Selling a House With Fire Damage in Florida
4 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Joseph Mena, CFO of Cash Flow Deals. · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
Cash Flow Deals gives you two choices for your Florida house with fire damage: the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, or the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. Florida law allows you to sell a fire-damaged home as-is, but you still must disclose the fire. An open insurance claim, which often takes 60 to 180 days to settle, can add real time to a traditional sale.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Buyers and their lenders often want repairs finished or the insurance claim settled first, and a Florida fire claim typically takes 60 to 180 days to settle. | You choose the Fast Cash Offer or Premium Cash Offer while your insurance claim can keep moving. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. |
| Repairs | Lender may require smoke, structural, and wiring damage fully repaired and re-inspected before funding. | Repairs are re-costed only if something structural is found beyond what was disclosed; otherwise the price holds. |
| Fees / Costs | Commission is negotiable since the Aug. 17, 2024 NAR Sitzer/Burnett settlement, plus the seller often absorbs steep price cuts to attract a buyer willing to take on fire damage. | On the Premium Cash Offer, Cash Flow Deals' pay is arranged through Silver Door Realty, listed as its own line item on the closing statement, not a markup on price. |
Why Fire Damage Changes How a Florida Sale Works
You can sell a house with fire damage in Florida, as-is if that is what you want. What changes is the paperwork trail: the fire marshal or investigator's report, the extent of the damage, what got repaired and what did not, and whatever insurance claim is open or already settled. Cash Flow Deals helps you compare the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, with the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose which offer fits your situation.
What Florida Law Requires You to Disclose About Fire Damage
Under Johnson v. Davis, the Florida Supreme Court's 1985 ruling, a seller must disclose facts known to them that materially affect the property's value and are not readily observable to the buyer. Fire damage fits that description even after repairs are made, since smoke and structural issues can hide behind fresh drywall and paint. Florida's First District Court of Appeal confirmed in Rayner v. Wise Realty Co. of Tallahassee that an as-is sale does not remove that disclosure duty. A buyer who signs an as-is contract still has not agreed to eat an undisclosed fire history they were never told about.
How an Open Insurance Claim Affects the Timeline
Fire damage insurance claims in Florida typically take 60 to 180 days to settle, and insurers sometimes deny or dispute part of a claim over the cause of the fire or a policy exclusion. Even an approved payout can fall short of the full repair and rebuild cost. A seller waiting on that claim to close before listing can lose months. A seller who wants to sell before the claim fully resolves needs a buyer, or a process, built to work around that open claim instead of stalling behind it.
Cash Flow Deals' Process for a Fire-Damaged Property
With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. Start with Cash Flow Deals' walkthrough and disclose your fire history and any open insurance claim upfront. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. With the Premium Cash Offer, we cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. Only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed; those repair costs are settled from the sale proceeds, from our share rather than your number. With the Fast Cash Offer, we buy as-is, so you have no repairs to make. On the Premium Cash Offer, your home is listed through Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage, with a licensed agent and scheduled showings. You sign with Cash Flow Deals at the agreed number and give us permission to bring in a buyer in our place. The buyer signs a new contract directly with you; title transfers once, directly from you to that buyer, whose lender funds the purchase. Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement. If the buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number instead of proceeding with the Premium Cash Offer.
Common questions
Do I have to disclose fire damage even if I already repaired it?
Yes. Under Johnson v. Davis, Florida sellers must disclose known facts that materially affect a property's value and are not readily observable to the buyer, and a documented fire history is material even after the repairs are done.
How long does a Florida fire insurance claim take to settle?
Fire damage claims in Florida typically take 60 to 180 days to settle, and the timeline can stretch further if the insurer disputes the cause of the fire or applies a policy exclusion.
Can I sell my fire-damaged house as-is in Florida?
Yes. Florida law allows an as-is sale of a fire-damaged home. The disclosure duty for known fire damage still applies regardless of the as-is language in the contract.
Do I need to finish fire-damage repairs before comparing the Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer?
No. Disclose your fire history upfront during your Cash Flow Deals walkthrough. You choose the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, or the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. On Premium, your home is listed through Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. Only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with costs settled from the sale proceeds from our share. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens.