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

Direct answer

You move to Florida from Washington to escape the estate tax and the capital gains excise tax, not the income tax. Washington already has none of the latter. Establish Florida domicile, file homestead, and time large asset sales relative to your residency change so the Washington capital gains tax does not attach. For high asset retirees the estate tax exit is the main event.

The tax swap, Washington versus Florida

The biggest single dollar difference for most Washington retirees is estate tax on the primary residence. Seattle metro home values push many estates over the 3 million dollar exemption before retirement accounts are counted. At the top 35 percent rate, that is often the largest tax any Washingtonian will ever pay, and Florida charges zero.

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 Washington 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 Washington retirees start with one winter rental in Sun City Center before buying.
• ◆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. Time any large capital gain event, including a rental or business sale, relative to your Washington domicile change. Coordinate with your CPA.
• ◆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 Washington

Washington does not audit departures the way high income tax states do because there is no income tax to lose. The Department of Revenue does scrutinize capital gains excise filings and estate tax returns closely, so keep clean records of the residency change date relative to any large asset sale.

• ◆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 Seattle is about 3,100 miles and 45 plus hours, so most Washington retirees fly and ship vehicles. Nonstop flights SEA to Tampa International run daily on major carriers. Household moves cross country typically band 10,000 to 18,000 dollars for a full three bedroom, and auto transport Seattle to Tampa runs roughly 1,600 to 2,200 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 Washington retirees pick Sun City Center

Washington retirees pick Sun City Center for the estate tax exit, the sun exposure, and the community scale. Nine months of Seattle overcast is a real thing to trade for Sun City Center's 250 plus sunny days a year, with an in community hospital and Tampa International 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.