Selling a home in Florida comes down to six steps: price it from recent local sales, prepare and stage it, choose how to sell, complete Florida’s required disclosures, negotiate the contract, and close through a title company. Most sellers pay about 5.3% in agent commission plus roughly 3% in other closing costs, and a financed sale usually closes 30 to 45 days after a signed contract.
If you’re selling in Palatka or Putnam County, a free home valuation based on recent nearby sales is the best place to start.
This guide is for homeowners in Northeast Florida, especially Putnam, Clay, Alachua and St. Johns counties, who want the whole picture before they talk to an agent. Each step links to a detailed guide if you want to go deeper.
Get a free home valuation and net-proceeds estimate based on recent sales near you.
The Florida market sellers face in 2026
Florida is roughly balanced right now. Clever’s market data for July 31, 2026 put the statewide median sale price at $421,500, median time on market at 66 days, and homes selling for about 97% of list price. Its market heat index rated Florida neutral.
Putnam County is smaller and moves around more. Redfin reported an August 2026 median sale price of about $274,000, up 11% from a year earlier, while other trackers using different methods put the county in the low-to-mid $200,000s. With fewer sales each month, one or two large closings can swing the figure, which is why pricing from nearby sales matters more here than a county median. Putnam homes also take longer to sell than the state average; recent trackers put the county’s median time on market at roughly 70 to 75 days.
Step 1: Price your home from recent local sales
Overpricing is the most common reason Northeast Florida homes sit. A good price comes from homes like yours that actually closed nearby in the last few months, adjusted for size, condition, land and water access. Online estimates struggle in rural areas where few homes are truly comparable.
Read more: how a free home valuation works in Palatka and Putnam County
Step 2: Prepare and stage the home
Declutter, make small repairs, clean up the outside, and set up the lanai or porch as living space. In Florida, also gather the roof age, any 4-point or wind-mitigation reports, and the flood disclosure, because buyers’ insurance quotes depend on them.
Read more: home staging tips for Florida sellers
Step 3: Choose how to sell
Option | What it costs | Trade-off |
Full-service agent | About 2.5–3% listing fee, plus any buyer-agent concession | Pricing, marketing, negotiation and paperwork handled for you |
Discount or flat-fee broker | About 1–1.5%, or a flat fee | Less service; you do more of the work |
For sale by owner | No listing fee | You handle pricing, disclosures, showings and contracts |
Cash buyer or investor | No commission, but offers are usually below market value | Speed and certainty, at a lower price |
Get a Free Home Valuation
Step 4: Complete Florida’s seller disclosures
Florida sellers must tell buyers about known problems that materially affect the home’s value and aren’t easy to see. That duty comes from the 1985 Florida Supreme Court case Johnson v. Davis, and it applies even when you sell “as is.”
- Flood disclosure: since October 1, 2024, sellers must give a written flood disclosure at or before contract (s. 689.302, Florida Statutes). Since October 1, 2025, it also covers flooding you know of during your ownership, and any flood claims or assistance received.
- Lead paint: homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure.
- HOA or condo: association documents and disclosures where they apply.
Step 5: List, show and negotiate offers
Once you accept an offer, the buyer usually has an inspection period, often 7 to 15 days, then an appraisal if they are financing. Expect repair requests or credit requests after inspection. The strongest offer isn’t always the highest: financing type, inspection terms and closing date all matter.
Step 6: Closing
In Florida, a title company or closing attorney handles the closing. They clear the title, pay off your mortgage, collect fees and taxes, and send your proceeds. A financed sale usually closes 30 to 45 days after contract; a cash sale can close in a couple of weeks.
What it costs to sell a home in Florida
Cost | Typical amount | Detail |
Agent commission | About 5.29% total (Aug 2026 average) | |
Documentary stamp tax on deed | $0.70 per $100 of price | Paid by seller by custom |
Owner’s title insurance | Promulgated state rate | Seller customarily pays in most of NE Florida |
Other closing costs, prorations, repairs | About 3.28% on top of commission (statewide average) |
On a $250,000 Putnam County home, commission plus doc stamps and title insurance comes to about $16,300 before prorated taxes and repairs. My realtor fees page walks through the full net sheet.
Taxes when you sell a Florida home
- No state income tax: Florida doesn’t tax your gain at the state level.
- Federal capital gains exclusion: if you owned and lived in the home for at least two of the last five years, you can usually exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 if married filing jointly.
- Homestead portability: if you buy another Florida homestead, you may be able to carry up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes benefit to the new home. Apply with the county property appraiser within the deadline.
Talk to a tax professional about your situation. I’m not a tax advisor.
How long it takes to sell a home in Florida
Stage | Typical time |
Prep and staging | 1–4 weeks |
On the market | Statewide median 66 days (Jul 2026); Putnam roughly 70–75 days |
Contract to closing (financed) | 30–45 days |
Contract to closing (cash) | About 2–3 weeks |
Selling in Putnam, Clay, Alachua and St. Johns counties
Northeast Florida homes vary more than most Florida markets, and that changes how you sell.
- Acreage and rural land: fewer true comparables; price and marketing need a local eye.
- Waterfront on the St. Johns River and lakes: frontage, dock condition and flood zone drive both price and the buyer’s insurance.
- Well, septic and manufactured homes: expect lender and inspection questions; have records ready.
- Older housing stock: many homes predate 1990, so roof age, wiring and plumbing come up at inspection.
Why sellers work with Kassidy Babcock
I’m a full-time Realtor with Timber To Tides Realty, based in Palatka, with nearly 60 closings and more than $14.2 million in sales volume across Putnam, Clay, Alachua and St. Johns counties. Before you list, you get a price range from real recent sales near you, a net sheet showing what you would walk away with, and a room-by-room walkthrough of what to change before photos.
Listings get professional photography, marketing to active buyer databases and targeted social campaigns aimed at Northeast Florida buyers. I communicate proactively, so you know what is happening at every stage without having to ask, and you work with me directly from first conversation to closing.
Clients rate Kassidy 5.0 on Google across 60 reviews. One seller wrote that she “helped us with the buying and selling of our house”; another said she “handled us with care and a little added humor every now and then.”
Thinking about selling? Get a free, no-obligation valuation and net-proceeds estimate for your Northeast Florida home.
