How to Move to Florida From Texas (Sun City Center Retiree Guide)

Direct answer

You move to Florida from Texas for carrying cost and lifestyle, not income tax. The tax bill barely moves because Texas already charges zero. What moves is the property tax and insurance line, plus daily life in a 55 plus community with a hospital inside. Establish Florida domicile, file homestead by March 1, and let Save Our Homes cap future increases at 3 percent a year.

The tax swap, Texas versus Florida

The biggest single dollar difference for most Texas retirees is property tax and insurance combined. On a 400,000 dollar home the Texas property tax bill commonly runs 6,000 to 7,000 dollars a year. Sun City Center on the same value with homestead and Save Our Homes typically runs 3,500 to 4,500 dollars, and Florida wind insurance in Sun City Center is usually lower than Texas coastal or Hill Country rates.

Tax disclaimer

Tax information is general and for educational purposes only. It is not tax advice. Rates, exemptions, and thresholds change and vary by county and by individual circumstance. Verify current figures with the Texas Department of Revenue and consult a licensed CPA or tax attorney before making relocation decisions. Tax data verified July 2026.

The seven step move

• ◆Decide snowbird or outright move. Most Texas retirees start with one winter rental in Sun City Center before buying. Texas retirees often skip the winter rental step because winters are already tolerable at home. Most fly in for a scouting week and buy.
• ◆Line up Florida financing before you list at home. Get fully underwritten so you can write a non contingent offer once you are ready.
• ◆Pick your neighborhood category: Sun City Center Proper for detached single family, Kings Point for gated condo and villa living, or Renaissance for the higher end.
• ◆Sequence the sale and purchase. Options include buy first with bridge or asset based financing, sell first with rent back, or overlap with a short term rental.
• ◆Establish Florida domicile and document it. See the checklist below.
• ◆Move the household. Full service movers, container pods, or auto transport for one vehicle plus a fly down are the three common patterns.
• ◆File Florida homestead by March 1 of the year after you close. Miss that date and you lose the exemption for a full year.

Establishing Florida domicile from Texas

Texas does not audit departures because there is no income tax to protect. Standard domicile documentation is a formality. The real work is the county property tax office update and the homestead filing on the Florida side.

• ◆File a Declaration of Domicile with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court.
• ◆Get a Florida driver license and surrender the license from your former state.
• ◆Register vehicles in Florida and cancel the old state registration.
• ◆Register to vote in Hillsborough County.
• ◆Update your address on federal tax returns, Social Security, and Medicare.
• ◆Move primary banking and brokerage relationships to Florida addresses.
• ◆Transfer primary physicians and specialists to Tampa Bay providers.
• ◆Update wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health directives to Florida law.
• ◆File Florida homestead by March 1 to lock the exemption and the Save Our Homes 3 percent cap.
• ◆Count and document days present. Keep flight receipts, EZ Pass records, and credit card geolocation.

Logistics: drive, flights, and moving

The drive from Houston is about 950 miles and 14 hours on I-10 east to I-75 south, a comfortable one and a half day trip. From Dallas it is roughly 1,100 miles and 16 to 17 hours. Nonstop flights to Tampa International run daily from DFW, IAH, HOU, AUS, and SAT. Household moves for a full three bedroom band 5,000 to 10,000 dollars, and auto transport Texas to Tampa runs roughly 900 to 1,300 dollars per car.

Financing from out of state

Get fully underwritten before you list at home. That means income, assets, and credit verified so your Florida offer can go in without a financing contingency. Travis works multiple retiree friendly programs. Asset depletion qualifies buyers on brokerage and retirement balances instead of monthly income. Social Security and pension income qualification gets you the gross up boost most lenders miss. Kings Point condos need non warrantable condo programs, and Travis has relationships that lend where big banks decline. See the full financing overview. Travis Penny is a licensed mortgage broker, NMLS 1649161, and this is not an offer to lend. Loans are subject to underwriting approval.

Why Texas retirees pick Sun City Center

Texas retirees pick Sun City Center for the community and the water. The tax bill is neutral, but 55 plus community density, Gulf beach access 30 minutes west, and HCA Florida South Bay inside the community are hard to match at Texas suburban prices. Tampa International is 45 minutes north.

Call Rex

Ready to plan the move? Call Rex, your 24/7 concierge, (813) 576.3131. Rex hands warm calls to Dewey for real estate and Travis for financing during business hours, and takes messages the rest of the time.