Newest Blog Articles
The latest from Domuncula — practical articles on buying, maintaining, and understanding homeownership in Central Florida, published regularly.
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Wells and Water Lines in Florida: Permits and What Buyers Should Know
Water follows almost the same regulatory pattern as sewer and septic: connect to public water where it’s available, and where it isn’t, drill a well under a real permitting process that most people underestimate the first time they look into it. Short version: Private well construction in Florida is regulated statewide by DEP, but permits…
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Sewer, Septic, and Drainage in Florida: What Land Buyers Need to Know
Whether a piece of land connects to municipal sewer or needs its own septic system isn’t really a choice you make, it’s determined by what’s already available nearby, and Florida has specific, sometimes surprising rules layered on top of both options, especially in parts of Central Florida. Short version: If public sewer is available within…
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Florida Hurricane Building Code by Region: Wind Speed Requirements Explained
Florida’s wind code isn’t really organized by county, even though it’s tempting to think of it that way. It’s organized by wind speed contour lines drawn from decades of hurricane data, and county boundaries just happen to intersect those lines in different places. That distinction matters more than it sounds like it would. Short version:…
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Building and Permitting in Florida: What Homeowners Need to Know
Florida runs on a single, statewide building code, unusual in itself, most states let cities and counties adopt their own. But the code being uniform doesn’t mean the process is. Every county and city still runs its own building department, its own forms, and its own interpretation of the gray areas, which is where most…
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Airbnb and Short-Term Rentals in Florida: The Rules That Actually Apply
Central Florida runs one of the densest short-term rental markets on the planet, the Kissimmee corridor near Disney alone has tens of thousands of vacation homes operating as full-time rentals. That density exists because Florida’s regulatory framework is genuinely unusual: the state actively protects a host’s right to operate, while cities, counties, and private associations…
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Renting in Florida: A Tenant’s Rights and Responsibilities
The same statute that governs landlords, Florida Statutes Chapter 83, reads very differently from the tenant’s side of the page. Florida is generally considered a landlord-friendly state on procedure, but the specific protections tenants do have are real, enforceable, and more often violated out of ignorance than malice, on both sides. Short version: A landlord…
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Becoming a Landlord in Florida: The Legal Basics
Whether it’s a property bought specifically as a rental, a home you’re not ready to sell, or a room in the house you already live in, becoming a landlord in Florida means stepping into one of the more prescriptive landlord-tenant frameworks in the country. It doesn’t care whether you meant to become a business owner,…
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Florida Lawn Watering Restrictions: What’s Actually Legal
New Florida homeowners, especially those relocating from somewhere without this issue, are often surprised to learn that lawn watering restrictions here aren’t just a drought-emergency thing. They’re a permanent, year-round rule, and running a sprinkler on the wrong day can mean an actual citation. Short version: Florida’s water management districts set mandatory, year-round landscape irrigation…
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Roof Lifespan and Replacement Costs in Florida
A roof rated for 25 years on the package doesn’t get 25 years in Central Florida. UV intensity, heat, humidity, and hurricane wind stress all take a bigger bite out of roofing materials here than in most of the country, and that gap between the rated lifespan and the real one is exactly what catches…
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Pool Ownership and Maintenance in Florida: What It Actually Costs
A backyard pool is close to a default feature in a lot of Central Florida neighborhoods, but the ongoing cost and responsibility of owning one goes well beyond a weekly skim and a chlorine tablet. Unlike most of the country, there’s no winterizing season here to give the pool, or your budget, a break. Short…