Sell your St. Petersburg house fast, as‑is, for cash
We buy houses in St. Pete and across Pinellas County in any condition, from storm-worn bungalows to rentals with tenants in place. You get a written cash offer, and the City's lien search, any tax certificate and the mortgage payoff are settled at closing.
Get your free cash offer
Takes 2 minutes. Zero obligation. We respond within 1 hour during business hours.
No fees, no commissions, no obligation. Your cash offer comes in writing.
Rather talk it through? Call or text (215) 703-9223
- Written cash offer, no obligation
- City liens and tax certificates paid from the sale
- No commissions or listing fees
- Close in 7–30 days on your schedule
Selling a house in St. Petersburg: what's different here
St. Petersburg sits at the southern tip of Pinellas County, which shares a circuit court with Pasco. The City keeps its own lien records and a registry for houses in foreclosure, while the county runs every auction online. Each fact links to the office that publishes it.
General information from official court, county and state sources, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
- Court
- Pinellas County is in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, shared with Pasco County. Foreclosures go to the circuit civil division. South Pinellas cases are served at the St. Petersburg Judicial Building, 545 1st Avenue North; the main county courthouse is in Clearwater.
- Foreclosure auctions
- The Clerk sells foreclosed homes online at pinellas.realforeclose.com, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. on the date in the judgment. Bidders post 5% in advance and pay the rest by 11:00 a.m. the next business day. The Clerk can issue a certificate of title ten full days after the sale if no one objects.
- Tax certificates
- Pinellas property taxes go delinquent on April 1. On or before June 1 the Tax Collector auctions a certificate on each unpaid parcel to whoever accepts the lowest interest rate; unsold ones are struck off to the county at 18%. A certificate is a lien, not ownership, and expires after seven years.
- Tax deed warning
- Every February the Tax Collector mails a warning letter to owners at risk of a tax deed sale, with a deadline of the last business day in March. After that the certificate holder may apply, and once a tax deed starts, the whole balance has to be paid at once; payment plans no longer stop it. The Clerk then auctions the house at pinellas.realtaxdeed.com.
- City foreclosure registry
- St. Petersburg's ordinance (Sec. 8-146) requires a property in foreclosure to be registered with the City, generally within 10 days of the filing, for $230 a year. Vacant ones must be posted with a 24-hour contact for the mortgagee's local agent.
- City liens
- The City's lien research request covers utility charges, special assessments and utility liens, with results within three business days. Code Enforcement Board liens are a separate call to Codes Compliance (727-893-7373), and a Special Assessment Lien Modification Program can reduce accumulated interest on some assessment liens.
- Doc stamps
- Florida's documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of the price in Pinellas, as in every county except Miami-Dade. All parties to the deed are liable for it.
- Probate
- Wills and estates are heard by the Sixth Circuit's Probate and Guardianship division, which also handles trusts and guardianships.
- Free counseling
- Neighborhood Home Solutions (St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services), 1600 Dr. M.L. King St. N. (727-821-6897), is on HUD's list for mortgage delinquency and default counseling.
How a cash sale works in St. Pete
Three steps. City records and county auctions both feed into the payoff list, and the title company works through it.
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Tell us where it is
Inside St. Petersburg city limits, or in Gulfport, Pinellas Park or unincorporated Pinellas? That decides whether the City's lien search applies. A foreclosure case number or a warning letter from the Tax Collector is useful too.
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Receive a written number
We walk the house as it stands, including old roofs, flood-damaged floors, original cast-iron plumbing or a garage full of belongings, and put a cash price on paper. You decide whether it works.
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Sign at the title office
The title company asks the City for its lien figures, gets the redemption amount for any tax certificate, orders your lender's payoff and records the deed with the doc stamps paid. You leave with the balance.
Situations we see in Pinellas County
Where the county's calendar and the City's records affect your options.
An online auction date is set
Pinellas foreclosure sales run on weekday mornings on the Clerk's auction site. A private sale that closes before that morning pays the lender from the proceeds instead. Read the Florida foreclosure timeline.
You got a February warning letter
That letter means a certificate holder can apply for a tax deed after the March deadline. Once the tax deed starts, partial payments no longer stop it, so a sale before then lets the certificates be redeemed from your proceeds.
Storm or flood damage
Water in the living room, a tarp on the roof or drywall already pulled: you don't have to repair, permit or clean it up before selling. We price the work in and the repairs become ours.
An old City assessment or lien
Unpaid special assessments and utility balances can sit on a parcel for years. The title company pulls the figures from the City, and the Special Assessment Lien Modification Program may cut the interest on some of them.
Inherited a St. Pete house
The estate runs through the Sixth Circuit's probate division. Summary administration may be available if the estate, less exempt property, is $150,000 or less or the owner died more than two years ago (Fla. Stat. 735.201). See selling an inherited house in Florida.
A rental you're done with
Duplex near downtown, a long-term tenant in a Pinellas Park house, or one that's empty between leases: we can buy with the lease in place, so there's no turnover work.
What gets paid at a St. Petersburg closing
Florida's deed tax is one statewide rate. What varies is what's recorded against the parcel, and in the City that includes its own utility and assessment liens.
| Item | Where the figure comes from | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Documentary stamp tax | 70 cents per $100 of the price (Florida Department of Revenue) | $2,100 on a $300,000 sale |
| Delinquent taxes or certificates | Redemption amount from the Pinellas Tax Collector | Depends on the bid rate and months elapsed |
| City utility liens and assessments | City lien research request (results within 3 business days) | Amount from the City |
| Code Enforcement Board lien | Codes Compliance, 727-893-7373 | Amount from the City |
| Mortgage | Payoff letter from your lender | Amount from the lender |
The doc-stamp example is simple arithmetic on the Department of Revenue rate, not a quote. Who pays it is set in the contract. Lien figures come from the City of St. Petersburg and the Tax Collector.
Where we buy in Pinellas County
Selling a house in St. Petersburg: common questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
How are foreclosure sales held in Pinellas County?
Online. The Clerk auctions foreclosed properties at pinellas.realforeclose.com, Monday through Friday starting at 10:00 a.m. on the date the judgment sets. Bidders post a 5% deposit and pay the balance by 11:00 a.m. the next business day. You can still sell the house yourself before the sale date.
I got a warning letter from the Pinellas Tax Collector. What does it mean?
The Tax Collector mails these every February to owners whose property is at risk of a tax deed sale. The deadline is the last business day in March; after that the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed, and the full balance must then be paid at once to stop it.
How do I find City liens on a St. Petersburg house?
Submit the City's online lien research request. It covers utility charges, special assessments and utility liens, and results come within three business days. Code Enforcement Board liens are handled separately by Codes Compliance at 727-893-7373.
What is St. Petersburg's foreclosure registry?
A City ordinance (Sec. 8-146) requires properties in foreclosure to be registered with the City, generally within 10 days of the filing. Registration costs $230 and lasts a calendar year, and vacant properties must be posted with a 24-hour contact for the mortgagee's local agent.
How much are doc stamps when I sell?
70 cents per $100 of the sale price, so $2,100 on a $300,000 sale. All parties to the deed are liable, and the contract says who pays.
Where is probate handled for a St. Pete house?
In the Sixth Judicial Circuit's Probate and Guardianship division, which covers Pinellas and Pasco counties. Once the court appoints a personal representative, that person can sign the sale.
More for St. Petersburg sellers
Your situation
Nearby areas
Sources
Official pages we used for the local facts on this page, checked October 19, 2026.
- Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida (Pasco and Pinellas counties)
- Sixth Judicial Circuit, St. Petersburg Judicial Building
- Sixth Judicial Circuit, Court Divisions (circuit civil; probate and guardianship)
- Pinellas County Clerk, online foreclosure auction FAQ (RealForeclose)
- Pinellas County Tax Collector, Property Tax FAQ (tax certificates and tax deeds)
- Pinellas County Clerk, online tax deed auction FAQ (RealTaxDeed)
- City of St. Petersburg, Foreclosure Registry
- City of St. Petersburg, Assessments and Liens
- Florida Department of Revenue, Documentary Stamp Tax
- Florida Statutes 735.201, summary administration
- HUD housing counselor search, within 10 miles of St. Petersburg
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and sale dates change; confirm with the office linked above, an attorney, a tax professional or a HUD-approved housing counselor. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
Get your St. Petersburg cash offer
Tell us about the house, including any auction date, Tax Collector letter or City lien you know about, and we'll follow up with a written cash offer. No obligation, no pressure.
- A written, no-obligation cash offer
- No repairs, fees, or commissions
- Close in as little as 7 days
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