Selling a parent's house in Seminole

Taking the time it takes

One of the reviews we are proudest of came from Robin S. in Tampa: "He sat with us in the living room for two hours, as I reminisced about my Mom. Most importantly, he listened." She also wrote, "He was the only investor who actually cared, during a very tough time for our family."

That is how we try to approach every Seminole family. The walkthrough is not a race. If you want to tell us about the person who lived there, we want to hear it. If you would rather not be there at all, a neighbor or a lockbox works too.

Seminole housing: ranches, villas, and waterfront

Seminole grew mostly from the 1960s on. Many neighborhoods are single-story block ranch homes from the 1960s through the 1980s, often near Lake Seminole or the shopping around Seminole City Center. Some homes in the area back up to canals or bayous, and those can sit in flood zones.

A ranch house that has been lived in by one owner for thirty years is usually solid but dated: older roof, older air conditioning, original baths. We price that in and buy it as-is.

City of Seminole or the county?

The City of Seminole is smaller than the area people call Seminole. A large share of homes with a Seminole mailing address are actually in unincorporated Pinellas County. That matters for permits, code enforcement, and which government the family deals with on the property, but it does not change probate. Every Pinellas estate goes through the same Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Homestead and who must sign

A parent's home in Seminole was usually their Florida homestead. Under Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution, protected homestead passes outside the claims of most creditors, and if the owner left a spouse or minor child, a will cannot freely give it away. The probate attorney asks the court for an order determining homestead, and every heir with a homestead interest signs the sale.

Protected homestead also does not count toward the $150,000 limit for summary administration, so many Seminole estates qualify for the faster process. For those, probate can often be completed in 24 to 48 hours once the heirs sign. We pay the probate cost, about $3,000, and it does not come out of anyone's share. We are not attorneys, and this is general information. See inherited homestead in Florida for more.

If there is a reverse mortgage

Reverse mortgages are common among retirees, so they come up often in an area like Seminole. After the borrower dies, the heirs typically have 30 days to tell the loan servicer their plans and about six months to sell or pay off the loan, with possible extensions up to about a year. Heirs can satisfy the loan for the lesser of the balance or 95% of the appraised value. Most of these loans are non-recourse, so the heirs do not personally owe any shortfall.

Those deadlines are a common reason Seminole families call us. See inherited houses with a reverse mortgage.

Getting started

Call or text Alex at (727) 353-6206. There is no obligation, and if listing with an agent would clearly net your family more and you have the time, we will tell you. Pinellas Probate Home Buyers is the probate division of 131 Cash Home Buyers in St. Petersburg.

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.