Selling your home on the Treasure Coast

Quick answer: A home sells here on three things: a price that matches what closed nearby in the last 90 days, a roof and insurance picture that a buyer's lender will accept, and exposure to the buyers who are actually looking, most of whom are from out of state and start on their phones. I handle all three. I'll give you a real number before you sign anything, tell you what is worth fixing and what isn't, put the house in front of every buyer searching Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach or Fort Pierce, and negotiate the contract, the inspection and the appraisal so the number you agreed to is the number you get. My fee is negotiable and goes in writing before we start.

What actually sells a house here

I've watched houses on the same street sell in a week and sit for four months. The difference is almost never the house. It's these five things, in this order.

1. The price on day one. Buyers on the Treasure Coast see every new listing the morning it goes live, and so do their agents. A house priced to the closed comps gets showings in the first two weeks; a house priced to what the neighbor is "asking" gets skipped, and then has to chase the market down. I price to what sold, not to what's listed.
2. The roof, the 4-point and the wind mitigation. This is Florida. A buyer's insurance quote can kill a deal faster than a bad inspection. Before we list, I want to know the roof age, whether you have a wind mitigation report, and what a 4-point inspection will say, because the buyer will find out anyway and I'd rather we have the answer first.
3. How it looks on a phone. Most of the people who will buy your house are in another state when they first see it. Professional photos, a clean floor plan and a video walk-through are not extras; they're the showing.
4. Exposure. The MLS, the RE/MAX network, Zillow, Realtor.com and Homes.com, my own buyer list, and the agents who work the out-of-state relocations. A sign in the yard is the least of it.
5. Follow-through. Getting to contract is half the job. Getting from contract to closing, through the inspection, the appraisal, the HOA estoppel and the lender, is the other half, and it's where deals die when nobody is paying attention.

What I do when I list your home

1. Walk-through and the honest number. I come see the house, pull what has closed and what's pending around you, and give you a price range and the price I'd list at, with the reasons. If the number isn't what you hoped, I'll tell you that too, and what would change it. You can start that here without a visit.
2. A short prep list. What to fix, what to leave alone, and what buyers in this market actually pay for. Usually it's shorter than people expect. I'll also tell you which documents to dig out now: roof permit, wind mitigation, survey, HOA rules.
3. Photos, video and the listing. Professional photography, a video walk-through and a listing written for the person relocating from New Jersey who has never heard of your neighborhood.
4. Launch. The MLS, syndication to every major portal, the RE/MAX network and my own list of buyers and relocation agents, all on the same morning.
5. Showings and feedback. You hear what every showing said, good and bad, and we adjust if we need to.
6. Negotiation. Price, closing date, inspection repairs, appraisal gaps, and the terms that matter more than people think (leaseback, as-is, financing contingencies). This is the part of the job I like most.
7. Contract to closing. Title, survey, estoppel, lender deadlines, the final walk-through. I track every date so you don't have to.

What it costs to sell

Commission is negotiable, and since 2024 it's spelled out in writing before you sign a listing agreement, including what, if anything, you offer the buyer's side. On top of that, Florida sellers typically pay documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100 of the sale price in our counties), owner's title insurance by local custom, prorated property taxes and HOA dues, and the HOA estoppel fee if you're in a community. I walk through the full math, with a worked example at three price points, in what it costs to sell a home in Florida. You'll get a line-by-line net sheet from me before we list.

When to sell

Our busiest buyer season runs January through April, when the snowbirds are here and the relocations are looking in person. That makes October through December the time to get ready and, for a lot of sellers, the best time to list: fewer competing listings and buyers who flew down specifically to buy. Summer is slower but the buyers who come in July are serious. If you're moving within Florida, remember that your homestead portability (up to $500,000 of Save Our Homes benefit) travels with you to the next house; the timing of the two closings matters, and I'll walk you through it.

Selling and buying at the same time

Most of my sellers are also buying, here or somewhere else. If it's here, I'll run both sides so the closings line up and you're not moving twice. If you're leaving Florida, I'll coordinate with your agent there. Either way we talk about the order (sell first, buy first, or contingent) before the sign goes up, not after an offer comes in.

If you're not here

A lot of the homes I sell belong to people who don't live in them: an inherited house, a rental that's done its job, a second home nobody uses anymore. Florida allows remote closings with a mobile notary, I can manage the clean-out and the vendors, and you can do the whole thing from Ohio or Long Island with a phone and a scanner. Tell me the situation and I'll tell you what it takes.

Thinking about selling in the next year? Tell me about the house below and I'll call you, or call or text me first at (772) 800-2274.

Questions sellers ask me

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Costs and timelines vary by property and contract. William Merchant, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Gold, 140 NW California Blvd, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986. Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated.