Polk County, Florida
Sell your house in Polk County on your terms.
We buy houses across Polk County in any condition. Sell as is for cash, on terms, or with a 1% listing, and see all three side by side, in writing, before you decide.
About a minute. 4 short steps. Close in 7 to 90 days, on your date. Hablamos español
Florida LLC, Sunbiz L24000335041 · A licensed title company closes every sale
Call (305) 914-4191Polk sits between Tampa and Orlando, and its houses range from 1920s bungalows in Lakeland and Lake Wales to homes around Winter Haven’s 50 lakes and the fast-growing towns of Davenport and Haines City near I-4. Our Polk files include a subject-to purchase in Lakeland in 2026, a cash purchase in Winter Haven and a package of seller-financed homes in Lake Wales.
Polk County market
Prices are flat. Homes are taking longer.
Redfin counted 1,114 Polk County home sales in August 2026, down 4% from a year earlier, and the typical home took 13 days longer to sell. With new construction adding thousands of homes a year, an older house that needs a roof, has tenants or is caught up in an estate can sit.
That is where a direct sale or a terms sale is worth comparing. We can buy as is for cash, take over your existing mortgage payments, buy on seller financing where you set the price, down payment, rate and term, or list on the MLS for a 1% listing fee through our licensed partner brokerage. See how they compare on our compare selling options page, or read about our cash sale, subject-to sales and the 1% listing.
Cities we buy in
Where we buy in Polk County
Pick your city for local details, or tell us about your house wherever it is in Polk. Next door, our Kissimmee page covers Osceola County.
Local knowledge
What Polk County sellers deal with
A county growing fast along I-4
Census estimates put Polk at 874,790 residents in July 2025, up 20.7% since the 2020 count. The Lakeland-Winter Haven metro, which is the whole county, grew 2.7% in the year to July 2025, fourth fastest in the nation. The Property Appraiser added 7,332 new single-family homes to the 2026 roll, while values on existing homes barely moved. If your house is older, buyers are comparing it with brand-new ones.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3Ian and Milton across Polk
When Ian crossed Polk in 2022, about 137,000 residents lost power, nearly 17 inches of rain fell on Lake Wales, and Haines City lost power to 87% of the city at first. In 2024, Milton brought more than 12 inches of rain to the Lakeland area in 24 hours and a 76-knot gust, about 87 mph, at Winter Haven’s airport. You can sell a storm-damaged house without fixing it first.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3Sinkholes and limestone
Polk had at least 244 confirmed sinkhole events from 1954 to 2023, and a geologist who has studied hundreds of them calls the Lakeland area a hot spot. Florida policies must cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, but full sinkhole coverage is separate and can be declined after testing. If an insurer paid a sinkhole claim on your home, you must tell the buyer before closing whether the money went into repairs.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4Taxes depend on the city
For 2025, base millage was 12.9291 in unincorporated Polk, 17.5402 in Lakeland, 18.2159 in Bartow, 18.6979 in Winter Haven, 19.3579 in Davenport, 19.4474 in Haines City and 20.1541 in Lake Wales. Unpaid taxes become delinquent April 1, with tax certificates sold on or before June 1. If you have a homestead, the Save Our Homes cap ends with the sale, so the buyer’s bill is figured on market value.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3County offices
Polk County offices and dates
The offices that come up when a Polk County house sells. Confirm anything time-sensitive with the office listed.
Real closings
HOMKEYS closings near Polk County
Each one closed at a licensed Florida title company. We show the city and month only, never the address, to protect the seller's privacy.
28 closings in 23 Florida cities and 17 counties since September 2024. See them on the map.
Guides for sellers in Polk County
Short reads on the questions we hear most from owners here.
Questions
What Polk County homeowners ask us
Do you buy houses everywhere in Polk County?
Yes. We buy houses, condos, townhouses, mobile homes and land in any condition across Polk County, from Lakeland and Winter Haven to Bartow, Haines City, Davenport, Lake Wales and the Polk side of Poinciana. We see every house before making an offer, in person or by video call.
Which county office handles my Polk County house?
The Polk County Property Appraiser sets assessed values and handles homestead filings, the Tax Collector bills and collects property taxes, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court handles probate, recording and tax deed sales. The main offices are in Bartow, with branches in other cities.
My house is in Poinciana. Is it Polk or Osceola?
It depends on the village. Villages 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 are in Polk County, and the others are in Osceola County. The county decides which clerk, appraiser and tax collector you deal with. Your tax bill or deed shows which side you are on.
How is the Polk County housing market doing?
Redfin reported a median sale price of $317,936 in Polk County in August 2026, up 0.9% from a year earlier. Homes took a median of 70 days to sell, up from 57, and sold for about 98.4% of list. A move-in ready house can do well listed. A house that needs work may sit longer.
Can I sell a Polk County house during probate?
Often yes, once the personal representative has authority to sign. Original wills must be filed with the Clerk in Bartow within 10 days of learning of the death. Since July 1, 2026, estates of $150,000 or less may qualify for summary administration. Talk with a Florida probate attorney about your case.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Erick Roda calls in Spanish, and the HOMKEYS team takes calls in Spanish. This page is also available in Spanish.
What does it cost to ask HOMKEYS for options?
Nothing. Asking does not commit you to sell. On a cash sale, HOMKEYS pays the closing costs, and we close 7 to 90 days out on your date at a licensed Florida title company.
A real Florida team reviews every house, and Dor oversees every offer and closing. We explain every number before you decide anything.
Find out what your Polk County home could do for you.
Tell us about the house. We will come back with your options in writing. Prefer to text? Text (305) 914-4191.
Selling a lot or land in Polk County → See all Florida areas we buy →
Sources for this page
- redfin.com/county/489/FL/Polk-County/housing-market
- census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/polkcountyflorida/PST040225
- fox13news.com/news/lakeland-metro-fastest-growing-cities-us-census-data
- polkflpa.gov/Downloads/Files/2026%20June1st%20Press%20Release.pdf
- news.yahoo.com/polks-widespread-power-outages-flooding-200049229.html
- lakelandgov.net/news/posts/2024/october/public-notice-city-of-lakeland-hurricane-milton-up
- weather.gov/media/tbw/TropicalEventSummary/PSHTBW_2024AL14_Milton_Summary.pdf
- lkldnow.com/another-sinkhole-opens-along-scott-lake-road
- wtsp.com/article/news/local/geologist-polk-county-sinkholes-prone/67-1365a1b4-8454-4cf7-97
- myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/consumer-services-libraries/consumerservices-documents/understand
- florida.public.law/statutes/fla._stat._627.7073
- polktaxes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Final-Millage-Rates-ADA-Compliant.pdf
- polktaxes.com/services/delinquency-and-tax-sale-information
- floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/pt112.pdf
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Florida
- polkclerkfl.gov/183/Wills-Estates
- polkclerkfl.gov/199/About-the-Clerk
- polkflpa.gov/phonecontact.aspx
- polktaxes.com/?p=28212
- polkclerkfl.gov/189
- polkflpa.gov/Announcements.aspx
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeland,_Florida
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Haven,_Florida
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartow,_Florida
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haines_City,_Florida
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davenport,_Florida
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinciana,_Florida
- floridaprobatelawgroup.com/florida-probate-by-county/polk-county-probate-court-guide/
- brinkleymorgan.com/blog/floridas-new-probate-law-what-changed-july-1-2026/
- merharlaw.com/blog/big-changes-to-florida-probate-law-july-2026
- fox13news.com/news/watch-live-polk-county-officials-give-update-hurricane-milton-recovery
HOMKEYS LLC is committed to the letter and spirit of U.S. fair housing laws. We do business without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. Market figures are third-party estimates as of the dates shown.