Coral Gables · Miami-Dade County
We Buy Houses in Coral Gables, As They Sit
Coral Gables was mapped on paper by 1921 and incorporated in 1925, and three of every five of its homes predate 1980. No listing, no showings, no repairs, and you pick the closing date.
- Step 1 of 3 · Six fields total
- No obligation, no fee
- We do not sell your information
- 19,210
- Households
- 64.5%
- Owner-occupied
- 35.5%
- Rented
Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020 to 2024, checked Oct 27, 2026
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126 ReviewsTotal Cash Home Buyers -
A+ RatingTotal Cash Home Buyers
- 20+ YearsTotal Cash Home Buyers, buying in South Florida
- No commissions, no closing costsYou pay nothing out of pocket
- No surprise deductionsOnly your payoff and any liens come off
What's specific here
Selling a House in Coral Gables: What Is Actually Different
Public information with the source next to it, not a paragraph that sounds local.
The Merrick family named their coral rock house "Coral Gables" when it was finished in 1910; by early 1921 George Merrick had the whole city mapped out on paper, and it was incorporated in 1925. Much of it was built at meteoric speed between 1921 and 1926, it now covers 13 square miles with more than 40 miles of waterways and coastline, and more than 1,000 properties sit on its Register of Historic Places. The median home dates from 1969 and 61% predate 1980, and the City's sewer serves only about half its population, so the house that reaches us often has an original roof, old plumbing or a septic tank.
Nearly two of every three of Coral Gables' 19,210 occupied homes (64.5%) are lived in by their owners. Half of those owners moved in by 2012, and four of every ten owner households (40%) are headed by someone 65 or older. So the house often reaches us through an estate in probate at the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, or from an owner ready to move rather than renovate. We work alongside the estate's attorney and pay that attorney at closing, and the relocation plan covers movers and a rental agent for your next place.
Before closing, the title company orders the City's certified lien and violation search: $220 and five business days, or $390 expedited in two, requested through the Finance Department's online portal. Permit history comes from the City's Records Department, and researching expired or open permits costs $50 an hour after a free first consultation. Code cases go to the Code Enforcement Board or a magistrate, and the City warns that unpaid fines or open cases can become a lien that affects a resale. A designated historic property needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before exterior work, and even an exterior paint job needs the Board of Architects. We read it all before the offer, and any balance shows as a line before you sign.
- Neighborhoods we buy in
- Landmarks
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- The Biltmore Hotel, opened on January 15, 1926↗
- Venetian Pool, built in the coral rock quarry that supplied many of the city's early houses↗
- Coral Gables City Hall, built in 1927 and 1928 of native oolitic limestone↗
- Merrick House, the founding family's coral rock home↗
- Coral Gables Museum, in the Old Police and Fire Station↗
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden↗
- Main roads
- School district
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the county-wide district Source
- The houses themselves
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- 1969Median year builtSource
- 61%Built before 1980Source
- 2012Typical owner has been in the house sinceSource
- 40%Owner households headed by someone 65 or olderSource
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey five-year estimates for 2020 to 2024, checked Oct 27, 2026.
- Before closing in Coral Gables
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- The Finance Department lists a Lien Search Request among its services; it opens the City's online customer portal, where an account is required to submit a lien request. Source
- The City's fee schedule, published September 15, 2026, sets a certified lien/violation search statement at $220 with 5 business days, or $390 expedited with 2 business days. Source
- A buyer who needs to verify that all permits on a property are properly closed out is referred to the City's Records Department, or to a public records request; for permit records prior to 2021, a public records request may be required. Source
- The same fee schedule makes the first consultation on researching expired and/or open permits free and charges $50.00 an hour after that; it lists the mitigation of recorded code fines (City Code Section 101-190(2)(d)) at $200.00. Source
- Code cases are heard by the Code Enforcement Board or, for tickets, by a magistrate retained by the City; for residential properties, unpaid fines or open cases may result in a lien against the property and could affect its resale, and a case is closed once the City verifies the issue is addressed and all applicable fees are paid. Source
- More than 1,000 properties are on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places. Source
- Properties listed on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places are subject to Historic Preservation Board or staff review before building permits are issued for exterior alterations; a Certificate of Appropriateness is required before most exterior work begins, before a building permit can be issued and before any variance can be granted. Source
- All exterior paint projects require Board of Architects approval, and the application must specify the exact colors with the manufacturer's reference code and color photographs of the entire building. Source
- The City owns, operates and maintains the sanitary sewer within its limits, which discharges to Miami-Dade's Virginia Key plant and serves about 50% of the population; Miami-Dade County has more rigorous standards for new and replacement septic tanks. Source
- No mandate requires neighborhoods to convert from septic to sewer; residents must connect only if a sanitary sewer is installed on their street, and if a septic tank fails, Miami-Dade County now requires replacement with a more advanced and more expensive system. Source
- The first two digits of a Miami-Dade folio number are the municipal code: 03 for Coral Gables. Source
We are buyers, not lawyers, and we give no legal advice. These are the places and the public figures, not what you should do about them.
The part that changes
Selling in Coral Gables: Who You Are Actually Dealing With
Coral Gables is in Miami-Dade County, and these are Miami-Dade's offices. Public information, with the source next to it.
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01Where probate is filed
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Probate Division, in Miami.
Source: Where probate is filed -
02Who records the deed and the liens
Deeds and liens are recorded with the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller.
Source: Who records the deed and the liens
All five for Miami-Dade, including the stamp tax and the wind code, with sources →
We are buyers, not lawyers, and we give no legal advice. These are the offices involved, not what you should do about them.
Start where you are
What's Going On With the House in Coral Gables?
Every one of these has its own page. Pick the one that sounds like yours.
We also buy near Coral Gables
The closest places to Coral Gables we buy in. See all 49 →
Google reviews for Total Cash Home Buyers
These reviews are for Total Cash Home Buyers, Brandy's company. Same team, same phone number. 4.9 out of 5 across 126 Google reviews.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Jessie made the sale of my parents home super easy. It was done fast with no issues and they didn’t have to lift a finger. 10/10 would reccomend !
- 5 out of 5 stars
Total Cash Home Buyers was great to work with. I sold my home in “AS-IS” condition and didn’t pay any closing costs or fees. Great company to work with
Straight answers
Questions Sellers Ask Us
The ones people ask about this, answered straight.
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Do you buy in Hammock Lakes, Kings Bay, Snapper Creek and Gables by the Sea?
Yes, anywhere inside the City of Coral Gables, from Hammock Lakes, Old Cutler Bay, Kings Bay and Snapper Creek to Gables by the Sea and North Ponce. A folio number that begins with 03 is inside the City. We walk the house, show you the comps and repair numbers we used, and you pick the closing date.
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My Coral Gables house is historic and needs work. Can you buy it as it sits?
Yes. More than 1,000 properties are on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places, and a designated house needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before most exterior work and before a building permit can be issued; even an exterior paint job needs the Board of Architects. The median home here dates from 1969 and about half the population is not on the City's sewer, so an original roof or a septic tank is what we expect. You fix nothing first; the approvals for any work after closing are ours to get.
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What does the City of Coral Gables check before a sale closes?
The City's certified lien and violation search, requested online through the Finance Department: $220 and five business days, or $390 expedited in two. Open or expired permits are researched through the City's records, and code cases matter too: the City says unpaid fines or open cases may become a lien and could affect a resale. We order it all early and read it before the offer, and any balance shows as a line before you sign. We are buyers, not lawyers, and we give no legal advice.
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I inherited my parents' house in Coral Gables. Can you buy it while probate is open?
Yes. Four of every ten owner households in Coral Gables are headed by someone 65 or older, so estates are part of what we buy here. In Miami-Dade the estate goes through the Eleventh Judicial Circuit's Probate Division; we work alongside the estate's attorney and pay that attorney at closing. Your attorney runs the estate. We are buyers, not lawyers, and we give no legal advice.
One address is all we need
Tell Us About the House. We'll Tell You What We Can Do.
Same form, same three steps. If we are not the right buyer, we say so on the first call.
Or call (954) 606-5454 · or text us. No obligation, no cost. We do not sell your information.