Inherited property, handled gently
You inherited a house. Nobody hands you a manual.
Grief comes with paperwork — and sometimes with a property three states away that needs decisions. Here's how selling an inherited Florida house actually works, in plain language.
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First: does it have to go through probate?
Usually, yes — probate is the court process that moves the house from your loved one's name to the people inheriting it. Florida has two main tracks:
- Summary administration — the faster, simpler track for smaller estates (generally under $75,000 in non-exempt assets) or when the person passed more than two years ago.
- Formal administration — the standard track: the court appoints a personal representative (executor) who gathers assets, settles debts, and — with court authority — can sell the house.
Some houses skip probate entirely: property held jointly with survivorship, in a living trust, or deeded with a "lady bird" (enhanced life estate) deed passes outside the court process. And Florida's homestead rules give a primary residence special treatment — powerful protections, but technical. A Florida probate attorney sorts this in one conversation; if you don't have one, we can point you to attorneys families have used before.
We pay the probate costs. When we're buying the property, the probate itself doesn't cost your family anything: a licensed Florida probate attorney handles the filing, and we cover the attorney's fees and court costs as part of the purchase. No upfront money from the heirs, and nothing comes off the agreed number at closing. (If an estate is contested or unusually complex, we'll tell you exactly what we can cover before you commit to anything — in writing, like everything else.)
Good news: you don't have to wait for probate to finish to make progress. Valuation, the offer, and all the closing prep can happen in parallel — so the sale closes as soon as the court allows.
The moments families actually get stuck on
- The house is full. Fifty years of belongings is overwhelming from three states away. With us: take the photo albums and the things that matter, leave everything else — we handle the cleanout after closing.
- The house is dated or worn. Retail buyers want move-in ready; funding a renovation on an inherited house rarely makes sense. We buy strictly as-is — 1980s kitchen, roof issues, all of it.
- Heirs are scattered. Every heir signs, but nobody flies. The title company arranges remote signings with mobile notaries in each state.
- Probate costs money nobody budgeted. Attorney's fees and court costs typically run a few thousand dollars, at the worst possible time. When we buy the house, we pay those probate costs — see above.
- Carrying costs don't pause. Taxes, insurance, utilities, HOA — an empty house quietly costs hundreds a month while decisions get made. (Florida's insurance market is unforgiving about vacant homes, too.)
- Disagreement about what to do. A concrete cash number, on paper, with no obligation, often turns a family stalemate into a decision — even if the decision is to keep it.
Your options, honestly compared
Keep it (as a rental or family home) — right when the house is in good shape and someone wants the job of managing it. List it — right when the house shows well and the family can fund repairs, staging, and months of carrying costs for the higher price. Sell it for cash, as-is — right when the family wants it done: no repairs, no cleanout, no showings, close on your schedule, split the proceeds cleanly. We'll tell you plainly which one your situation favors — even when the answer isn't us.
This page is general information about Florida probate, not legal or tax advice. Estate situations vary — talk to a Florida probate attorney about yours. (Worth asking about: the "stepped-up basis," which often means little or no capital-gains tax when an inherited house is sold soon after death.)