Selling a House in Florida

Where Florida prices sit for a seller in late 2026

The statewide index peaked at $403,220 in June 2024. At $375,361 it is about 6.9% below that peak, and it has been close to flat since early 2026. Single-family homes held up better than condos: houses are at $396,809, down 0.6% in a year and about 6% from their high, while the condo index is $262,592, down 3.9% in a year and about 16% below its December 2023 peak.

What that means in practice: buyers have time to compare, and a house priced to the spring 2024 market sits. Sellers who bought before 2021 still have large gains on paper. Sellers who bought in 2022 to 2024 may be close to break-even once costs are counted, and they need the math done before they choose a list price.

Location changes the picture more than anything else. County values in the same data run from $166,734 in Calhoun County to $962,885 in Monroe County, and the big metro counties sit between them: Hillsborough $375,501, Orange $400,964, Broward $422,344, Palm Beach $475,754, Miami-Dade $523,240.

Gather these documents before you call anyone

Florida buyers now shop with an insurance quote in one hand. The documents that make a house insurable at a fair premium are the documents that widen your buyer pool. I ask sellers to pull these together first:

• Roof: the permit and installation date, plus any roof certification or recent inspection.
• Wind mitigation report: it can lower a buyer's premium, and an existing report saves them a step.
• 4-point inspection: for older homes, insurers look at roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC before writing a policy.
• Flood information: the FEMA zone, any elevation certificate, flood insurance history and claims.
• Permits: closed permits for additions, enclosed porches, pools, windows and the roof. Open or expired permits slow closings.
• Payoff and liens: mortgage payoff estimate, HELOC, and anything else recorded against the property.
• HOA or condo documents: rules, budget, and the contact for estoppel requests.
• Survey and deed: the old survey and the vesting deed help the title company start early.

What Florida law requires you to disclose

Florida sellers must disclose known facts that materially affect value and that a buyer can't readily see. That duty comes from the 1985 Florida Supreme Court case Johnson v. Davis, and it applies even when the contract says the house is sold as is. Typical examples: past roof leaks, foundation repairs, a sinkhole claim, unpermitted work, recurring plumbing problems.

Since October 1, 2025, residential sellers also give a written flood disclosure covering known flood damage during their ownership, flood insurance claims and any federal flood assistance received. Fill it out honestly and early. A disclosure surprise discovered during the inspection period is one of the most common reasons a deal falls apart or gets renegotiated.

Price, listing terms and the commission conversation

Commissions in Florida are negotiable, and there is no standard rate. Since the NAR settlement took effect on August 17, 2024, offers of compensation to buyer agents no longer appear on the MLS, buyers sign written agreements with their own agents, and you decide whether to offer buyer-agent compensation or concessions. Settle this with your listing agent before the listing goes live, because it shapes how many buyers show up and how offers are structured.

Price from recent closed sales of similar homes nearby, adjusted for roof age, flood zone, condition and pool. In a flat market the first two weeks bring the most showings, so the opening price matters more than any later reduction.

From signed contract to closing day

Most Florida residential deals use one of the Florida Realtors and Florida Bar contract forms, either the standard version or the AS IS version. Once you accept an offer, the clock starts:

• Escrow deposit: the buyer delivers it to the escrow agent within the days the contract sets.
• Inspection period: the buyer inspects and gets insurance quotes. On the AS IS form the buyer can cancel for any reason during this window.
• Appraisal and loan approval: for financed buyers, the lender orders an appraisal. A low appraisal leads to a price discussion, a bigger down payment, or a cancellation under the contract terms.
• Title work: the title agent searches liens, orders the HOA estoppel, prepares the deed and settlement statement.
• Closing: you sign the deed, the title agent pays off your mortgage and wires your net proceeds.

You don't have to attend closing in person. Mail-away closings with a notary are routine for sellers who have already moved.

Taxes and charges a Florida seller actually pays

Florida has no state income tax, so there is no state tax on your gain. The federal home sale exclusion lets you keep up to $250,000 of gain tax-free ($500,000 married filing jointly) if you owned the home and lived in it for 2 of the last 5 years. Gain above that, or gain on a second home, is federal capital gains.

The charges that show up on your settlement statement:

• Deed doc stamps: $0.70 per $100 of price, customarily paid by the seller. On a $375,361 sale that is about $2,628. Miami-Dade charges $0.60 per $100, plus a $0.45 surtax on property other than single-family homes.
• Property tax credit: Florida taxes are paid in arrears, so you credit the buyer for this year's taxes up to the closing date.
• Owner's title policy: paid by the seller in most counties; the buyer usually pays in Miami-Dade, Broward and a few others, unless the contract says otherwise.
• FIRPTA: if the seller is a foreign person, the buyer withholds 15% of the price for the IRS, with reduced or zero withholding in some cases under $1 million.

If you are buying another Florida home, homestead portability lets you carry up to $500,000 of Save Our Homes benefit to the new homestead if you buy within 3 years. This isn't legal or tax advice; talk to a CPA before you sign a listing agreement if the gain is large or the ownership is unusual.

A short seller checklist, in the order it happens

• Pull the payoff, deed, permits, roof date, wind mitigation and flood records.
• Run a net proceeds estimate at two or three prices.
• Decide on repairs or a pre-listing inspection.
• Agree on commission and buyer-agent compensation terms in writing.
• Complete the property and flood disclosures.
• List, review offers, accept one, and track every contract deadline.
• Answer inspection requests, order the estoppel, sign at closing.

If you want a realistic price before deciding anything, the valuation form on this page is the place to begin.