A quick tour of your report, top to bottom — what each section shows and why it matters.
Your overall HomeIQ score and each category are rated 1 to 5 (5 is best) — not out of 100.
Flood zone, elevation, sinkhole and sea-level-rise exposure.
Example: 5 = inland, high and dry · 1 = coastal high-hazard, mandatory flood insurance
Taxes after reset, insurance pressure, and utility signals — yearly cost, not price.
Example: 5 = low, predictable carrying cost · 1 = big tax-reset jump and high insurance
Air quality, nearby toxic-release and Superfund sites, community health.
Example: 5 = clean air, nothing nearby · 1 = poor air or facilities within a mile
Walkability and the amenities you weighted — personalized to you.
Example: 5 = your priorities are all close by · 1 = car-dependent, little nearby
Where the neighborhood is trending — income, values, and population.
Example: 5 = surging area · 1 = declining trend
We open with one rating: the HomeIQ score, on a 1-to-5 scale (5 is best). It blends the five categories below — climate and flood risk, the true cost of owning, neighborhood health and environment, lifestyle fit, and where the area is trending — each also rated 1 to 5. A higher rating means fewer surprises.
Why it matters: it's a fast read on the whole picture, but it's a starting point, not a verdict. The sections below are where the real decisions live.
Price is what you pay once. Cost is what you pay every year. This section pulls your projected taxes, insurance pressure (especially flood), and utility signals into one place.
Why it matters: two homes at the same asking price can cost thousands a year apart once taxes and insurance are in. Budget from the cost, not the sticker.
In Florida, the Save Our Homes cap limits how fast a current owner's assessed value can rise. When the home sells, that cap resets to market value — so your first tax bill is often much higher than the seller's. We project your bill at the offer price.
Why it matters: the seller's tax line can understate your real bill by thousands. This is the number to plan around.
We list building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits on the property — including ones pulled by a prior owner that were never closed out with a final inspection.
Why it matters: an open permit can become your problem after closing, sometimes requiring re-inspection or rework. Knowing now lets you ask the seller to resolve it.
We show the FEMA flood zone, the base flood elevation where available, and nearby environmental signals (air quality, contamination sites). High-risk flood zones start with A or V.
Why it matters: a high-risk zone usually means mandatory, and costlier, flood insurance — a recurring cost on top of the mortgage, not a one-time fee.
For covered counties, we surface the official recorded record — deeds, mortgages, liens, and lis pendens. This section is available to signed-in users because it draws on official records, and each lookup is logged.
Why it matters: it shows who really owns the home and whether anything is owed or contested against it. A surprise lien or pending lawsuit is far cheaper to find now than at closing.
We read what's around the address — within roughly 10 miles — against what you told us matters: walkability, dining, schools, transit, parks, and more. Each factor you weight feeds a Lifestyle Fit contribution to the overall score, and we show the data behind every tag.
Why it matters: the right house in the wrong-for-you location is still the wrong house. This grounds "feel" in real nearby data.
When you're ready to move forward, the Next Steps hand-off lays out what to verify and when to bring in a licensed agent or attorney. HomeIQ helps you prepare and understand — it never drafts, submits, or negotiates paperwork, and never represents you.
Why it matters: the biggest purchase of your life deserves a clear checklist and the right professionals — not pressure.