The Central Florida
Physician Relocation Guide

Florida is one of a handful of states with no state income tax - and for a high-earning physician, that is not a rounding error. It is the single largest recurring financial difference between practicing here and practicing in California, New York, or New Jersey.

On a physician's income, the gap between a top state rate and Florida's zero compounds every year you practice - money that stays in your household rather than leaving it. Pair that with Florida's homestead protections and the Save Our Homes assessment cap, and the long-run math favors Central Florida decisively.

The chapters ahead show how to establish domicile correctly the first time - and survive a former state's residency audit if it comes.

Moving to Florida physically is not the same as establishing Florida legal domicile - and that distinction is aggressively enforced by tax authorities in New York, California, and New Jersey. Do this wrong and you can owe back taxes, penalties, and interest on your full state income-tax liability for years you thought you'd escaped.

The protocol below is what we walk every relocating physician through. Treat it as something you complete in your first weeks, not a someday list.

Path 1 - Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC). Available in 43 states plus DC and Guam, the IMLC is almost always the fastest route for qualified physicians. You'll need an active, unrestricted license in an IMLC member State of Principal License, USMLE or COMLEX as your exam path, no disciplinary history, board certification (or completed ACGME/AOA training), and at least two years of active practice in the past four.

Path 2 - Standard Florida license by endorsement, for physicians not using the IMLC. Florida processes its own license separately even with an IMLC Letter of Qualification, so start the Florida DOH application simultaneously - don't wait for the LOQ.

Path 3 - Telemedicine temporary certificate, useful for maintaining consulting income or academic collaboration while your full application processes.

Florida Board of Medicine · 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee, FL 32399 · (850) 245-4131 · flhealthsource.gov

Most physicians underestimate how long credentialing and payer enrollment take - and it's the number-one reason for a gap between your start date and your first paycheck. Build the timeline backward from day one.

For a physician buying in Central Florida's $1M+ luxury market, a physician mortgage loan is almost always the optimal financing structure - built around a doctor's income trajectory rather than a conventional borrower's.

Physician lenders active in Central Florida include First Horizon (up to $2.5M, 0% down for attendings - strong for jumbo luxury), TD Bank (residents, fellows, and attendings; can close roughly 90 days pre-start), Fifth Third (flexible DTI, competitive rates), and SouthState Bank (deep local presence). We'll connect you with the right desk for your stage and price point.

Once you purchase and establish primary residency, Florida's homestead system becomes one of your most powerful ongoing financial tools - compounding in value every year you own the home.

The $50,000 exemption reduces your home's taxable assessed value by up to $50,000, saving roughly $430-$750 per year depending on county millage. Save Our Homes then caps your assessed-value increase at the lower of 3% or CPI annually - no matter what the market does. In an appreciating market, that produces enormous compounding savings.

Portability: if you previously owned a homesteaded Florida property, you can transfer up to $500,000 in accumulated Save Our Homes savings to your new home. Deadline: file by March 1 of the tax year at your county property appraiser's website.

Central Florida's hospital network spans flagship academic centers, the region's only Level I trauma center, and brand-new purpose-built campuses. Below are the full acute-care inpatient hospitals across the markets we serve.

Windermere is served by the Dr. Phillips corridor; Maitland by AdventHealth Winter Park (about 3 miles); and Longwood now by the new Orlando Health Lake Mary Hospital following the closure of South Seminole Hospital.

Where you live shapes your commute, your children's schools, and your family's weekends. Here are the luxury communities across the ten markets we serve - each with its character and current pricing.

Both counties that anchor our markets earn the state's top grade. Orange County Public Schools (Orlando, Winter Garden, Windermere, Dr. Phillips, Lake Nona, Winter Park, Maitland) is A-rated for a second consecutive year, with 96 schools earning an "A" in 2024-25. Seminole County Public Schools (Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo) is the #1 district in Central Florida and ranks second among Florida's fourteen largest.

For the physician who has spent a career giving exceptional care - here is where to receive it.

For the physician who speaks at grand rounds across the country - or simply refuses to lose hours in a commercial terminal - Central Florida is a private-aviation hub, with 30+ airports within 50 miles including MCO, Orlando Executive (ORL), and Kissimmee Gateway (ISM).

Central Florida holds some of the finest golf in the country - from Tiger Woods' former private club to a Nick Faldo design on a natural lakeside ridge. The top courses across our ten markets:

A club membership is often the fastest way for a relocating physician's family to build community. Initiation and dues at the leading clubs:

The parks are not just for tourists. At the VIP level, nothing says you've arrived in Central Florida quite like having someone carry your belongings while you skip every line - the only rational way to experience Disney for a physician with two free hours before a 7 a.m. case.

The Butler Chain of Lakes - 13 interconnected lakes through Windermere and Dr. Phillips - is the most desired boating destination in Central Florida, with no-wake zones, crystal-clear water, and the lakefront estates that define the region's character. And the geography is rare: the Atlantic Coast (New Smyrna, Cape Canaveral) sits 90 minutes east, the Gulf (Tarpon Springs, Clearwater) 90 minutes west - so offshore charters and multi-day cruises are within reach of all ten markets.

Outfitting a luxury home means display walls, whole-home audio, smart-home systems, premium appliances - and the Geek Squad to install all of it. The Best Buy locations closest to each market, all offering Geek Squad, the Apple Shop, Samsung and LG Experience, and Magnolia Home Theater design:

Orlando entered the MICHELIN Guide in 2024 and immediately became one of America's most recognized culinary cities. In 2025, 59 restaurants earned recognition - 9 starred venues, 15 Bib Gourmands, and 35 Recommended.

For physician families, the most important relocation question often isn't about credentialing - it's "what will my kids do here?" In Central Florida, the answer is: more than almost anywhere else in the country, from UCF engineering camps to a professional children's theater to MLS-affiliated soccer academies.