Selling a House in Tampa

Flat overall, split underneath

The citywide number hides a clear divide. Single-family homes, typically $395,087, held their value over the past year. Condos did not: the condo index is down 6.7% in twelve months to $194,297 and sits about 22% below its September 2022 peak of $248,512.

The neighborhood list tells the same story from another angle. The places still gaining are mostly under $400,000:

• Rising: University Square (+4.0% in a year), North Tampa (+3.7%), Egypt Lake (+3.7%), Terrace Park (+3.6%), East Tampa (+3.6%) and Wellswood (+3.7%).
• Slipping: Davis Island (-2.8%), New Tampa (-1.5%), Gandy-Sun Bay South (-1.5%), Tampa Palms (-1.1%) and the Tampa International Airport Area (-4.7%).

Entry-level and mid-priced homes in older central and north Tampa still have more buyers than sellers in many pockets. Higher-priced and coastal areas have more inventory and slower negotiations. Your pricing plan should match the side of that line your home sits on.

Price bands: where a Tampa listing meets the most buyers

By bedrooms, the typical values run from $158,380 for a one-bedroom to $266,265 for two, $382,026 for three, $561,556 for four and $901,564 for five or more. The lower third of the market is around $239,812 and the upper third starts near $688,736.

The jump from three to four bedrooms is about $179,500. That gap matters when you set a list price. A four-bedroom that is dated or small for its count often gets compared with renovated three-bedrooms, and buyers will not pay the four-bedroom premium for a room count alone. The reverse also happens: a well-kept three-bedroom priced just under $400,000 lands in the busiest search range in the city.

When I price a Tampa home, I set the number against the search brackets buyers actually use on the portals. Listing at $405,000 instead of $399,000 can drop the home out of every search capped at $400,000, and that loss of eyeballs costs more than the $6,000 gained on paper.

Flood history and the disclosure you now have to sign

Helene's storm surge in September 2024 put water into homes in low-lying parts of South Tampa and along the bay. Buyers remember, and their insurance agents check. Since October 1, 2025, Florida residential sellers must give a written flood disclosure covering known flood damage during their ownership, flood insurance claims and any federal flood assistance received. That sits on top of the general duty from Johnson v. Davis to disclose known facts that materially affect value and are not easy to see.

Practical steps before you list:

• Pull your elevation certificate if you have one, or order one if you are in an A or V flood zone. It often lowers the buyer's flood quote.
• Gather repair invoices and permits for any storm work. Buyers trust a documented repair far more than a fresh coat of paint.
• Have your roof age, a wind mitigation report and, for homes built before about 2000, a 4-point inspection ready. Insurers commonly ask for a 4-point on homes roughly 30 years and older, and Tampa's median home was built in 1985, so many listings fall into that group.

Timing a Tampa listing

Tampa has a small seasonal share by Florida standards: Census data counts 1.9% of homes as seasonal, against double digits in the Gulf beach towns. The buyer pool is mostly people who live and work in the metro or are moving here for jobs, so demand follows school calendars and job moves more than snowbird season. Spring and early summer listings tend to meet the most buyers, and hurricane season makes some out-of-state buyers hesitate in late summer.

Timing matters less than the first price, though. A listing that sits for 60 days invites low offers no matter the month.

What a Tampa sale costs and what you keep

Hillsborough follows the usual Florida pattern: the seller customarily pays deed doc stamps of $0.70 per $100 and, by local custom, the owner's title policy, though the contract can say otherwise. On a $375,619 sale, doc stamps alone are about $2,629.

Other lines on a seller's statement:

• Property tax proration. Florida taxes are billed in November for the whole year, so you credit the buyer for the months you owned the home this year.
• Mortgage payoff and any HOA estoppel letter. Many north Tampa communities, including Tampa Palms and Hunters Green, have associations, and the estoppel fee usually lands on the seller.
• Commission. Fees are negotiable. Since the NAR settlement in August 2024, buyer-agent pay is no longer shown on the MLS. You decide whether to offer it or consider buyer concession requests.

The page's net proceeds table runs this math on the typical value. Your own numbers depend on your payoff and the contract.

Taxes on the sale and moving your homestead

Florida has no state income tax, so the only income tax question on a Tampa sale is federal. A main home owned and lived in for two of the last five years can exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly. Owners who bought before 2021 and saw Tampa's 20%-plus five-year run should check where they stand.

If you are buying again in Florida, portability lets you carry up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes benefit to a new homestead bought within three years. That can soften the tax jump on the next house considerably. This isn't legal or tax advice, and a CPA should look at your basis and exclusion before you sign.

If you want to see how your house stacks up against recent Tampa sales in your price band, the valuation request on this page is the place to start.