We Buy Houses in Palm Beach County Florida: 2026 Cornerstone Guide to Cash Buyers, Net Proceeds, and Local Options

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STRATEGY HEADER

Field	Value
Article #	03 — PBC COUNTY PILLAR (Cornerstone Hub)
Theme / Cluster	Cash Buyer Pillar / Palm Beach County Master
Cluster Traffic Ceiling	~27,100/mo aggregate (county-level cash buyer demand)
Primary Keyword	we buy houses in Palm Beach County Florida
Secondary Keywords	cash home buyers palm beach county, sell my house fast palm beach county fl, palm beach county home buyers, palm beach cash offer, sell house fast pbc, ibuyer palm beach county, cash for houses palm beach
Composite Score	92.16 (#1 of 663)
Estimated Search Volume	200/mo direct + 1,400/mo across 16-city long tail
KD	32/100 (Medium)
Avg CPC	$19.00
Search Intent	Commercial / Transactional
Funnel Stage	Top-of-funnel cornerstone (educational + transactional hybrid)
CTA Type	Dual quote (cash + traditional listing) + phone consult
Geographic Scope	All 16 official PBC municipalities (countywide hub)
Publish Date	June 1, 2026 (Week 1, Day 1 — cornerstone launch)
Internal Link Role	Hub article — every other PBC pillar (#1, #2, #5-#40) links UP to this page

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SEO METADATA

SEO Title: We Buy Houses in Palm Beach County Florida: 2026 Honest Cash Buyer Guide (80 chars)

Meta Description: We buy houses in Palm Beach County Florida — compare cash buyers across all 16 PBC cities, see real net proceeds, and choose the right exit. Local team, no pressure. (170 chars)

URL Slug: /we-buy-houses-palm-beach-county-florida/

H1: We Buy Houses in Palm Beach County Florida — The 2026 Cornerstone Guide

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INTRODUCTION

When a Palm Beach County homeowner searches “we buy houses in Palm Beach County Florida,” they are usually weighing one or more of three pressures: a deadline (probate, divorce, relocation, job loss), a property condition issue (roof, plumbing, hurricane damage, deferred maintenance), or simple fatigue with the listing process. None of those situations are unusual here. PBC closes roughly 20,000+ residential transactions a year across its 16 official municipalities — West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Jupiter, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Palm Springs, North Palm Beach, Lantana, Westlake, and Palm Beach — and a meaningful share of those involve a cash buyer somewhere in the chain.

This guide is the hub for every cash-sale and quick-sale question we answer on ListSellFL.com. It is intentionally written to be the one page you bookmark when you need to compare cash buyers in Palm Beach County, understand what a real net number looks like after fees and concessions, or decide whether a cash offer is genuinely better than a traditional listing once you do the math. Wherever a topic deserves its own deep dive — neighborhood-level cash buyer pages, commission breakdowns, closing cost calculators, ugly-house buyers, transfer tax math, post-closing fund release timelines, divorce buyouts, inherited property — we link out to a dedicated pillar so you can drill down without losing the thread.

We are a Palm Beach County-based real estate brokerage. We make cash offers ourselves on properties that fit our buy box, and we list traditionally for sellers who will net more on the open market. That dual-track honesty is the entire reason this guide exists. Most of the “we buy houses Palm Beach County” content on Google is published by national wholesalers and franchise lead-gen sites that have never set foot in Wellington, Lantana, or Westlake. We have. The numbers, contracts, neighborhoods, hurricane and insurance realities, and tax stops in this article are local — and current as of 2026.

By the time you finish reading, you will know: what a legitimate PBC cash buyer actually pays (and what they don’t), which 16 cities have the strongest cash demand and why, what your seller closing costs really look like after Florida documentary stamp tax and county transfer math, how to spot a wholesaler vs. an end buyer, what hurricane insurance and 4-point inspection issues do to your offer, and the three scenarios where a cash sale almost always beats a listing — plus the three scenarios where it almost never does.

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H2-1: What “We Buy Houses in Palm Beach County” Actually Means in 2026

The phrase is everywhere — yard signs, bandit signs along Military Trail and US-1, Facebook ads, Google PPC, postcards. It does not mean the same thing depending on who is saying it. In Palm Beach County, “we buy houses” generally falls into one of four buckets, each with very different pricing, certainty of close, and risk.

H3: The four buyer types you will actually meet

The first bucket is the local end-buyer flipper — a small operator who buys 5-30 PBC houses per year, holds them for 60-180 days, renovates, and resells. These buyers pay the most relative to ARV (after-repair value) because they intend to own the renovation profit. Typical offer range: 70-78% of ARV minus repair cost. They close in 10-21 days and almost always perform.

The second bucket is the wholesaler — a marketer who locks up your house under contract, then assigns that contract to an actual end buyer for a $5K-$40K assignment fee. The wholesaler never funds the deal. They net the spread. Offer range: 60-70% of ARV minus repairs. Risk: if they cannot find an assignee, they cancel during inspection period. This is the single biggest reason “cash offers” fall through in PBC.

The third bucket is the iBuyer / national algorithm-driven buyer (Opendoor and the handful still operating in South Florida as of 2026). They quote you a number based on automated comparable analysis, then deduct a service fee (typically 5-8%) plus repairs found at inspection. Offer range: 85-92% of ARV on paper, but the net after fees and post-inspection deductions usually lands closer to 78-85%. They close in 14-45 days.

The fourth bucket is the brokerage-backed dual-offer model — what we do at ListSellFL.com. You get a real cash offer from us if your property fits our buy box, AND you get a side-by-side net comparison against a traditional listing with our agents. You choose. There is no obligation, no pressure, and no fee for the comparison itself.

H3: How to tell the buckets apart in 30 seconds

Ask one question: “Are you the funding source on this purchase, or are you assigning the contract?” An end buyer or brokerage will answer directly. A wholesaler will deflect. That single question filters out roughly 60% of the noise.

For a deeper breakdown of the buyer-type math and a real PBC case study comparing all four offers on the same $415K Greenacres property, see our companion piece Cash Home Buyers in Palm Beach County (Article #6 — We Buy Ugly Houses) and the Pros and Cons of a Cash Offer in PBC.

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H2-2: The 16 Cities of Palm Beach County — Cash Buyer Demand, Mapped

PBC is huge — over 2,000 square miles, 1.5M residents, 38 incorporated and unincorporated areas. But for the cash-buyer market specifically, the demand concentrates across the 16 official municipalities. Here is what cash activity looks like in each as of 2026, ordered by transaction volume.

City	2026 Median Sale Price	Cash Buyer Demand	Notes for Sellers
West Palm Beach	$455,000	Very High	Strongest investor activity — Northwood, Flamingo Park, Pleasant City all heavy targets
Boca Raton	$695,000	High	Mostly retiree / second-home sellers; cash buyers active east of I-95
Boynton Beach	$415,000	Very High	Heavy 55+ community turnover; inland 1960s-1980s stock is core flipper inventory
Delray Beach	$545,000	High	Lake Ida, Tropic Isle, downtown adjacencies; iBuyers active here
Palm Beach Gardens	$625,000	Moderate	Higher price point; cash demand on under-$500K only
Wellington	$735,000	Moderate	Equestrian / luxury; cash buyers selective
Jupiter	$685,000	Moderate	Coastal premium; cash on tear-down lots
Greenacres	$385,000	Very High	Sweet spot for end-buyer flippers — 1970s-1990s stock
Lake Worth	$395,000	Very High	Historic cottages east of Dixie; flipper-dense
Royal Palm Beach	$475,000	High	Acreage and equestrian-adjacent inventory
Riviera Beach	$345,000	Very High	Lowest entry price in coastal PBC; investor-heavy
Palm Springs	$375,000	High	Compact older stock; cash flippers active
North Palm Beach	$545,000	Moderate	Waterfront premium; cash on inland portions
Lantana	$395,000	High	Old-Florida cottage stock east of I-95
Westlake	$665,000	Low	Newer construction; almost no cash buyer demand
Palm Beach	$4,200,000+	N/A	Luxury island; entirely off the cash-flipper map

H3: Why the gap between cities matters for your offer

If you own a $385K Greenacres CBS block ranch, you will probably see 4-6 real cash offers within 72 hours of going to market — and the highest of those will land around 72-76% of ARV. If you own a $625K Palm Beach Gardens newer home, you will see 1-2 lukewarm offers around 80-85% of ARV from iBuyers, and you will almost certainly net more by listing.

City-specific deep dives: West Palm Beach cash buyers (Article #1) · Sell house for cash WPB (Article #2) · Premium agents in Boca Raton (Article #30) · Relocation specialist Lake Worth (Article #36) · Rent-to-own North Palm Beach (Article #38).

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H2-3: What a Real PBC Cash Offer Looks Like — The Numbers

Let’s run actual math on a representative PBC property: a 3-bed, 2-bath, 1,650 sq ft CBS single-family home built in 1978, located in unincorporated Greenacres just west of Jog Road. ARV (after a $45K cosmetic renovation): $445,000. Current as-is condition: dated kitchen, original bathrooms, 15-year-old roof, working A/C, no structural issues.

H3: The four offers on the same house

Buyer Type	Gross Offer	Less Fees / Deductions	Net to Seller	Days to Close
End-buyer flipper	$312,000	$0	$312,000	14
Wholesaler	$285,000	$0 (but high cancel risk)	$285,000 (if it closes)	21-30
iBuyer	$375,000	6% service fee + $11K repair credits = $33,500	$341,500	30-45
Traditional listing (our agent + improvements)	$445,000	$26,700 commission + $8,000 concessions + $4,800 closing = $39,500	$405,500	65-85

The spread between the worst cash offer and a traditional listing on this exact property is about $120,500. Not every PBC house produces that spread — but most produce one big enough to make the comparison worth running before you sign anything.

H3: When the cash number actually wins

There are three scenarios where the cash offer is the right answer even when the math looks lopsided on paper. First, when the property cannot pass a 4-point insurance inspection (active roof leak, knob-and-tube wiring, polybutylene plumbing, panel issues) and the seller cannot or will not fund repairs. Second, when the seller is paying carrying costs (mortgage + taxes + insurance + HOA) above $3,500/month and a 60-day listing window will burn $7,000+. Third, when there is a deadline — a probate court date, a divorce decree, a foreclosure sale date, an out-of-state job start — that the listing market simply cannot guarantee.

Full breakdown of the cash-vs-list net math on a different example: How to Sell a House in Palm Beach County (Article #5) and How to Sell a House PBC for Cash (Article #8).

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H2-4: PBC-Specific Costs Every Seller Should Know Before Choosing

Florida is one of the more seller-friendly closing-cost states in the country, but PBC sellers still face a stack of line items that catch first-time sellers off guard. Here are the ones that move the needle.

H3: Florida documentary stamp tax (transfer tax)

In Palm Beach County, the seller pays Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed at $0.70 per $100 of sale price. On a $445,000 sale, that is $3,115. This is non-negotiable, applies to both cash and financed sales, and goes to the State of Florida (collected by the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller).

Detailed math, exemptions, and a calculator: Transfer Tax Calculator PBC (Article #27) and What Is a Transfer Tax in Real Estate PBC (Article #35).

H3: Title insurance, owner’s policy, and closing fees

In Palm Beach County, custom is for the seller to pay the owner’s title insurance policy in most municipalities — though it is negotiable on the contract. On a $445,000 deal that is roughly $2,200-$2,400. Settlement fee, document prep, courier, recording, estoppel letters (for HOA properties), and lien search add another $700-$1,200.

Full county-by-county closing cost breakdown: How Much Are Closing Costs in PBC (Article #17) and attorney costs: Real Estate Lawyer Cost PBC (Article #23).

H3: Commission and who pays it after the 2024 NAR settlement

The 2024 NAR commission settlement changed buyer-agent compensation negotiations nationally. In PBC, the typical total commission as of 2026 has compressed from the historical 6% toward the 4-5.5% range, with the buyer-agent portion now explicitly negotiated on the buyer’s representation agreement rather than published in the MLS.

Detailed walkthrough of the new model: Who Pays Realtor Fees Buyer or Seller in PBC (Article #18) · 6% Commission PBC (Article #14) · 1% Commission Realtors PBC (Article #19) · Buyer’s Agency Fee PBC (Article #26).

H3: Hurricane insurance, 4-point inspection, wind mit

If your roof is over 15 years old, your electric panel is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco, your plumbing has cast iron or polybutylene, or your A/C is over 12 years old, your buyer’s lender will require a 4-point inspection — and most carriers will refuse to bind a policy. This single issue kills more PBC retail listings than any other factor and is the strongest driver of cash sales in the county. A current wind mitigation report can save a buyer $1,500-$4,000/year on premiums and is worth pulling before any sale.

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H2-5: How to Vet a “We Buy Houses” Company in Palm Beach County

Most PBC homeowners only sell a house every 7-12 years. The buyer on the other side of the cash-offer table sells weekly. That asymmetry is fixable with a short due-diligence checklist.

H3: The five-question vet

First: “Are you funding this purchase yourself, or assigning the contract?” Funding = end buyer. Assigning = wholesaler. Neither is illegal; one is far more reliable.

Second: “What is your Sunbiz registration name and FEIN?” Look them up on the Florida Division of Corporations. A real PBC buyer has been registered for years, has a Florida address, and shows clean status. A brand-new LLC from out of state is a flag — not always disqualifying, but worth a second look.

Third: “Can you show me three closed PBC deeds in the last 12 months?” Pull them yourself on the Palm Beach County Clerk’s records search. A legitimate cash buyer will have public records to back it up.

Fourth: “Are you using the Florida Realtors / Florida Bar As-Is Residential Contract (FR/Bar ‘AS IS’)?” Almost every legitimate PBC cash purchase uses this standard form. Custom contracts loaded with assignment language and 30-day inspection periods are wholesaler tells.

Fifth: “What is your earnest money, and where does it go?” Real cash buyers post $5,000-$25,000 EMD with a licensed title company or attorney within 1-3 business days. $500 EMD held by the buyer’s own LLC is a major flag.

H3: Where complaints get filed

Bad actors are reportable. Real estate license issues go to the Florida DBPR / FREC. Contractor or unlicensed-activity complaints go to the PBC Building Division. Consumer protection issues route through the Florida Attorney General and the PBC State Attorney’s Office. Don’t be shy about filing — the legitimate buyers in this market actually appreciate it.

For more on spotting wholesalers specifically: Wholesale Real Estate Buyers PBC (Article #24).

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H2-6: The PBC Cash Sale Timeline — Day-by-Day

A clean cash sale in Palm Beach County, with a legitimate end buyer, typically closes in 14 calendar days. Here is what happens.

H3: Days 1-3 — Contract and EMD

You receive a written offer on the FR/Bar AS IS contract. You counter or accept. Within 1-3 business days, the buyer posts earnest money deposit (EMD) with the title company or closing attorney. Inspection period begins (typically 5-10 days on cash deals).

H3: Days 4-10 — Inspection and title work

Buyer inspects (general home inspection, sometimes wind mitigation, sometimes 4-point). Title company orders title search, lien search, estoppel letters from HOA/condo association if applicable, and municipal lien search from the city (West Palm Beach, Boca, Boynton, etc. — every PBC municipality runs its own). Survey ordered if required.

H3: Days 11-13 — Clear-to-close

Title commitment issued. Any title objections cured. Buyer reviews HOA/condo docs. Closing Disclosure / Settlement Statement (ALTA) prepared. Seller signs deed and closing package, often mobile-notary at home.

H3: Day 14 — Funding and recording

Buyer wires funds to title company. Title company disburses to seller, payoff lenders, lien holders, tax authorities, HOA. Deed records at Palm Beach County Clerk. Possession transfers.

When the wire actually hits your account: How Long After Closing Date Will Seller Receive Money in PBC (Article #33).

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H2-7: When a Cash Offer Is the Wrong Answer — Three PBC Scenarios

Most “we buy houses” content treats cash as universally good. It isn’t.

H3: Scenario 1 — Move-in-ready home in a hot pocket

If your house is in Northwood, Flamingo Park, Tropic Isle (Delray), East Boca, or Jupiter Inlet Colony and is genuinely move-in-ready, a 21-day listing will almost always net you 20-30% more than the best cash offer. The PBC retail buyer pool for these neighborhoods is deep, well-financed, and competitive. Don’t take a cash offer out of convenience and leave $80K-$200K on the table.

H3: Scenario 2 — Inherited property with stepped-up basis and no carrying-cost pressure

If you inherited a paid-off PBC home and your monthly carrying cost is just taxes + insurance (call it $1,200-$2,200/month on a typical $400K-$500K house), there is no urgency reason to take a haircut. List it, market it, and use the stepped-up basis to avoid most of the capital gains liability on the sale.

Inherited property deep dive: Sell My Inherited Home PBC (Article #32) and Capital Gains on Second Home PBC (Article #37).

H3: Scenario 3 — Divorce buyout, not a sale

If the underlying reason you are talking to cash buyers is a divorce, run the buyout math first. One spouse keeping the house and refinancing the other off the loan often nets both parties more than a sale at any price — because you avoid the entire transaction cost stack.

Numbers: Divorce Buyout Calculator PBC (Article #31).

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H2-8: Special Situations We Handle in Palm Beach County

The cash market in PBC handles more than just tired flippers. Here are the situations we see most.

H3: Foreclosure prevention

Behind on payments? Notice of Lis Pendens filed? PBC foreclosure sales happen on the Palm Beach County Clerk foreclosure auction calendar. You typically have 30-90 days of runway between Lis Pendens and sale to close a cash transaction that pays off your lender and gives you walking money. Faster than a short sale, no credit hit.

Short sale comparison: What Is a Short Sale in Real Estate PBC (Article #29).

H3: Probate

You inherited a PBC house and the estate is still in probate. Cash buyers can typically close once Letters of Administration are issued, with appropriate court orders if required for non-summary probate. PBC probate goes through the 15th Judicial Circuit. We work with several PBC probate attorneys on referral.

H3: Tax delinquency and tax deed proximity

PBC issues tax certificates annually on properties with delinquent ad valorem taxes (May tax certificate sale). Owners have a 2-year cure window before the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed. Cash sales close fast enough to clear delinquencies before the tax deed clock runs out — even at the 12-18 month mark.

H3: Hoarding, code violations, open permits

PBC and its municipalities run lien searches on every sale. Open building permits, code violations, and unrecorded liens routinely surface in the 7-14 days before closing and can kill traditional deals. Cash buyers — particularly local end buyers — take these on as part of their pricing model.

H3: Condo and co-op sales

Different rules apply. Condos require estoppel letters and association approval. Co-ops have proprietary lease structures and board approval requirements that can take 30-60 days. See Co-op vs Condo PBC (Article #39) and for HOA-specific issues How to Disband an HOA in PBC (Article #25).

H3: Hurricane-damaged property

Storm-damaged homes (post-Ian, post-Idalia, post-future-named-storm) are core inventory for PBC cash buyers. We have closed dozens with active insurance claims, tarped roofs, and partial demolitions in place.

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H2-9: Why ListSellFL.com Is Different — Local Brokerage, Two Honest Paths

Here is the honest, non-marketing version of what we do.

We are a Palm Beach County licensed real estate brokerage. We carry inventory ourselves on properties that fit our buy box (typically 1960s-1990s single-family homes between $250K-$650K ARV in the inland PBC submarkets — Greenacres, Lake Worth, Boynton, Lantana, Riviera Beach, west WPB, Royal Palm Beach). When we cannot make a cash offer that beats a listing, we say so. When we can, we put it next to the listing comparison so you can decide with both numbers in front of you.

We use the standard Florida Realtors / Florida Bar AS IS contract on cash deals. We post real EMD with a third-party title company. We do not assign contracts. Every closing we have done in the last 18 months is recordable at the PBC Clerk and Comptroller.

If we list your property instead, you get full MLS distribution through BeachesMLS, syndication to Zillow / Realtor.com / Redfin / and the major IDX feeds, professional photography, a Matterport 3D tour on properties over $500K, and a listing strategy built around the PBC retail buyer pool for your specific submarket and price band.

How to choose an agent if you decide to list: How to Choose a Realtor PBC (Article #15) · Premium Real Estate Agents in Boca Raton (Article #30).

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H2-10: 16-City Quick-Jump Index

For city-specific cash buyer pages, jump directly to your municipality. Each linked page covers neighborhood-level pricing, common condition issues for that submarket, typical offer ranges, and local closing logistics.

• West Palm Beach — We Buy Houses WPB (#1) · Sell House for Cash WPB (#2)
• Boca Raton — Premium agents Boca (#30)
• Boynton Beach — (county-level coverage; city pillar in roadmap)
• Delray Beach — (county-level coverage; city pillar in roadmap)
• Palm Beach Gardens — (county-level coverage)
• Wellington — (county-level coverage)
• Jupiter — (county-level coverage)
• Greenacres — (heavily covered in this pillar)
• Lake Worth — Relocation Specialist Lake Worth (#36)
• Royal Palm Beach — (county-level coverage)
• Riviera Beach — (county-level coverage)
• Palm Springs — (county-level coverage)
• North Palm Beach — Rent-to-Own North Palm Beach (#38)
• Lantana — (county-level coverage)
• Westlake — (county-level coverage)
• Palm Beach — (luxury — listing-only recommended)

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H2-11: Frequently Asked Questions (10 Native FAQs)

Q1: How much do “we buy houses” companies actually pay in Palm Beach County?

End-buyer flippers typically pay 70-78% of ARV minus the cost of repairs they will fund. Wholesalers pay 60-70%. iBuyers quote 85-92% on paper but net out to 78-85% after fees and post-inspection deductions. On a $445,000 ARV PBC home needing $45K in repairs, expect cash offers between $285,000 and $375,000.

Q2: How fast can a cash sale close in PBC?

A clean cash sale with a legitimate end buyer closes in 14 calendar days. iBuyer transactions take 30-45 days. Wholesaler-assigned contracts take 21-30 days if they close at all.

Q3: Do I have to pay any fees to a cash buyer?

A legitimate cash buyer charges you zero fees — they make their money on the resale, not on you. iBuyers charge a 5-8% service fee. If anyone quoting you a “cash offer” wants an upfront fee, application fee, or processing fee, walk away.

Q4: What if my house has hurricane damage or an open insurance claim?

Cash buyers in PBC routinely take these on. You disclose the claim, you assign or settle the claim per the contract, and the buyer absorbs the repair cost. Pricing reflects the condition.

Q5: Will I net more with a cash offer or a traditional listing?

On a move-in-ready PBC house in a strong submarket, a listing almost always wins by 15-30%. On a distressed or condition-challenged property, the math is much closer and cash often wins after you factor in carrying costs, repair funding, and certainty. Run both numbers before choosing.

Q6: What’s the difference between a cash buyer and a wholesaler?

A cash buyer funds the purchase themselves. A wholesaler signs you to a contract and assigns it to an end buyer for a fee — they never fund the deal. Ask directly. Wholesaler deals fall through more often.

Q7: Do I need an attorney for a cash sale in Florida?

Florida allows title companies to close real estate transactions, so an attorney is not legally required. Many PBC sellers use one anyway, particularly on inherited, probate, divorce, or distressed sales. See Real Estate Lawyer Cost PBC (Article #23).

Q8: Can I sell to a cash buyer if I still have a mortgage?

Yes. The title company calculates your payoff, the buyer’s funds pay off your loan at closing, and you receive the remaining proceeds. The buyer takes the property free and clear.

Q9: Are there any taxes I’ll owe on the sale?

Florida documentary stamp tax ($0.70 per $100 of sale