Wholesaling Condemned Houses in Florida

The short answer

Can you wholesale a condemned house in Florida?

Yes, a condemned house can be sold, but your buyer must be ready to repair or demolish it on the city’s timeline. Read the order carefully, since deadlines and appeal rights matter.

Condemnation usually means a building official has declared the structure unsafe or unfit to occupy. The order lists the problems, the deadline and whether the city intends to demolish. If the city demolishes, it usually records a lien for the cost. Your offer must account for all of that. Our condemned house guide explains the basics.

Florida also has a newer kind of vacate order. After the 2021 Surfside collapse, the state required milestone inspections for condo buildings three stories or taller, and some buildings were ordered vacated until repairs were made. Unit owners in those buildings face large assessments and cannot live in their homes. Our certificate of occupancy guide explains what a building needs before people can move back in.

The opportunity

Why condemned Florida houses create wholesale deals

A condemned house has almost no retail market. Lenders will not finance it, insurers will not cover it and owners cannot live in it, so cash investors are the only realistic buyers. In older parts of Miami-Dade and Broward, aging wood framing, termite damage and storm wear lead to steady unsafe structure cases, and land values there often make even a teardown worth buying.

Lead sources

Where to find condemned house leads in Florida

• Unsafe structure board agendas. Counties and cities post hearings for unsafe buildings.
• Demolition lists. Some cities publish properties scheduled for demolition.
• Code enforcement cases. Severe violations often lead to condemnation. Our code violation leads guide covers the search.
• Condo vacate orders. News reports and building notices identify condo buildings ordered vacated.
• Fire and storm damage. Badly damaged homes are often condemned after an event.

Your exit

Who buys condemned houses in Florida

Builders and experienced rehabbers are your buyers. Some will repair the structure, while others will demolish and rebuild. Give them the order, the inspection report and any demolition timeline, plus the zoning so they know what can be built.

If the city has already demolished the house, you are selling land with a lien. Our land wholesaling guide explains how to value it.

Step by step

How to start wholesaling condemned houses in Florida

1. Read the order. Note the violations, deadlines and appeal rights.
2. Call the city. Ask whether an extension is possible if a buyer commits to repairs.
3. Check liens. Search for demolition, board-up and code liens.
4. Get a structural opinion. Have an engineer or contractor assess repair versus rebuild.
5. Price it. Use the ARV calculator and the MAO calculator, or value it as land.
6. Sign and disclose. Sign with the owner and disclose in writing that you may assign.
7. Close through title. Close with an investor-friendly title company.

A Miami owner received an unsafe structure order after years of roof and framing decay. He had 90 days to repair or the county would demolish and lien the property.

You read the order, confirmed the board-up lien and asked the building department whether a buyer with a repair plan could get more time. With repairs near $165,000, you signed at $228,000 with a written assignment disclosure.

A builder paid $244,000 for the contract and filed permits within a week. The county granted an extension once the work began, and the owner avoided a demolition lien.

Florida rules to know

Unsafe structure orders and condo milestone inspections

Florida counties and cities enforce the building code through unsafe structure procedures. Owners receive notice, a deadline and a chance to appeal. If they do nothing, the government can demolish the building and record a lien for the cost. Buyers inherit the deadline, so timing matters.

Since the Surfside collapse, Florida requires milestone structural inspections for condo buildings three stories or taller, and reserve studies for key components. Buildings with serious findings may be ordered vacated. Our due diligence guide explains what to ask about a condo before you offer.

Learn it with a mentor

Get help reading the order

Condemned properties come with deadlines. Mentorship students send us the order and photos, and we help them decide between a repair deal and a land deal.

FAQ

Condemned Houses in Florida: common questions

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