Sell your home fast in Jacksonville

If you’ve been thinking about selling your house in Jacksonville, headlines about the housing market slowdown might be making you a bit worried. Don’t panic, though: Bankrate data shows that most of the Southeast is still very much a seller’s market, including Florida. However, that doesn’t mean that selling will be easy. Prices are falling here, and homes are sitting on the market for considerably longer, according to data from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR). Read on for everything you need to know for a successful, and fast, Jacksonville sale.

How fast can you sell your house in Jacksonville?

Homes in Duval County, where Jacksonville is located, spent a median of 30 days on the market in June 2023, according to figures from NEFAR. That’s not unusually long, but it’s a big 66.7 percent jump from the speed with which homes sold in June 2022.

The days on market metric can look a bit different depending on where you are in the metro area, though. In Neptune Beach, for example, homes are going in a much faster 20 days, while the number in Jacksonville North is a longer 41 days.

Need to sell faster?

If you’re on a tight timeline, consider these options to sell your house in Jacksonville more quickly.

• Find an iBuyer: Want an offer on your home instantly — typically within 24 hours? Look into Offerpad or Opendoor, both of which are active in Jacksonville. While selling to an iBuyer won’t get you top-dollar, it is the fastest route to a sale.
• Sell for cash: A large percentage of homes in Jacksonville are selling for cash, according to a recent Redfin report: More than 52 percent of homes that sold in April 2023 were cash deals. Whether they’re from deep-pocketed individuals or companies that buy houses for cash in Florida, paying cash eliminates the wait for mortgage underwriting.
• Undercut the market: A particularly affordable list price can motivate buyers to act fast. The median sale price for a single-family home in Duval County is $335,000, per NEFAR data — so a home in good shape listed for, say, $300,000, will turn heads (and may even inspire a bidding war).
• Be flexible: Unless you’re selling the property as-is, meaning negotiations are out of the question, be willing to consider requests for concessions to speed along the sale. Long back-and-forth negotiations can drag out the process, and the faster you can come to an agreement, the faster you close.

Selling your home in Jacksonville

If you’re not in a big rush, it’s smart to work with a real estate agent to maximize your profits on your Jacksonville house. The city is one of the best places to live in Florida, after all, so make the most of it. Consider these questions before you list your property.

Is it worth upgrading your home before you sell?

It’s probably not wise to invest in any major remodeling efforts prior to listing your home. While a luxury kitchen remodel might sound like a great idea, it probably won’t recoup its full cost when you sell (and will take a long time to complete too). Instead of spending loads of money and time on a big upgrade, consider cheaper and simpler ways to increase your home’s value, like boosting its curb appeal.

What should you fix before selling your home in Jacksonville?

You want your property to be in the best shape possible, but you don’t have to go crazy. There are plenty of minor issues that don’t need fixing before selling your home. If you suspect problems or want to be really buttoned-up, consider getting a pre-listing home inspection to get a sense of what issues might be worth addressing — and enlist the advice of your Realtor as well.

Should you pay to stage your home?

Staging your home can make a big difference in the first impression it makes on a buyer. From decluttering a crowded space to outfitting empty rooms (if you’ve already moved out), a professional staging service can turn what looked like your house into what feels like a prospective buyer’s new home. Staging is by no means a must, though, so consult with your real estate agent on whether your place would benefit from a pro touch.

How should you price your listing?

How much is your house worth? The answer is simple: however much a buyer is willing to pay for it. Work with your agent to analyze comparable properties in the area and see what other, similar homes to yours have sold for. Location really matters here, as some neighborhoods command much higher prices than others, so look for an agent that has experience in your specific area. For example, NEFAR data shows that, while the overall Duval County median home price is $335,000, the median in Jacksonville Beach is $750,000 — and in Atlantic Beach, it’s over $1 million. And no matter what you settle on for an asking price, be prepared to get a bit less. Homes in the area have been selling for about 98 percent of list price recently, NEFAR says.

What do you need to disclose to a buyer?

When you’re selling a home in Florida, you’ll need to tell the buyer about any problems that exist on the property, including the roof, electrical and plumbing systems and more. State law says you can share it simply in a conversation, but it’s wise to complete a written disclosure statement as well. You’ll also need to share information about your property tax bills, flood insurance requirements and homeowners association (if applicable). Finally, if your home is close to the ocean, you’ll likely need to fill out a coastal properties disclosure statement as well.

Closing day

Before you officially sell your home in Jacksonville, it’s important to have a solid understanding of the closing costs you’ll have to pay. Here are some of the most typical expenses:

Costs of selling a home in Jacksonville

• Realtor fees: Sellers are responsible for covering the real estate agents’ commission fees. Unless you’ve managed to negotiate a lower fee — which is possible! — it’s typically 6 percent of the home’s sale price. So, for a median-priced $335,000 Jacksonville home, you’ll be on the hook for about $20,000.
• Title insurance: Sellers typically cover a new owner’s title insurance policy in Jacksonville, although you can always try to negotiate to get the buyer to pay for a portion of the fee.
• Documentary stamp taxes: Florida imposes a documentary stamp tax, which is the equivalent of a typical real estate transfer tax. In Duval County, the tax is $0.70 for every $100 of transferred value. So, on a $335,000 sale, that’s $2,345.
• Unpaid property taxes and HOA dues: Be sure to budget for any remaining property taxes and HOA fees, which will be prorated to the day of closing.
• Concessions: A buyer may request seller concessions, especially if an issue is found during the home inspection that needs to be repaired. This is standard, though you don’t necessarily have to agree.
• Attorney fees: You aren’t required to hire a lawyer to sell your house in Jacksonville, but the cost can be well worth it to deal with the nuances of complicated legal language.

Next steps

As you gear up to sell your home in Jacksonville, it’s important to consider some big questions to find the best path forward. Are you in a rush to relocate? The speed and efficiency of an iBuyer might be worth the potential hit in your profit. If you’d prefer to spend a bit more time to maximize your price, find a local real estate agent who knows the Jacksonville market well and get ready to hit the market.

FAQs

• Is it a good time to sell a house in Jacksonville?

  While homes are sitting on the market for longer than they were in 2022, it’s still a good time to sell in Jacksonville. More than half of all sales here are all-cash deals, according to Redfin data, and the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors reports that more than 20 percent of area homes that sold in June went for over list price.
  

• Are home prices rising or falling in Jacksonville?

  It depends on how far back you look. According to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, the median sale price for a single-family home in the Jacksonville area was $335,000 in June 2023 — that’s a 4.3 percent drop from one year earlier, but a 1.5 percent increase from the previous month.
  

• Is Jacksonville a buyer’s or a seller’s market?

  Despite the slowdown in the national housing market, Jacksonville is still a seller’s market. There isn’t enough inventory to match demand — just a 2.1-month supply, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, which is less than half of what would be considered a balanced market. Even so, it’s not as easy to find buyers today as it might have been in the past, due to high mortgage rates.