Selling an inherited house in Palm Harbor

Unincorporated, and what that means

Because Palm Harbor has no city government, Pinellas County is the local authority for building permits, code enforcement, and zoning. If an inherited house has open permits or a code case, it will be with the county. Probate, as everywhere in Pinellas, goes through the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Palm Harbor also includes smaller communities with their own names, such as Ozona and Crystal Beach along the Gulf side. Those are unincorporated too.

Before you call anyone

Whether you call us, an attorney, or a realtor, a few documents make the first conversation much easier:

• Certified death certificates. The funeral home usually orders these. Get several.
• The most recent deed. You can look it up in the Pinellas County Clerk's official records, or we can pull it.
• The will, if there is one, and any trust documents.
• Recent statements for a mortgage, reverse mortgage, HOA, or property taxes.
• A list of the heirs with their contact information, including anyone you have lost touch with.

Do not worry if you are missing some of these. Missing pieces are normal, and the probate attorney can fill gaps.

Subdivision homes and HOAs

Much of Palm Harbor was built from the 1970s through the 1990s, in planned subdivisions off Alternate 19, U.S. 19, and around Lake Tarpon. A typical inherited home is a single-story block house with a pool, a screened lanai, and a homeowners association or deed restrictions.

HOAs can add a few things to an estate's list: unpaid dues, a violation letter about the lawn or the roof, or an estoppel letter needed for closing. Unpaid association dues are paid from the sale at closing like any other lien. The title company requests what is needed.

Pools and screened enclosures are worth a mention. A pool that has gone green while the house sat empty, or a screen cage torn up by a storm, can draw complaints from neighbors or the association. You do not need to fix either one before selling to us. We take the house with the pool and lanai as they are.

When siblings don't agree

A house split between several heirs can stall for years if one person wants to sell, one wants to keep it, and one will not answer the phone. Meanwhile taxes, insurance, and dues keep coming.

There are a few ways forward:

1. Buy out within the family. One heir pays the others. This works when someone has the cash.
2. Sell one heir's share. We can buy an individual heir's fractional interest, so the heir who wants out can get paid without forcing the others.
3. Partition. Under Florida partition law, a court can order a sale when co-owners cannot agree. It is a last resort, but it exists.

We are not attorneys, and this is general information. Our guide on selling your share of an inherited house covers the details.

How the sale works

We do one walkthrough and give a written cash offer. If the family accepts, we pay an independent licensed Florida probate attorney to represent the estate, typically about $3,000 including court fees, and that is not taken from anyone's share. For estates that qualify for summary administration, probate can often be done in 24 to 48 hours after the heirs sign, and closing usually follows about a week later. Formal administration or a contested will takes longer.

Pinellas Probate Home Buyers is the probate division of 131 Cash Home Buyers. Call or text Alex at (727) 353-6206.

We’re a home-buying company, not attorneys. This page is general information about Florida probate, not legal advice; an independent licensed Florida probate attorney represents the estate in every probate we pay for. Last updated November 2026.