We Buy Houses in Orange County

One county, many different sales

Orange County has about a dozen cities and towns, but a large share of its residents live in unincorporated areas such as Pine Hills, Conway, Azalea Park, and Dr. Phillips. Many of those homes carry an Orlando mailing address even though Orange County, not the city, handles their permits and code enforcement. Knowing which government is responsible matters when there is an open permit or a code case.

Our team has been buying as-is properties for more than 10 years. We look at the house, the lot, the permit record, and the flood zone together, because a 1920s bungalow in College Park and a townhome in Horizon West have almost nothing in common beyond the county line.

Housing eras you find across Orange County

• Early 20th-century wood-frame bungalows and cottages around Orlando's older lakes and in the original downtowns of Winter Park, Winter Garden, and Apopka
• Postwar concrete block ranch houses, built from the 1950s into the 1970s and common in Pine Hills, Azalea Park, and the ring of neighborhoods around downtown Orlando
• Subdivisions from the 1980s and 1990s, many now due for roofs, water heaters, and air conditioning
• Garden-style condo complexes, including apartment buildings converted to condos during the mid-2000s
• Master-planned communities from the 2000s onward, such as Horizon West and Lake Nona, where HOA dues and CDD assessments are part of the carrying cost
• Rural acreage, nursery land, and manufactured homes toward the county's northwest and east ends

Lakes, rain, and the storms behind flood risk here

Orange County is full of lakes and low-lying basins, and heavy rain, not storm surge, is what floods most homes here. Hurricane Ian brought a long, heavy rain in September 2022, and the unincorporated Orlo Vista neighborhood west of downtown Orlando flooded so badly that residents were rescued by boat. Two years later, Hurricane Milton brought another round of wind and water damage. Many long-time owners also remember Hurricane Charley crossing the county in 2004.

If your home took on water, keep in mind that Florida sellers now have to tell buyers about prior flood insurance claims and any FEMA or other federal flood help the property received. In a flood zone, FEMA's 50 percent rule can also limit how much a damaged house can be repaired before it must be brought up to current floodplain standards. We buy flood-damaged homes in their current state, and you do not need to finish repairs first.

Why Orange County owners reach out

• A parent's house that has been in the family since it was built, now in probate or held in a trust
• A rental that has become more work than it pays
• An older roof or electrical panel that makes the house hard to insure
• CDD and HOA costs on a newer home that no longer fit the budget
• Code enforcement fines that have turned into a lien
• A job change or a move out of Central Florida

Selling an inherited house in Orange County, FL

When an Orange County homeowner dies, the estate case is filed with the Orange County Clerk of Courts, whose probate office is at 425 N. Orange Ave. in downtown Orlando, and it is heard by the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which serves Orange and Osceola counties. Florida estates move through formal administration, summary administration, or, for the smallest ones, disposition without administration, and the route the court uses decides who signs the deed and how soon.

Heirs often live out of state, and the house can sit empty for months while the case moves forward. We can agree on a price early and set the closing for when the estate is cleared to sell, with the furniture and belongings left where they are. For the statewide steps, see our guide to selling an inherited house in Florida.

Reading cash home buyer reviews in Orange County

Plenty of Orange County owners look up reviews before answering a "we buy houses" letter, and that is a good habit. Reviews only tell part of the story, so also check what you can confirm yourself: the price and closing date belong in a written contract, the closing should run through a title company you can call directly, and nobody should ask you for a fee before closing. Our list of cash home buyer red flags covers the warning signs worth checking with any buyer, including us.

Courts, taxes, and the paperwork behind a sale

Foreclosure cases in Orange County also go through the 9th Judicial Circuit in Orlando. With the case number, we can read the docket and write a contract around the court's schedule. The state's documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of the sale price, and the contract lists who pays each cost.

The sale itself has few steps. We review the property, walk it with you or your representative, and put an offer in writing with the reasoning attached. A title company checks the title and any liens, pays off what is owed at closing, and sends you the remainder. Owners who live out of state can often sign through a mobile notary or a remote closing.

Frequently asked questions