as you set expectations:

• Space without leaving the metro. Neighborhoods like Long Lake Ranches (33330) and Hawkes Bluff (33330) offer larger lots and gated or acreage living while staying inside Broward County.
• The commute you are trading for. From central Davie you are generally around 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale and roughly 40 to 50 minutes from Miami in normal traffic. Test your actual route at your actual commute hour before you decide on an area.
• Davie ZIP codes to know. The single family market spreads across 33314, 33324, 33325, 33328, 33330, and 33331, and lot sizes and price per square foot shift a lot between them.

If you want the full lay of the land before you narrow a search, start with my complete guide to moving to Davie, and if you are comparing origin cities, the pattern I lay out for a New York to Davie move maps closely to a Texas one on lot size and lifestyle.

How to Buy in Davie From Out of State

You do not need to fly in five times to buy here. Most of my relocation buyers run the process remotely, and Florida is built for it. Here is the path.

1. Get preapproved with a Florida-aware lender. Your debt to income math is the same, but your lender needs to price Florida insurance and any flood cost into your monthly number, or your budget will be wrong.

2. Tour by video first, then in person once. You can see every listing yourself online. What you cannot see on a screen is roof condition, unpermitted additions, or how a lot drains after a storm. That read is the actual job.

3. Write the offer on the terms, not just the price. Inspection period, wind mitigation, four point inspection for insurance, and the flood zone all belong in your strategy before you sign a FAR/BAR contract.

4. Close with a Florida title company. Florida is a title state, so a title company handles your closing, and you can sign remotely.

5. File your homestead after you close. Once Davie is your permanent home as of January 1, file with the county to start the exemption and the Save Our Homes clock.

This is where working with someone who knows Davie earns its keep. A relocation buyer has the least local knowledge and the most on the line, so the value is in the inspection triage, the insurance and flood read, and the offer strategy, not in access to listings you can already see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still pay no state income tax after moving from Texas to Florida?

Yes. Neither Texas nor Florida has a state income tax, so your paycheck is treated the same in both. That means income tax is not a reason to expect new savings when you move from Texas to Davie. Your real comparison is property tax and homeowners insurance.

Are property taxes lower in Davie than in Texas?

Usually yes on the rate. Florida effective property tax rates run well below Texas averages on a comparable home, and Florida adds the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap. Your actual bill depends on your assessed value and Broward’s millage, so confirm current figures with the Broward County Property Appraiser before budgeting.

Does my Texas homestead exemption transfer to Florida?

No. Florida homestead and Save Our Homes portability is in state only, so a Texas homestead gives you no head start here. You begin at Davie’s current market assessed value, and the Save Our Homes cap, generally about 3 percent a year, starts building from your first homestead year in Florida.

Why is homeowners insurance so much higher in Davie than in Texas?

South Florida carries higher hurricane and flood exposure, rebuild costs have risen, and several insurers have reduced their Florida presence, which pushes premiums up. Roof age, wind mitigation features, and flood zone drive big swings between homes, so get a quote on the specific house early rather than assuming a market average.

Can I buy a home in Davie without living in Florida yet?

Yes. Most relocation buyers get preapproved, tour by video, make one in person trip, and close remotely through a Florida title company. The key is pricing insurance and flood into your budget up front and building your offer around the inspection and insurance reality, not just the list price.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

If you are planning a move from Texas to Davie, the best next step is a direct conversation about your budget, your timeline, and the areas that fit. I am a Davie native and a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, and I built livingindavieflorida.com to answer exactly these questions. If you are already working with an agent, I am happy to give an honest second opinion, and if you are going it alone, I will walk you through the tradeoffs. Schedule a strategy call here.

Anthony Spitaleri

Living in Davie Florida

954-235-5783

Davie, Florida

livingindavieflorida.com

Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker and a Davie native. More about Anthony