Selling a House in Clearwater

How Clearwater prices moved after 2024

Clearwater's index climbed until early 2024, then slid through 2025 and has been flat for most of 2026. Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the fall of 2024 hit Pinellas County hard, and the effect still shows in buyer behavior: more questions about elevation, flood history and insurance, and more caution on low-lying property.

• All homes: $340,654, up 12.4% over five years, 9.9% under the peak.
• Single-family: $384,637, up 0.9% in a year, 8.2% under its March 2024 high of $418,777.
• Condos: $194,891, down 6.2% in a year and 1.6% over five years, about 25% under the September 2022 peak. The condo index is at its lowest point since that peak.

For a house seller, the market is level: comparables from the past six to nine months are a fair guide. For a condo seller, every month of older data overstates value, so price off the most recent closings and expect buyers to know it.

The flood questions every buyer will ask

Since October 1, 2025, Florida residential sellers must give a flood disclosure stating whether they know of flood damage to the property during their ownership, whether they filed a flood insurance claim, and whether they received federal flood assistance such as FEMA aid. In Clearwater, after Helene, that form carries real weight. Answer it accurately; a buyer who later finds an undisclosed claim has a strong complaint.

Beyond the form, the general Florida rule still applies: disclose known facts that materially affect value and aren't readily observable. If the home took water and was repaired, keep the invoices, permits and photos together. A buyer's lender and insurer will want to know the work was done with permits. In flood zones, the FEMA substantial damage rule (repairs over 50% of the structure's value can trigger a requirement to raise the home or bring it up to current flood code) also comes up, so be ready to explain what was repaired and how it was permitted.

An elevation certificate, if you have one, helps a buyer price flood insurance quickly. So do a current wind mitigation report and, for a house older than about 25 years, a 4-point inspection. Clearwater's median home was built in 1978, so most sellers here fall in that group.

Which neighborhoods and price bands are firm

Zillow's neighborhood data shows the split clearly. Areas gaining over the past year include East Gateway (up 8.1%), Sunset Highland (up 6.0%), North Greenwood and Downtown (both up 5.5%) and Brentwood Estates (up 4.7%). The weak spots are condo-heavy or low-lying: Mission Hills down 11.2%, Harbour Towne down 7.5%, Village on the Green down 3.6%, Island Estate down 1.6% and Clearwater Beach down 1.2%. Clearwater Beach still carries the highest typical value on the list at $719,703, though it is up only 8.1% over five years.

By size, Zillow shows a 2-bedroom near $258,939, a 3-bedroom near $421,692 and a 4-bedroom near $592,775. The lower third of the market sits below about $178,070, mostly older condos and some of the 5.3% of homes that are mobile homes; the upper third starts near $615,446. Mainland 3- and 4-bedroom houses on higher ground are the most liquid part of the market right now.

Pricing against St. Pete, Dunedin and Largo

Buyers looking at Clearwater usually look at its neighbors too. On Zillow, Largo is about $335,649, St. Petersburg $351,862, Seminole $384,804, Palm Harbor $402,191, Dunedin $410,947 and Safety Harbor $496,694. Clearwater sits at the lower end of that group, which is a selling point for a well-kept house. It also means a Clearwater listing priced like Dunedin needs a reason, such as a newer roof, a renovation or an elevated lot.

For condos, building documents decide the price as much as the location. Buyers will ask for the milestone inspection report (buildings of three or more stories), the structural integrity reserve study, the current budget and any planned special assessment. Gather these before listing, along with the estoppel certificate. A buyer can cancel within a short period after receiving the association's documents, and missing paperwork is the most common reason a condo deal falls apart here.

Seller costs in Pinellas and what you net

The deed doc stamp tax is $0.70 per $100 of price and the seller customarily pays it: about $2,385 on a $340,654 sale. Who pays the owner's title policy follows county custom and your contract, and in most Florida counties it falls to the seller. Florida property taxes are paid at the end of the year, so you will credit the buyer for your share of the current year.

Commissions are negotiable, and since August 2024 buyer-agent compensation is no longer shown on the MLS. Whether to offer it, or a credit toward the buyer's costs, is your call and part of the net you negotiate.

Florida has no state income tax. On the federal side, up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) on a primary home lived in two of the last five years is excluded. Inherited homes generally get a stepped-up basis. A CPA should confirm your situation, and this isn't legal or tax advice.