Selling land in Florida you inherited

Someone left you land in Florida. Maybe a parent left it to you. Maybe a relative you barely knew. You may have never seen the lot. You may not want it. That is a common spot to be in. The land can still be sold. Here is how it works.

First, find out what you have

Start with the parcel number or the old deed. With one of those, you can learn a lot for free.

Look the lot up on the county property appraiser website. That is the county office that values land for taxes. You can search by the owner's name or by the parcel number. It shows the size of the lot. It shows where it sits on a map. It shows the taxes owed.

On inherited land, the taxes are often behind. That is normal. It can be handled later, at the sale.

You do not need to travel to Florida for any of this. It can all be done from a computer.

The estate usually goes through probate first

Say someone died owning the land alone. Before it can be sold, a court has to name the new owner. That court step is called probate.

There are two common kinds.

Summary administration is the shorter one. It often applies when the estate is worth $75,000 or less. It can also apply when the person has been gone more than two years.

Formal administration is the longer one.

If there was a will, it names who inherits. If there was no will, Florida law decides. Usually that is the closest family.

Did more than one person inherit? Then everyone normally has to agree and sign to sell.

A probate lawyer or the title company can tell you which path fits. And if probate is already done, you may be ready to sell now.

You have more than one way to sell

You do not have to sell to a company like ours. It helps to know all your choices.

You can list it with a Florida real estate agent. For land worth more, listing can bring the most money. For a small lot, the agent fee and the wait can eat into a low price. Some agents will not take low-value lots at all.

You can sell it yourself, to a neighbor or a builder.

Or you can sell to a land company like ours. We handle the paperwork and any back taxes for you.

Pick what fits. If listing looks better for you, we will say so.

What we do

You tell us where the land is. It is fine if you know very little about it.

We check the county records ourselves. That costs you nothing.

If it is a fit, we put your land under contract. The offer comes to you in writing. You take your time.

We are not agents. We do not list your land or sell it for you.

A licensed title company handles the closing. That is a neutral office that holds the money and does the paperwork. It sorts out the probate documents and any back taxes. It pays you. You sign only when you are ready.

Here is the honest part. The price we can offer is below full retail. That gap is how we are paid. We say it up front. If that trade is not right for you, listing may be, and we will tell you.

Tell us about the land you inherited

A few lines is plenty. Where it is, and how it came to you, is a fine start. Write to us and we will get back to you.