How to price, prepare and sell your Reunion home in today's market
Reunion is a buyer's market right now: there are plenty of homes to choose from and prices have held fairly steady. That doesn't mean homes aren't selling. It means the ones that sell are priced on real data and presented with real numbers.
Buyers compare every home against others in the same neighborhood with the same membership status, and they can see exactly how long a listing has sat. The first two to three weeks on the market are your best chance, so we plan them carefully.
Q. Is now a bad time to sell?
Not if you're realistic. Rising dues and CDD costs have some owners reconsidering, which adds supply. But well-managed homes with membership and a documented rental history still attract investors and families. The key is to price to the market as it is today, not to your best year.
• Club membership on the home. It's the single biggest factor in value and demand.
• Proven rental income: actual booking statements, not a manager's projection
• An approved rental partner already in place, so guests keep their amenity access
• Turnkey furnishing, with themed kids' rooms, a game room and a pool that looks good in photos
• Future bookings that can transfer to the new owner at closing
• Clean paperwork: licenses current, dues paid, no open violations
Reunion club membership belongs to the home. At closing it goes back to the Club and is reissued to your buyer, who pays a new $15,000 + tax initiation. You don't get that fee back, but the home's eligibility for membership is what makes it worth more than a similar home without it.
Q. My home doesn't have membership. Can I still sell it?
Yes, to a smaller pool of buyers. A home without membership can never get one, so guests can't use the water park or golf, and the rental numbers show it. These homes appeal most to owner-users and cost-conscious buyers, and we price them against other non-member homes.
Q. Should I keep paying dues while it's listed?
Yes. Keep the membership active and paid through closing. A lapse can complicate the transfer, and it shows up on the estoppel.
Q. What if I'm buying another Reunion home?
You can transfer your membership to another Reunion property you own for $3,000 + tax instead of starting over. We'll time both closings around it.
A Reunion valuation needs more than comps pulled by square footage. I weigh:
• Neighborhood comps within the same association, because dues and rules differ so much
• Membership status: member homes against member homes, non-member against non-member
• Rental performance over the last 12 to 24 months: nightly rate, occupancy and gross revenue
• Carrying costs buyers inherit: HOA, the parcel's CDD charges and club dues ($500 Gold, $925 Platinum a month)
• Condition and furnishing, including roof, AC and pool equipment age, and whether the décor still photographs well
• Competing inventory: what's active, pending and expired in your neighborhood right now
Q. Why not price high and leave room to negotiate?
With plenty of choice, buyers skip homes that look overpriced, and every price cut shows up in the listing history. A home priced right at launch usually nets more than one that chases the market down.
Reunion buyers often underwrite a home like a small business. Having the paperwork ready before we list keeps buyers moving and avoids renegotiation later.
Your seller document checklist
• 12 to 24 months of booking statements or owner reports
• A list of future reservations, with dates and amounts
• Your latest Osceola County tax bill, showing the CDD charges
• HOA contact details and any recent notices or assessments
• Your club membership tier and dues statement
• DBPR vacation rental license, sales tax and tourist tax account numbers
• A furniture and contents inventory, if you're selling turnkey
• Service records for the pool, AC, roof and appliances
Q. Do I need to renovate first?
Usually not. Focus on what shows in photos and guest reviews: fresh paint, worn furniture, pool resurfacing, tired themed rooms. I'll give you a short list of fixes worth doing and ones to skip.
Q. Can I keep renting while it's for sale?
Yes, and most owners do. We schedule showings around guest stays with your manager, and bookings past closing either transfer to the buyer or are handled in the contract.
In Osceola County, sellers typically pay these at closing:
• Documentary stamp tax: Florida's deed tax, $0.70 per $100 of the sale price
• Owner's title policy: customarily paid by the seller in Osceola County, based on price
• Brokerage fees: negotiable and set out in your listing agreement
• HOA estoppel and transfer fees: charged by each association
• Prorations: HOA dues, club dues, property taxes and CDD, split to the closing date
• Final tax filings: your last sales tax and tourist tax returns, and closing your rental accounts
Your closing agent will prepare an itemized estimate. Talk to your CPA about capital gains and depreciation recapture on a rental property.
Many Reunion owners live in the UK, Canada or elsewhere, and I made that international move myself. Selling from abroad is routine as long as a few things are planned early.
Q. What is FIRPTA?
When a foreign owner sells U.S. property, federal law generally requires the buyer to withhold 15% of the gross sale price at closing and send it to the IRS. That's a withholding, not the final tax. Much of it may come back when you file your U.S. return, and a CPA can sometimes apply for a withholding certificate beforehand to reduce it. Bring in a cross-border CPA as soon as you decide to sell.
Q. Do I need to fly over to close?
No. Florida closings are commonly done remotely, with documents signed before a notary or at a U.S. consulate, or through an approved online process. Your title company will confirm the options.
1. Free valuation: Reunion comps, membership status and your rental numbers, reviewed together.
2. Prep and paperwork: targeted fixes, the document checklist and coordination with your manager.
3. Launch: professional photos and video, the Compass network, and a listing that answers the membership and rental questions up front.
4. Negotiate: offers compared on net proceeds, contingencies, furniture and future bookings.
5. Close: membership reissue, estoppels, final tax filings and the handover, managed from contract to keys.
Q. Does the furniture sell with the house?
At Reunion it usually does. Most buyers want a turnkey rental, so we list the contents on a separate inventory so everyone knows exactly what conveys.
Q. Who are the typical buyers?
Rental investors, families wanting a getaway they can rent out, and a growing number of owner-users. Many are international, and cash offers are common.
Q. Do my rental guests need to know it's for sale?
Your manager handles guest communication, and we set showings around check-in and check-out times.
Q. How long will it take to sell?
It depends on price, condition and membership status. A home priced right from day one usually gets its strongest interest in the first few weeks. I'll show you recent days on market for your neighborhood with your valuation.
Q. Should I take an instant or investor cash offer instead?
Sometimes speed is worth more than price. Before accepting one, compare it with a realistic listing price, net of costs, so you know what the convenience costs you. I'll run both numbers for you.