Inherited a house in Florida? We’ll help you figure out the best move — not just make you an offer.
Losing someone is hard enough without a property to manage on top of it. Idem Homes works with Florida families and Personal Representatives every week to turn an inherited home into cash or a clean sale — as-is, on your timeline, with none of the pressure.
You’re in control. After a short, no-obligation conversation, we’ll recommend the path that actually fits your situation:
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Sell it to us for cash. We buy as-is — no repairs, no cleanout, no agent fees. You pick the closing date.
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List it for top dollar. If a cash offer isn’t the right fit, our in-house Florida licensed real estate agent who specializes in probate sales can list the home and maximize what the estate nets.
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Point you to the right help. If neither fits, we’ll connect you with a vetted probate attorney, CPA, or estate service — no strings attached.
- As-is — we handle the condition, the contents, and the cleanup
- No commissions or hidden fees on the cash-purchase path
- You choose the timeline, even if probate is still open
- We coordinate directly with your probate attorney
- Local experts across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach
Tell us about the property
Share a few details and we’ll get back to you within one business day with your options.
A simple process, built around where you are
You don’t need to have probate figured out before you talk to us — that’s our job to help with. Here’s how it goes:
Tell us about the property
A few details by form or a quick call. No commitment.
We assess your situation
We look at the home and where the estate stands in the probate process, and — with your permission — coordinate with your attorney so everything is done right.
You get a fair, no-pressure offer
A cash offer to buy as-is, or a clear plan to list with our in-house probate-specialized agent — whichever nets you more. You decide.
Close and get paid
We work around the estate’s timeline and the court’s requirements, and you receive your proceeds at closing.
Often, yes — Florida law allows estate property to be sold during probate when the right authority is in place. The details depend on the type of administration and whether the will grants a power of sale. We’ll walk you through exactly what applies to your estate. For the full picture, download our free guide below.
What the law actually requires — and what it means for your timeline
Florida runs an estate down one of two tracks, and which one applies is the biggest factor in how long this takes. You do not need to work it out before calling us — but knowing it helps you judge any advice you are given.
Two tracks: summary or formal administration
Summary administration is the shorter route. Florida law allows it when the value of the entire estate subject to administration in the state, less the value of property exempt from creditors’ claims, does not exceed $75,000 — or when the person has been dead for more than two years.
Estates that clear neither of those go through formal administration, which appoints a personal representative to run the estate. Larger or more complicated estates land here by default.
Fla. Stat. §735.201The creditor window is why estates cannot close instantly
Before an estate can wrap up, creditors get their window. A claim is barred unless it is filed by the later of three months after the first publication of the notice to creditors, or thirty days after that particular creditor is served.
Separately, once two years have passed since the date of death, the estate, the personal representative and the beneficiaries are no longer liable for claims at all.
Fla. Stat. §733.702 · §733.710The property tax cap does not survive the transfer
This is the number most families leave out. If the home carried a homestead exemption, its assessed value could only rise about 3% a year. That cap does not carry over on a change of ownership — the property is reassessed at just value on the January 1 following the change.
There are exceptions — transfer by operation of law to a surviving spouse or minor children, and joint tenants with right of survivorship where homestead eligibility continues. For most adult children inheriting a long-held family home, though, the tax bill steps up sharply the year after they inherit. If you are weighing whether to keep the house, that carrying cost belongs in the maths.
Fla. Stat. §193.155If the heirs cannot agree, any one of them can force it
Florida allows a partition action to be filed by any one or more joint tenants, tenants in common or coparceners against their co-owners. One sibling who wants out can start it on their own.
It is blunt and expensive, which is exactly why agreeing on a number is usually cheaper than litigating one. Most sibling situations never get close to this — but it is worth knowing the door exists.
Fla. Stat. §64.031Is it better to keep the house or sell it?
There is no single right answer — it depends on the mortgage, the condition of the home, whether anyone actually wants to live there, and how much friction the heirs can tolerate. Here are all four routes, including the two we do not get paid for.
| Option | Time to money | Upfront cost | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keep it | No lump sum — income or use over time | Insurance, taxes, repairs, any mortgage payoff | Someone wants to live there, or the rental maths still works after the reassessed tax bill | The homestead cap reset above, Florida insurance costs, and co-owners who want their share now |
| List with an agent | Longest — prep, market time, then closing | Cleanout, repairs, staging | The home is in good shape and you want the highest gross price | Commission and closing costs, plus carrying costs every month it sits |
| Sell as-is for cash | Fastest — you pick the closing date | None | The home needs work, is full of belongings, you are out of state, or heirs want a clean split | A cash offer is below retail. That is the trade for speed and certainty — and it should be an informed trade |
| Renovate, then list | Longest of all | Highest — renovation capital, before any sale | You have cash, time, and the local comparable sales genuinely support the spend | Estates rarely hold renovation capital, and overruns come straight out of the proceeds |
If two of these are close for your property, we will say so. If listing nets the estate more than our offer, we will tell you that too — our in-house Florida licensed agent who specializes in probate sales can handle the listing, and if neither route fits we will point you to someone who can help.
Taxes on an inherited house in Florida
Idem Homes is a real estate company, not a CPA firm or a law firm. What follows is general information with sources, so you can ask your own advisor better questions.
How do I avoid paying capital gains tax on inherited property in Florida?
Most families are surprised by how little gain there is to tax in the first place, because your starting basis is generally reset to the value at the date of death — not what the person who died originally paid for the home.
The IRS states that the basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value on the date of the decedent’s death, or the alternate valuation date if the estate elects it. In practice, decades of appreciation during the owner’s lifetime are not sitting in your taxable gain, and a sale close to date-of-death value may produce little or none.
What that works out to for you depends on your own circumstances, so have a CPA or estate attorney confirm it before you sign anything.
IRS Publication 551, Basis of AssetsWhat is the 2-year rule for inherited property?
There is no rule that forces you to sell an inherited house within two years. In Florida, though, two years is a meaningful number for two entirely different reasons — and neither is a deadline to sell.
First, an estate may qualify for the shorter summary administration track if the person has been dead for more than two years, regardless of the estate’s value (Fla. Stat. §735.201). Second, once two years have passed since the date of death, the estate, the personal representative and the beneficiaries are no longer liable for creditor claims (Fla. Stat. §733.710).
People often mix these up with the federal rules for excluding gain on the sale of a main home, which work differently and depend on your own use of the property. If someone tells you there is a two-year clock on selling, ask them which rule they mean — and confirm it with a CPA.
Fla. Stat. §735.201 · §733.710How do I avoid taxes when selling an inherited house?
We cannot tell you how to avoid tax, and you should be cautious with anyone who says they can. What we can do is point you at the facts that usually matter most.
Florida no longer imposes a state estate tax on people who died after December 31, 2004, following a federal change — that is the Florida Department of Revenue’s own wording. And as above, your basis is generally stepped to date-of-death value.
Beyond those two points, what you owe turns on details we are not qualified to assess: how title was held, whether the property produced income, and what the home sells for. Take those to a CPA or estate attorney — we are happy to send them the sale figures directly.
Florida Department of Revenue · IRS Publication 551Your situation, answered
Can you help if the house is still in probate?
I inherited the house with my siblings. Can you still help?
I live out of state. Does that make this harder?
The house needs a lot of work — or it’s full of belongings. Is that a problem?
There’s a mortgage, liens, or unpaid property taxes. Now what?
What if I want top dollar instead of a fast cash sale?
What if there’s no will?
Do I even need to go through probate to sell?
Will my property taxes go up when I inherit the house?
What happens if my siblings and I cannot agree on what to do?
Do we have to wait for creditors before we can sell?
We lead with what’s right for you — not a lowball offer.
We’re a South Florida real estate company focused on one thing that most investors treat as a side hustle: helping people with inherited and probate property. We are the same team behind Idem Homes’ cash offers across South Florida, and that focus means we understand the process, the deadlines, and the emotions involved — and we lead with what’s right for you, not with a lowball offer. You’ll always get a straight answer and a real choice among your options.
Serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach.
The Personal Representative’s Duties During Florida Probate
A plain-English walkthrough of what’s expected of you, in the order you’ll face it. Whether or not you ever work with us, this will help you avoid costly missteps.
Ready to talk it through? Tell us about the property.
A short, no-obligation conversation can save you months of carrying costs and stress.
Tell us about the property