Charles S. Serfaty, Esq.

Attorney Serfaty represents buyers, sellers, and investors in Florida real estate transactions, from single-family homes and condominiums to office, retail, multifamily, and mixed-use commercial property. His work covers each stage of the deal:

• Drafting and negotiating purchase contracts and leases
• Due diligence, title review, and title insurance
• Closings for residential and commercial transactions
• FIRPTA withholding when a foreign person sells U.S. real property (26 U.S.C. § 1445)
• Structuring property ownership through Florida LLCs for foreign investors
• Commercial and residential leasing for owners and landlords

Foreign buyers should know that Florida restricts property purchases by certain individuals and entities connected to designated countries of concern (Fla. Stat. §§ 692.201–692.205). Attorney Serfaty reviews a buyer's status under these rules before contract.

Attorney Serfaty serves as counsel to private and institutional lenders, including City National Bank of Florida, in commercial real estate financing. He prepares and negotiates the loan documents and coordinates the closing:

• Promissory notes and loan agreements
• Mortgages and security agreements
• Personal and corporate guaranties
• Assignments of leases and rents
• UCC financing statements
• Title, survey, and borrower entity review
• Calculation of Florida documentary stamp tax on notes (Fla. Stat. § 201.08) and nonrecurring intangible tax on mortgages (Fla. Stat. § 199.133)

Private lenders, including individual and fund lenders, rely on the same document set, scaled to the transaction.

Attorney Serfaty's immigration practice focuses on visas for investors, executives, and business owners. He has guided hundreds of international clients through these petitions:

• E-2 treaty investor visas — for nationals of treaty countries such as France and Canada who invest in and direct a U.S. business
• L-1 intracompany transfers — for executives, managers, and specialized-knowledge employees moving to a U.S. affiliate
• EB-1C multinational executive and manager green cards — permanent residence for executives and managers of multinational companies
• O-1 extraordinary ability visas — for individuals with sustained national or international acclaim

Immigration law is federal, so he represents immigration clients regardless of where they will live in the United States. His real estate and business advice is limited to Florida law.

Attorney Serfaty forms Florida companies for foreign owners and helps established foreign companies expand into the United States:

• Formation of Florida LLCs and corporations, including operating agreements and bylaws
• Registration of foreign entities to transact business in Florida
• Domestication of foreign entities into Florida
• U.S. subsidiaries and affiliates of European and Canadian companies
• Ongoing general counsel for foreign-owned Florida businesses