English couple looking to buy a yacht in Florida

[JOHNMARDALL]

A few questions and observations:
1. Have you personally inspected this boat or are you relying on photographs and an on-line description? You must make a personal inspection.
2. Have you had this boat surveyed by a a qualified, experienced and recommended surveyor? Surveyors in the USA are not all licensed, and while most will hammer-check a fiberglass hull and deck to tell you where there is delamination, some will not give you a clue that the boat requires tens of thousands of dollars in mechanical-electrical repairs and replacements.
3. Do you intend to keep the boat on the East Coast of the United States for a while, and sail our wonderful cruising grounds? East Coast Florida waters are too shallow and reef-strewn for comfort, but the Intracoastal is a fascinating motoring trip north and the Chesapeake Bay is without equal (in my humble opinion). Not to mention the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Rhode Island and Maine waters. To do any of that you would end up needing to register the boat in Florida or another East Coast State and paying the sales tax, which varies by State. If you're shipping immediately to the U.K. you or the seller may still be eligible to a pay state sales tax, so check that carefully, with the State. (MyFlorida.com - The Official Portal of the State of Florida)
4. Be very careful about parting with money anywhere, especially in my home state of Florida, which thoroughly deserves its somewhat colorful reputation. (Carl Hiassen novels are good reference points) Boats stay on the market here for a long time, so there's no rush, and if you miss this one, there's always another bus. Go slow and check out all parties very carefully - how long in business, where funds are deposited, referrals to recent customers, etc.. That boat will be there with or without a deposit, and no information or access should be dependent on a deposit- that's strictly for the gap between signing the unconditional purchase contract and paying in full, a week or two later. If you don't need financing and can close in a heartbeat, you're the boss and you make all of the rules, politely and with appropriate British good manners, of course.

Good luck
John Mardall

[Centreboard2017]

Thank you so much for the great advice, we did some more digging and realise that there is so much more to the process than we originally thought. The VAT issue is now a deal breaker but without everyones input we would have gone along and realised too late. We are really grateful for the help - you have saved us lots of grief and dollars!