How to Sell an Inherited House in Florida (Probate, Taxes & Cash Sales)

Inheriting a house in Florida sounds like a windfall — until the property tax bill arrives, the AC dies, and a sibling in another state wants to "just keep it in the family." Most heirs we work with want one thing: a clean, fast exit that doesn't pull them into months of repairs, listing agents, or court hearings.

This guide walks through what actually happens when you inherit a Florida home, what taxes really apply (spoiler: it's almost never as bad as you fear), and the three realistic ways to sell — including when an as-is cash sale makes sense and when it doesn't.

Do you have to go through probate?

In most Florida inheritance cases, yes — some form of probate is required before the house can be legally sold. The exception is property held in a living trust, jointly with rights of survivorship, or under an enhanced life estate ("Lady Bird") deed. Those skip probate entirely.

For everything else, Florida offers three probate paths depending on the estate size:

• Disposition Without Administration — only for very small estates (under $75,000 in non-exempt assets, no real estate). Not applicable to most inherited homes.
• Summary Administration — available when the estate is under $75,000 or the decedent has been deceased more than two years. Typically 3–6 months. Cheaper.
• Formal Administration — required for most homes worth more than $75,000. Usually 6–12 months, sometimes longer with disputes.

The good news: you can list (or accept a cash offer on) the home during probate. The closing simply waits for the court to issue Letters of Administration and approve the sale. Experienced cash buyers and probate attorneys handle this regularly.

What taxes will you actually pay?

This is where most heirs panic unnecessarily. Here's the short version:

• Florida has no state inheritance tax and no state estate tax. Zero. The state-level worry is off the table.
• Federal estate tax only kicks in on estates over roughly $13.6 million (2024 threshold, indexed annually). Almost no inherited home triggers it.
• Capital gains apply when you sell — but thanks to the stepped-up basis, your "purchase price" for tax purposes is the home's fair market value on the date you inherited it, not what your parents paid in 1987.

Example: Your parents bought the home for $60,000 in 1985. It was worth $310,000 on the date of death. You sell it eight months later for $315,000. Your taxable gain is $5,000 — not $255,000. On a quick as-is sale at or near the date-of-death value, capital gains are often negligible.

Get a written appraisal (or at minimum a broker price opinion) dated as close to the date of death as possible. This is the single most important document for protecting your stepped-up basis if the IRS ever asks.

Multiple heirs and disagreements

One sibling wants to sell, one wants to rent it out, one wants to move in. This is the single most common reason inherited Florida homes sit empty for years, slowly losing value to deferred maintenance and rising insurance premiums.

A few things to know:

• If the will names multiple heirs in equal shares, all heirs must agree on the sale or the matter goes to a partition action in Florida circuit court — expensive and slow.
• A cash sale is often the cleanest tie-breaker because the number is final and the timeline is short. Everyone gets paid the same week; no one has to manage a rental from out of state.
• If one heir wants to buy out the others, a written appraisal protects everyone — buyout based on the appraised value, paid via refinance or cash.

Your three real options

Once probate clears (or runs concurrent with the sale), heirs have three realistic exits:

1. Repair and list with an agent. Highest gross price. Requires fronting $10K–$40K in repairs, cleaning out the contents, surviving 60–120 days of showings, and netting 6%+ to agent commissions plus closing costs. Best when the home is already in good shape and you live nearby.
2. List as-is on the MLS. Middle option. Attracts investor offers and bargain hunters; you'll typically take 10–25% below "fixed up" value, but skip the repair outlay. Still 30–60 days plus inspection contingencies that can blow up the deal.
3. Sell directly to a cash buyer, as-is. Lowest gross price but no repairs, no commissions, no showings, no inspection-period renegotiations. Close in 7–21 days. Best when you live out of state, have multiple heirs, the home needs significant work, or you simply value time and certainty over the last few percent.

Selling as-is for cash — when it makes sense

Cash isn't always the right answer. It is the right answer when most of these are true:

• The home needs more than cosmetic work (roof, HVAC, electrical, foundation, plumbing).
• You don't live in Florida and managing contractors remotely is unrealistic.
• The estate is paying property taxes, insurance, and utilities every month it sits empty.
• Multiple heirs need a clean split with no ongoing co-ownership.
• There's a reverse mortgage, tax lien, code violations, or HOA back-dues attached.
• The home is tenant-occupied and you don't want to be a landlord.

If two or three of those apply, an as-is cash offer often nets more than a traditional listing after you subtract carrying costs, repairs, commissions, and concessions. Run the math both ways before deciding.

Step-by-step: from inheritance to closing

1. Locate the will and the deed. Check the decedent's filing cabinet, safe deposit box, and the county Clerk of Court records.
2. Hire a Florida probate attorney. Flat-fee summary administrations often run $1,500–$3,000 in Central Florida. Worth every dollar.
3. Get a date-of-death valuation. Written appraisal or broker price opinion — protects your stepped-up basis.
4. Decide on your exit path. Repair + list, list as-is, or sell to a cash buyer. Get at least one cash offer for comparison even if you plan to list.
5. Clean out personal property. Or — with most cash buyers — leave whatever you don't want; we handle disposal.
6. Close. The title company coordinates payoff of any mortgages, liens, or tax debt directly out of the sale proceeds. Heirs receive proportional disbursements per the will.

Frequently asked questions