Sell in Chicago. Buy in Jacksonville or Atlanta.
Nia Sawyer holds active licenses in Illinois, Florida, and Georgia and manages your sale and your purchase as one project with two closings.
What goes wrong with the usual two-agent move?
Your Chicago listing agent’s job ends at your sale, and your Florida or Georgia buyer’s agent has never seen your contract up north. Nobody owns the whole timeline.
Common Results:
A sale that closes before you can buy, so you’re into a short-term rental and a second move.
A purchase contingent on a sale that nobody is actively managing.
Negotiating leverage lost on both ends, because neither agent sees the whole board.
One accountable agent on both sides removes the handoff and the gaps it creates.
how it works
How the coordinated relocation move works
Your sale and purchase run on a single timeline, with the Chicago closing scheduled to fund just before the new-city closing.
WEEKS 1–2
Plan
Chicago · SELL
- Pricing analysis
- Net proceeds sheet
Jax/Atlanta · buy
- Budget set from proceeds
- Target neighborhoods shortlisted
WEEKS 3–8
Execute
Chicago · SELL
- List property
- Showings & negotiations
- Attorney review
Jax/Atlanta · buy
- In-person or video tours
- Offer writing aligned with sale timing
WEEKS 8–12
Close
Chicago · SELL
- Closing structured strategically
Jax/Atlanta · buy
- Closing scheduled shortly after sale funds arrive
Throughout: One agent, One strategy.
(Timeline varies by market conditions; this is the typical shape.)
WHAT CHANGES
How are Florida and Georgia different from Illinois for a homebuyer?
The biggest differences show up in taxes, closing customs, and carrying costs. Here’s the honest side-by-side.
Income Tax.
Florida has no state income tax. Georgia moved to a flat 4.99% income tax for 2026, essentially even with Illinois’s 4.95%. So income tax is a real win moving to Florida and roughly a wash moving to Georgia.
Property Tax.
Illinois’s effective property-tax rate is among the highest in the nation (about 1.9% of home value, second only to New Jersey in the Tax Foundation’s 2026 data), while Florida and Georgia generally run lower, though Florida insurance and community fees claw some of that savings back.
Closing Customs.
Georgia law requires a licensed attorney to conduct the closing, Illinois transactions customarily run through attorneys (with an attorney-review period), and Florida typically closes through a title company. Different paperwork rhythm, same destination.
Carrying Costs.
Florida adds homeowners-insurance and, in many planned communities, CDD-fee line items that Midwest budgets never include. They go into your budget on day one, not at the closing table.
Your relocation specialist
Handling both ends of your out-of-state move
If you’re relocating from Chicago to Florida or Georgia, Nia Sawyer holds active licenses in Illinois, Florida, and Georgia and manages your sale and your purchase as one project with two closings.
You make the decisions; she makes them fit together.
20+
Years in real estate
88+
5-star reviews
★★★★★
Testimonials
From people who've made the move.
There are times when you need a house but then there are times that you need a home. Thanks what Nina did for our family. She found us a home that we love and that is a safe location to raise my girls. This is the girls first home and they love everything about it. Thank you for being patient, informative and all around amazing.
Colette Butler
I had a fantastic experience working with Nia Sawyer on my recent purchase in Chicago. From start to finish, the entire process was seamless. Whether it was touring properties, submitting competitive offers, or navigating the final steps to close. Nia was knowledgeable, responsive, and fully committed to putting me in the best possible position..
Laura Medina-Fisher
I have been wanting to relocate back to Chicago for a while and it has been difficult locating a home on my own remotely with COVID and everything happening so I reached out to Nia after someone recommended her. My experience with her has been wonderful. She is incredibly responsive and has pretty much held my hand every step of the way. I am so thankful I found someone interested in helping me and not just someone interested in the bare minimum. She has really given me a full service experience. I highly recommend!
Nicki E.
Words cannot express how beyond grateful I am to have had Nia Sawyer as my realtor. The process for me was overwhelming, but she was available, knowledgeable, supportive, and put the REAL in realtor, being upfront and honest, extremely helpful, and made me feel like I was a priority. She fought for me and gave me the assurance I needed to get to the finish line with calls and messages to give me updates as well as check in on me to make sure I was ok. I would not have wanted my first time homebuying experience to be with anyone else. Thank you Nia!
Joy Ward
FAQS
Relocation FAQs
Can you really represent me in both states?
Yes. Nia holds active real estate licenses in Illinois, Georgia, and Florida (FL license SL3581710), all with LPT Realty. That means both transactions, one accountable agent, and one strategy across them.
Do I have to sell before I buy?
No, and the right order depends on your equity, your loan, and your risk tolerance. Bridge financing, sale-contingent offers, and rent-backs all exist, and the planning call maps which one fits your situation. There’s no single right answer, only the one that fits your numbers.
What if I'm moving somewhere other than Jacksonville or Atlanta?
You’ll get an honest answer and, if you want one, a vetted referral to a trusted agent in that market. The full both-sides service applies where Nia is licensed: Illinois, Florida, and Georgia.
Does using one agent for both sides cost extra?
No. It’s standard commission on each transaction, the same as hiring two separate agents, without the coordination gaps between them.
Ready when you are.
Reach out to Nia and the LPT Realty team — we love helping locals navigate the Jacksonville, Chicago, and Atlanta markets. Tell Nia what you’re trying to do, buy, sell, or move, and leave with a clear next step and real numbers.