Selling a House in College Park

We buy houses in College Park and surrounding Central Florida communities. This page is for owners of the neighborhood’s older homes: what the zoning and the lot mean for a sale, and how to check the house’s permit history first.

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Quick answer

College Park is a neighborhood of the City of Orlando, just northwest of downtown, so the city handles permits and code enforcement and Orange County keeps the property records. What sets it apart is the housing: the city describes it as a place of bungalow-style homes and brick, tree-lined streets. With an older house on a sought-after lot, the price depends as much on what the zoning allows and what the permit records show as on the kitchen. Look up both before you decide between fixing, listing and selling as-is.

Who governs a College Park address

College Park is not a separate city. Property here is governed by the City of Orlando, though some addresses near its edges may be in unincorporated Orange County. To confirm, search the address on the Orange County Property Appraiser site and read the Municipality heading on the parcel record. Our page on selling a house in Orlando explains the difference and lists the citywide offices.

What is different about College Park

Zoning overlays and what a buyer can build

Use the city’s zoning lookup to find your property’s zoning, then read the letters after the district name. The city’s Residential Development Standards Guide explains them: /T is the Traditional City overlay, which adds design standards in Orlando’s older neighborhoods, /SP is a special plan, and /HP is a historic district. Properties along Edgewater Drive are also covered by a special plan for that corridor.

This matters because many buyers in College Park plan to add on or rebuild. What they can build, and so what they will pay, depends on those standards.

Small and nonconforming lots

Lots platted in the neighborhood’s early decades are often narrower than today’s minimums. The city’s guide notes that lots smaller than the minimum size standards may be nonconforming and have additional rules. If your lot is small, or the house sits across two platted lots, a builder will want to know exactly what can go there. The City Planning Division can tell you, and knowing the answer puts you in a stronger position with any buyer.

Not a local historic district

At the time of writing, Orlando’s six locally designated historic districts are all in and around downtown, and College Park is not one of them. That means exterior changes here do not generally go through the Historic Preservation Board, although an individual property can be a designated landmark. The city’s Historic Preservation page has the current maps if you want to be sure.

Permit history on an older house

A house that has stood for decades has usually been re-roofed, rewired, re-plumbed or extended at some point, sometimes with a permit that was never closed and sometimes with none. The city has a process for finding these: see Conduct a Title Search on its permitting pages. Garage conversions, enclosed porches and rear additions are the usual places to look.

Long ownership and inherited homes

Many College Park houses have been in the same family for decades. If the owner of record has died, title has to pass to the heirs before a sale can close, and a property with a homestead exemption still in a late parent’s name needs attention. Our guide to selling an inherited house in Florida walks through probate and the options for heirs.

Official property resources for College Park

Selling costs and considerations

Insurers in Florida commonly ask for a four-point inspection on older homes, covering the roof, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning. Older wiring, galvanized or cast-iron pipes and an aging roof are the items that most often stop a buyer from getting insurance, and a buyer who cannot insure usually cannot finance. Wood-frame houses on piers can also need foundation and termite work. Get estimates before deciding to renovate for sale, and remember that a listed sale also carries agent commission, which is negotiable, title and closing costs, and the taxes, insurance and utilities you pay until closing.

As-is versus a traditional sale

Demand for College Park is strong, and that works in a seller’s favor whichever route you take. A house in livable condition will usually bring the most on the open market, and even a house that needs everything can attract several buyers, because builders and renovators compete for lots here. For that reason, do not accept the first cash offer you receive, ours included, without something to compare it with. An as-is sale makes most sense when you want certainty and speed, or when the house cannot be insured or financed in its current state. The cash sale vs traditional sale calculator lets you put real numbers on both.

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Matthew Buys Houses is a private home buyer and is not affiliated with the City of Orlando, Orange County or any government office. Zoning rules and procedures change, so confirm details with the office itself. This page is general information, not legal advice.