We reached out about your relative's home. Here's why.

Why we contacted you

We buy inherited houses in Pinellas County. When a homeowner passes away and the house is still in their name, someone in the family usually has to go through probate before it can be sold, kept, or transferred. Our records suggested you might be one of the people with a legal interest in that house.

Sometimes the family already knows and has a plan. Sometimes nobody has done anything yet because no one was sure who should. And sometimes, more often than you would think, the person we contact had no idea the house existed or that they were an heir. If you're hearing this for the first time, we're sorry for your loss, and we're sorry if our letter is how you learned of it.

Why you, and why no one else reached out

When there's no will, Florida law decides who inherits (Fla. Stat. 732.102 and 732.103). It starts with a spouse and children. If there are none, it moves to parents, then brothers and sisters and their children, then grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. That means the legal heir is sometimes a nephew in another state or a cousin who hasn't visited in twenty years.

Often nobody else has called because nobody else is looking. Banks, the county, and the court don't go searching for heirs. A house can sit for a long time, with taxes going unpaid, until a relative steps forward. If you'd like to understand where you might fall, our guide on inherited houses with no will walks through it.

We are not attorneys, and this is general information, not legal advice.

How we found you

Nothing secret. We use the same sources anyone can:

• Public records, such as property and tax records, and court filings.
• Death notices and obituaries, which often name surviving family members.
• Licensed private investigators, when the family tree is unclear or relatives live far away.

If you'd like us to stop contacting you, just say so and we will.

Is this legitimate?

You're right to ask. Here's how to check us without taking our word for it:

• Look up 131 Cash Home Buyers on Google and read the reviews. We have a 5.0-star rating.
• Search for our appearances on Tampa Bay 28 (WFTS, ABC), where reporter Michael Paluska has featured our work three times.
• Visit or call our office at 2529 Central Ave, St. Petersburg. Pinellas Probate Home Buyers is the probate division of 131 Cash Home Buyers.
• Ask any probate attorney or title company of your choosing to review anything we send.

Two rules never change. You will never pay us anything, not a fee, not a deposit, nothing. And the money never passes through us. A licensed Florida title company holds the funds and pays each heir directly. If anyone claiming to be us asks you for money, it isn't us.

What happens if you call

Mostly, we talk. Alex will tell you what we know about the house and its title, answer what he can about your place in the family tree, and explain the options. If the family decides to sell, we pay the probate cost, typically about $3,000, and an independent Florida probate attorney represents the estate. You sign papers with a notary wherever you live. For estates that qualify, the probate is often done within 24 to 48 hours of everyone signing, and closing follows about a week later. Larger or disputed estates take longer, and we'll be upfront about that.

You can read the full process on our how it works page.

No pressure, and keeping the house is fine

You don't owe us a decision, a reply, or even a phone call. Some families decide to keep the house, move in, or rent it out. Some want to list it with a realtor. Those are good choices, and we're glad to tell you what we've seen work. If you'd rather sell only your own share while other relatives keep theirs, that's possible too. See selling your share of an inherited house.

Photos, papers, and keepsakes

Houses hold more than furniture. If you're far away and worried about family photos, letters, a military flag, or a recipe box, tell us. Before any sale, the family can go through the house and take whatever matters. If you can't travel, tell us what you're hoping to find, and we'll work out with you how to get it into family hands before closing. Whatever you choose to leave, we take care of after closing.

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.