The Problem
Every year in Florida, families purchase homes without knowing that those properties have previously flooded. Investors often buy these damaged homes, remodel them, and then resell them without disclosing their flood history.

Why? Because current disclosure laws have a major loophole. If an investor has never lived in the property, they can simply check a box on the Seller’s Property Disclosure saying they don’t know the home’s history. The Flood Disclosure form is also too limited—it only asks whether the current owner has filed a flood claim or received government assistance.

This means that a home can flood, be resold to an investor, remodeled, and sold again—with no legal obligation for the investor to disclose what they already know. Buyers are left in the dark, only to face disaster when the home inevitably floods again.

My Experience as a Florida Realtor
As a licensed Florida Realtor, I see this happening firsthand. I recently called a listing agent about a remodeled property in a known flood area. The seller had checked “unknown” on the disclosure forms, leaving buyers with no information about its history. After pressing the issue, the agent admitted to me verbally that the property had indeed flooded — yet nothing in the listing or disclosures revealed that fact.

This is not just one isolated case. It is a growing pattern where investors and some agents use loopholes or claim ignorance to avoid disclosing flooding.

The Consequences

• Families are financially devastated when they unknowingly buy flood-prone homes.
• Consumers lose trust in the real estate system.
• Dishonest Realtors gain an unfair advantage by cutting corners, while honest Realtors who follow the law are penalized for their integrity.
• Entire neighborhoods suffer when preventable flooding problems are hidden.

The Law Already Requires Honesty
Florida Statute 475.278 states that licensees must disclose all known facts that materially affect the value of residential real property and are not readily observable to buyers. Yet, too many investors and agents exploit loopholes to sidestep this responsibility.

What Needs to Change
We call on the Florida Real Estate Commission, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), and the Florida Legislature to act immediately.

We demand:

1. Mandatory flood history disclosure for all properties, regardless of whether the seller occupied the home.
2. A strengthened flood disclosure form requiring sellers to answer whether the property has ever experienced flooding, not just whether the current owner filed a claim.
3. Accountability for Realtors and brokers who knowingly fail to disclose material facts, including prior flooding.

Our Ask
I became a Realtor to help people make one of the biggest investments of their lives — their home. It’s heartbreaking to watch families blindsided by something as devastating as flooding simply because our disclosure laws aren’t strong enough. It’s equally frustrating to see dishonest Realtors profit at the expense of consumers and at the expense of those of us who strive to do the right thing.

Sign this petition to tell Florida leaders:
✅ Close the loophole.
✅ Strengthen flood disclosure laws.
✅ Put consumers — and honest Realtors — first.