Inheriting a house in Jacksonville sounds like a windfall — until you realize it comes with property taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance, and potentially a probate process that takes months. If the home is in Riverside and was built in 1935, add a preservation overlay, aging plumbing, and a $15,000 roof to the equation. If it’s an Arlington ranch from the 1960s, you’re looking at original everything that no traditional buyer will finance.
This guide covers the complete process of selling an inherited house in Jacksonville — from Duval County probate to tax implications to getting the property sold without spending a dime on repairs.
Step 1: Determine If Probate Is Required
In Florida, real property cannot transfer from a deceased person to their heirs without some form of probate — even if you’re named in the will. The Duval County Probate Division, part of the 4th Judicial Circuit Court at the Duval County Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville, handles these proceedings.
There are two primary types of probate administration in Florida:
Summary Administration — Available when the estate’s total value (excluding homestead property) is under $75,000, or when the decedent has been dead for more than two years. Summary administration is streamlined: you file a Petition for Summary Administration with the Duval County court, provide a death certificate, the will (if one exists), and a list of assets and creditors. The court can issue an Order of Summary Administration in 4-8 weeks, at which point the property can be conveyed.
Formal Administration — Required for estates exceeding the $75,000 threshold or when the circumstances demand it (contested wills, complex creditor claims, etc.). Formal administration requires appointing a Personal Representative (executor), publishing a Notice to Creditors in a Jacksonville-area newspaper (typically the Daily Record or Financial News & Daily Record), allowing a 3-month creditor claim period, and working through any debts against the estate. Total timeline: 6-12 months in Duval County.
The homestead exception: Florida’s homestead laws add a layer of complexity. If the deceased person lived in the home as their primary residence and is survived by a spouse or minor children, the homestead property may pass outside of probate — directly to the surviving spouse or into a life estate arrangement. The rules are specific and depend on whether there’s a will, who the beneficiaries are, and the family structure. Consult a Jacksonville probate attorney for your specific situation.
Step 2: Understand the Property’s Current Condition
Most inherited Jacksonville homes share a common profile: the owner lived there for 20-40 years, maintained what they could, but deferred expensive repairs as they aged. The result is a property that looks lived-in at best and is genuinely deteriorated at worst.
Arlington (32211, 32225) — The bulk of Arlington’s housing stock dates from 1955-1970. Inherited homes in this area commonly need roof replacement ($9,000-$14,000), electrical panel upgrades from original fuse boxes to breakers ($2,500-$4,000), HVAC replacement ($6,000-$12,000), and plumbing updates from galvanized or polybutylene pipes ($5,000-$10,000). A full renovation to bring a 1960s Arlington ranch to market-competitive condition runs $25,000-$45,000.
Riverside (32204, 32205) — Riverside’s pre-war homes have character but also unique challenges. Original knob-and-tube wiring in homes built before 1930, pier-and-beam foundations that have settled unevenly over a century, single-pane windows with deteriorated glazing, and clay sewer lines that crack and allow root intrusion. The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission may also regulate exterior modifications, adding time and cost to any renovation. Renovation costs for a 1920s Riverside bungalow: $35,000-$65,000.
Westside (32210, 32221) — Concrete block homes from the 1960s-80s with original roofs approaching or exceeding their 25-year useful life. HVAC systems that are undersized by modern standards. Popcorn ceilings, outdated kitchens, and bathrooms that haven’t been touched in decades. Renovation costs: $18,000-$35,000.
Northside (32218, 32208) — The most affordable inherited properties in Duval County, but also properties where renovation costs can approach or exceed the home’s updated value. A $130,000 home that needs $25,000 in work to bring it to market standards creates poor ROI for heirs investing in renovations.
The critical question for most heirs is: does it make financial sense to renovate before selling? In many Jacksonville neighborhoods, the answer is no — particularly when you factor in the carrying costs during the renovation and listing period.
Step 3: Calculate the Carrying Costs
While the inherited property sits in probate — or just sits because you haven’t decided what to do with it — the costs keep running:
- Property taxes: Duval County’s effective property tax rate is approximately 1.01% of assessed value. On a $200,000 assessed home, that’s roughly $2,020/year or $168/month.
- Homeowner’s insurance: Expect $1,800-$3,600/year for a standard policy. If the home is vacant, many insurers require a vacant property policy, which costs 50-100% more than a standard policy — pushing annual premiums to $3,000-$6,000.
- Utilities: Even a vacant home needs basic electricity to prevent mold (running the HVAC in Jacksonville’s humidity is not optional), water turned on to prevent pipe issues, and pest treatment. Budget $150-$250/month.
- Lawn maintenance: Jacksonville’s code enforcement will cite overgrown lots, especially on the Westside and Northside. Professional yard maintenance runs $120-$200/month.
- Security and maintenance: Vacant homes in Jacksonville are targets for copper theft, vandalism, and squatters — particularly in 32208 and 32218. You may need to secure the property and check on it regularly.
Total monthly carrying cost for a vacant inherited home: $600-$1,500+
Over a 6-month probate and traditional sale process, that’s $3,600-$9,000 in carrying costs alone — money that comes directly out of the estate’s value. Over 12 months (formal probate plus a traditional listing period), you’re looking at $7,200-$18,000.
Step 4: Know the Tax Rules
The single biggest financial advantage of selling an inherited property is the stepped-up basis under federal tax law. This is significant and often misunderstood.
When you inherit a property, your cost basis for capital gains tax purposes is the property’s fair market value on the date of death — not what the deceased originally paid for it.
Example: Your parent bought a Jacksonville home in 1988 for $65,000. At the time of their death, the home is worth $240,000. Your cost basis is $240,000 — not $65,000. If you sell the home for $235,000, you have no capital gains tax liability (in fact, you’d have a $5,000 capital loss).
This stepped-up basis means that selling relatively quickly after inheritance minimizes or eliminates capital gains taxes. The longer you hold the property, the more it may appreciate beyond the stepped-up basis, creating a taxable gain.
Florida has no state income tax, so there’s no state-level capital gains tax to worry about. Federal capital gains rates for 2026 are 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your total taxable income.
Important: The stepped-up basis applies to the date of death, not the date of probate completion or the date of sale. Get an appraisal or broker price opinion (BPO) as close to the date of death as possible to establish this value. You’ll need this documentation if the IRS ever questions your basis.
Step 5: Handle Multiple Heirs
When two or more family members inherit a Jacksonville property, the dynamics get complicated. Under Florida law, unless the will specifies otherwise, heirs receive the property as tenants in common — each with an equal ownership share. Every heir must agree on any action regarding the property: sell, rent, renovate, or hold.
Common scenarios we see:
Sibling disagreement: One heir wants to sell, another wants to keep the property as a rental or move into it. Florida law allows any tenant in common to file a partition action — a lawsuit in Duval County Circuit Court to force a sale. Partition suits cost $5,000-$15,000 in legal fees, take 4-8 months, and can permanently damage family relationships.
Out-of-state heirs: Some heirs live in Jacksonville, others in different states. The local heir ends up doing all the property management work while the out-of-state heirs have opinions about what to do but no ability to contribute to the effort. Resentment builds.
Unequal contributions: One heir has been paying the property taxes and insurance to keep the estate current. They expect reimbursement from the sale proceeds before an equal split. The other heirs disagree about the amount or whether it’s fair.
A cash sale often resolves all of these dynamics. One fair offer, reviewed by all parties, with proceeds distributed per the estate plan at closing through the title company. No ongoing property management disputes, no renovation debates, and no partition lawsuits.
Step 6: Decide How to Sell
You have three realistic options for selling an inherited Jacksonville home:
Option A: Renovate and list with an agent — Invest $20,000-$60,000 in renovations (depending on the property and neighborhood), list on the MLS, wait 52 days on average for a buyer, then another 30-45 days to close. After 6% agent commissions and 2% closing costs, you might net the highest gross number — but subtract the renovation cost, carrying costs during the process, and the months of time and effort, and the net may not be as high as expected.
Option B: List as-is with an agent — Skip the renovations, list at a discount, and hope for a cash buyer or investor through the MLS. As-is listings in Jacksonville sit on the market 75-90 days on average (longer than updated homes), attract lowball offers, and frequently fall out of contract after inspections. You’ll still pay 6% agent commission on whatever price you accept.
Option C: Sell directly for cash — Get a cash offer from a local buyer who purchases inherited homes as-is. Close in 7-14 days (or align with the probate timeline). Zero agent commissions, zero closing costs, zero renovation expense. The offer price reflects as-is condition, but the net-to-seller after accounting for saved commissions, carrying costs, and renovation expense is often comparable to the other options.
For most Jacksonville heirs — particularly those who are out-of-state, dealing with multiple heirs, or inheriting a property that needs significant work — Option C delivers the best combination of net proceeds, speed, and simplicity.
The Probate-to-Sale Timeline
Here’s how a typical inherited home sale works with a cash buyer in Duval County:
| Step | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Initial contact and property evaluation | Day 1-2 |
| Cash offer presented | Day 2-3 |
| Offer accepted, contract signed by all heirs | Day 3-7 |
| Probate completion (if still in progress) | Varies (4 weeks to 12 months) |
| Title search and closing prep | 7-10 days after probate clears |
| Closing at Jacksonville title company | 1 day |
The key advantage: we lock in the price during probate and close the moment the court authorizes the sale. You’re not losing months after probate ends trying to list, show, and negotiate. The deal is already done — it just needs the court’s signature.
What to Do Right Now
If you’ve recently inherited a Jacksonville property — or you’ve been sitting on one and haven’t decided what to do — the carrying costs are running every day. Property taxes, insurance, and maintenance don’t pause while you deliberate.
The 2026 Jacksonville housing market remains favorable for sellers, but holding an inherited property for appreciation only makes sense if the expected gains exceed the carrying costs and the opportunity cost of your equity sitting in a house you don’t want.
Request a free cash offer on the inherited property. It takes two minutes, commits you to nothing, and gives you a real number to compare against the renovation-and-list scenario. If the numbers work, we can close as soon as probate allows. If they don’t, you’ve lost nothing but two minutes.