From Chicago to South Florida —your last winter is optional.
Chicagoans have been heading to South Florida for years: no state income tax, no five-month winter, and a real-estate dollar that goes further. The catch is buying and renovating remotely — the exact part Academia handles end to end.
Moving from Chicago to South Florida
Chicago and the Illinois suburbs send a steady stream of families and retirees to South Florida, and the reasons rhyme: a long, punishing winter, high property taxes, and a state income tax — versus Florida sun and no state income tax at all. For remote workers and snowbirds-gone-full-time, the move pencils out fast.
The friction is everything you can't do from 1,300 miles away: vet a home you've only seen online and oversee a renovation you can't visit. Academia removes it — we're the brokerage and the licensed builder, so we tour, inspect, and renovate before you land. You trade a Chicago winter for a finished Florida home.
Downtown condo dweller or North Shore family, one accountable team owns the whole move.
Illinois carries a state income tax and some of the higher property taxes in the country; Florida has no state income tax. Add the obvious climate upgrade and a dollar that buys more home, and you see why the I-95 caravan runs south. Confirm specifics with your tax advisor — the direction is well established.
One company, the whole move.
Match — remotely
We shortlist homes to your actual life — schools, commute, beach, budget — and tour them for you on video. No guessing from listing photos.
Read like a builder
Before you offer, our in-house licensed trades read the real condition: roof age, impact windows, A/C, insurability, and a true cost-to-cure.
Renovate before you land
Because we're also the builder, we complete the work while you're still packing — so you don't inherit a project you can't supervise.
Keys, finished
You arrive to a move-in-ready home, handled by one accountable team from the first call to the closing table.
Where to land in South Florida
Fort Lauderdale & the beaches
Water, walkability, boating — the lakefront life, warmer and year-round.
Aventura & Sunny Isles
High-rise, amenity-rich, lock-and-leave — familiar density in the sun.
Weston & Pembroke Pines
Top schools, master-planned — the suburban family trade-up.
Doral
Newer construction, central, strong for remote professionals and investors.
“Trade the lake for the bay, the wind for the breeze — the home you carry stays the same.”
AcademiaChicago to South Florida — start here.
Everything your move needs, in one place.
Moving to South Florida
Relocating is hard enough from across the country — you shouldn't also have to vet a contractor you've never met. Aca…
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Explore→South Florida Market
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Explore→Moving from Chicago — questions
How much can I save moving from Chicago to Florida?
Florida has no state income tax and often lighter property taxes than Illinois, but the personal impact varies — confirm with your tax advisor. What we handle is finding, vetting, and renovating the home.
Can I buy in Florida before I leave Chicago?
Yes — most of our Chicago clients buy remotely: virtual tours, a builder's condition read, the offer and inspection, and renovation before you arrive.
What will my Chicago money buy in South Florida?
Generally more home and a yard, minus the winter — we'll run real comparisons for your budget.
Can you renovate before I move down?
Yes — as a licensed builder we complete the work before you arrive so you walk into a finished home.