Selling A Florida House From Out Of State
You never have to set foot in Florida to sell. Here's how remote closings work, what a power of attorney does, and the FIRPTA withholding foreign owners must know.
You own property in Central Florida and you don’t live here - maybe you never did. It’s an inherited house, a rental you’re tired of, or a vacation home you stopped using.
You can sell it without ever traveling to Florida. Here’s exactly how.
You don’t need to be here
Florida closings are handled by title companies, and remote closings are entirely routine. Three mechanisms:
1. Mail-away closing. The title company overnights the closing package to you. You sign in front of a notary wherever you are, ship it back, and funds are wired to your account. This is the most common method and it works from anywhere in the world.
2. Remote Online Notarization (RON). Florida authorizes RON - you sign electronically over video with a commissioned Florida online notary. No printing, no shipping. Most Florida title companies now offer it. Ask specifically; it’s faster than mail-away.
3. Power of attorney. You appoint someone to sign on your behalf. Useful if you can’t be reached reliably or you’re in a country with notarization complications.
On powers of attorney: Florida has specific requirements for a valid POA - it must be signed by the principal before two witnesses and a notary, and Florida law generally does not recognize “springing” POAs executed after October 1, 2011. Have a Florida attorney or your title company prepare it. A generic online form frequently gets rejected at closing, which is a bad time to find out.
If you’re signing outside the U.S., check whether the title company will accept notarization at a U.S. embassy or consulate or by an apostille under the Hague Convention. Ask before you’re on a deadline.
The problems specific to being away
You can’t see it. The tenant says everything’s fine. The neighbor says it looks rough. You have no idea which is true. Pay a local inspector ($400–$600) or a property manager for an honest assessment before you price it.
Insurance may have lapsed without you noticing. Most policies limit or void coverage after 30–60 days of vacancy. If it’s empty and you didn’t tell your carrier, you may have no meaningful coverage right now. Fix that today. See can’t get homeowners insurance in Florida.
Code enforcement. Overgrown lawns, derelict vehicles, and unsecured pools generate citations, and Florida code fines accrue daily - $250 to $1,000+ per day. Absentee owners rack these up without ever seeing the notices, especially if the mailing address on file is stale. See code violations and liens.
Check your mailing address with the county property appraiser and tax collector right now. If it’s the Florida address, you’re not receiving your tax bills or code notices.
Squatters and vandalism. Vacant, unwatched houses attract both. See squatters rights in Florida.
Delinquent taxes. If bills go to the old address, you may be years behind without knowing. See behind on property taxes in Florida.
FIRPTA - critical if you’re not a U.S. person
If you are a foreign person for U.S. tax purposes - not a citizen, not a green card holder, not otherwise a resident alien - the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act applies.
The buyer is required to withhold a percentage of the gross sale price and remit it to the IRS. The standard rate is 15%, with a reduced 10% rate available in certain cases where the price is between $300,001 and $1,000,000 and the buyer will use it as a residence. There’s an exemption when the price is $300,000 or less and the buyer will use it as a residence.
This is withholding against your eventual tax liability, not a tax itself. You claim it on a U.S. tax return and often get much of it back - but it means a substantial amount of your proceeds is held by the IRS for months.
You can apply for a withholding certificate (IRS Form 8288-B) to reduce the amount withheld, based on your actual expected gain. File it before closing - it takes the IRS roughly 90 days, so start early.
This affects a lot of Central Florida sellers. The Kissimmee–Davenport vacation home corridor has extensive UK, Canadian, and Brazilian ownership.
Get a CPA who handles FIRPTA. Not a general accountant. The rules are specific and the money is real.
Other tax considerations
Florida has no state income tax, so no Florida capital gains tax regardless of where you live. Your home state may still tax the gain - check.
If it was a rental, you’ll face depreciation recapture at up to 25% on the depreciation you claimed (or were entitled to claim), plus capital gains on the rest.
A 1031 exchange can defer the gain if you’re reinvesting in other investment property. It has strict deadlines - 45 days to identify replacement property, 180 days to close - and you must engage a qualified intermediary before you close the sale. Once you’ve received the proceeds, it’s too late.
If it was your primary residence for 2 of the last 5 years, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married filing jointly) - but that clock runs out if you moved away years ago.
Your options
List it with a Florida agent. Highest price. You’ll need someone to handle access, coordinate repairs, and be your eyes. A good local agent earns the commission when you’re remote.
Hire a property manager to prep it, then list. Adds cost and time; sometimes necessary.
Sell as-is to a cash buyer. No repairs, no cleanout, no showings, no coordinating contractors from another time zone. Below market, but the logistics disappear.
Keep renting it. Fine if it cash-flows and you have decent management. Run the numbers with Florida’s current insurance costs - that’s the line that’s killed a lot of out-of-state rental math since 2023.
When cash makes sense
It does when you can’t manage repairs or a cleanout remotely, the house is tenant-occupied and the tenant won’t cooperate with showings, it’s been vacant and you don’t know its true condition, there are code fines accruing, or the coordination cost of a retail sale genuinely exceeds the price difference.
It doesn’t when the house is in good shape and you have a competent local agent. Then list it. Remote listing sales happen constantly and you’ll net more.
What to do first
- Update your mailing address with the county property appraiser and tax collector
- Confirm your insurance covers the property in its current occupancy state
- Check for code violations and liens - call the city/county code enforcement office
- Check tax status - county tax collector website
- Get eyes on the property - an inspector, agent, or property manager
- Confirm title - especially if inherited; you may need probate first
- Talk to a CPA - before you sign anything, especially if you’re a foreign person or it was a rental
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my Florida house without traveling there? Yes. Mail-away closings and Remote Online Notarization are both routine. You can close from anywhere.
What is FIRPTA? A federal law requiring the buyer to withhold (generally 15%) of the gross sale price when the seller is a foreign person, remitted to the IRS against your eventual tax liability.
Can I reduce FIRPTA withholding? Yes - apply for a withholding certificate on IRS Form 8288-B before closing. Allow about 90 days.
Do I need a power of attorney to sell remotely? Usually not. Mail-away or RON is simpler. Use a POA only if you can’t reliably sign, and have a Florida attorney draft it.
Do I pay Florida income tax on the sale? No. Florida has no state income tax. Your home state may tax the gain.
What if I inherited the property and never probated it? You’ll need probate before you can convey title. See Florida summary administration.
How do I know what my Florida house is worth? Get a local agent’s CMA (free) or an appraisal ($400–$600). Don’t rely on Zillow for a property you haven’t seen - the condition adjustment is the whole ballgame.
General information, not legal or tax advice. FIRPTA, 1031 exchanges, and depreciation recapture are technical and expensive to get wrong. Consult a CPA experienced with non-resident sellers and a Florida real estate attorney.
Beach Bums Real Estate buys houses for cash in Orlando and Central Florida from owners anywhere in the world. We handle remote closings routinely. Call (689) 249-4888 or email us - time zones are fine.
Weighing your options?
We buy houses for cash across Florida - but if listing your house would net you more, we’ll tell you that instead. No pressure, no obligation, no follow-up spam.