Sell an inherited house
just as it was left.

Do you need probate before you can sell?

It depends on how the house was held. If it was in a living trust, the successor trustee can usually sell it without going to court. If it was owned jointly with a right of survivorship, or passed by a transfer-on-death deed, it generally goes to the new owner outside probate, after some paperwork with the county recorder.

Otherwise the estate usually goes through probate, and only the court-appointed executor or administrator can sign a sale. For deaths on or after April 1, 2025, California also has a simpler court petition for passing a primary home worth up to $750,000 to heirs (the limit adjusts for inflation every three years), so ask your attorney whether it fits. You don’t need probate finished to talk to us: we can make an offer now and close once someone has the authority to sign.

How a sale works during probate

Many California executors are granted “full authority” under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. With it, they can sell the house without a court hearing: they send the heirs a Notice of Proposed Action, wait at least 15 days for objections, and close. If an heir objects, the sale goes to the court instead. With limited authority, a judge has to confirm the sale at a hearing, where other buyers can show up and overbid.

Either path works with a cash buyer. Our offer doesn’t depend on a lender or an appraisal, so it holds steady through the notice period or the court calendar. The proceeds go to the estate, to be distributed under the will, the trust or state law.

Taxes worth asking about first

Two rules shape the math for most heirs. Inherited property generally gets a “stepped-up” tax basis equal to its value on the date of death, so selling soon after can mean little or no capital gains tax. And under Proposition 19, a child who inherits a parent’s home keeps the parent’s property-tax assessment only if they make it their own primary residence within a year, and even then, value more than about $1 million above that assessment is added to the tax bill. Otherwise the county reassesses the house to market value.

So keeping an inherited house as a rental, or holding it empty, can bring a much larger property-tax bill than the family is used to. A CPA or estate attorney can run the numbers; a written offer from us gives you a firm figure to compare against.

When the family doesn’t agree

Siblings often see an inherited house differently: one wants to keep it, one needs the money now, one lives out of state. A written cash offer gives everyone the same real number to talk about, instead of guesses about what the house might bring after repairs. If one heir wants to keep it, the number can anchor a buyout. If you sell, the title company pays out the proceeds at closing to the estate, the trust or the co-owners.