Majority of Information is Public During a Real Estate Transaction

In a brief question and answer session with a Miami Herald home loan expert, one buyer was concerned that his personal information was being improprerly asked for. The reality, as outlined below, is that any Florida home loan request will lead to a great deal of public access to your records.

Q: When I bought my home, the association asked for a copy of the sales contract and the purchase information. I did not want to provide the details of the sale because I thought it was personal business. Is it proper for the association to ask for that information?

A: Some documents require the association to collect information concerning sales. Most associations collect a copy of the deed to confirm the correct owner names.

Unless your association has a valid reason to collect the information you describe, I would be concerned. However, from the information you sent me on your letterhead, I researched information on your home. I was able to view your county tax information and view a picture of your home. I know what you paid for your home and when the sale closed.

The county documents tell me the names of sellers, when they purchased the home, what they paid, and all the buyers in your family. When you buy real estate, there is very little that is confidential.

Maybe the board did not have a right to ask for a copy of the contract to purchase, but in truth you did not give them anything they could not obtain in the public records. This is not, however, something to be overly concerned about during the Florida home loan process.