When a parent or relative passes away and leaves a house, the family is suddenly facing a lot of decisions at once: keep it, rent it out, or sell it. Add a court process, a house full of belongings, and siblings who may live in different states, and it can feel like too much.
We've worked with many families and estates across the Inland Empire since 2011. We're not attorneys, so please treat this as a starting point and talk to a probate attorney and a CPA about your own situation. But here's how we'd lay out the basics.
Step one: find out how the house was held
How the house can be sold depends a lot on how it was titled. A few common situations:
- In a living trust. The successor trustee can often sell the house without going through probate court.
- Joint tenancy or community property with right of survivorship. The house may pass to the surviving owner with some paperwork, such as a recorded affidavit.
- In the person's name alone, with no trust. This usually means probate, unless the estate qualifies for one of California's simpler procedures.
A probate attorney or a title company can look at the deed and tell you which path applies. It's worth doing this early, because it shapes everything else.
What probate looks like when there's a house
In California, probate runs through the superior court in the county where the person lived, so for most of our sellers that's San Bernardino County or Riverside County. The court appoints an executor (named in a will) or an administrator (when there's no will), who then has authority to act for the estate.
Depending on the type of authority the court grants, the house may be sold with or without a court confirmation hearing. When confirmation is required, the sale goes before a judge and other buyers can show up and bid more. Probate timelines vary a lot, and it's common for the whole process to take many months. Your attorney can give you a realistic estimate.
Common challenges with inherited houses
- Family members don't agree. One sibling wants to sell, another wants to keep it, and a third wants to move in.
- The house is full. Decades of furniture, papers and keepsakes need to be sorted.
- Deferred maintenance. Older owners often put off repairs, so the house may need more work than expected.
- Ongoing costs. Property taxes, insurance, utilities and any mortgage keep coming due while the estate is open.
- Vacancy risks. Empty houses can attract break-ins or people moving in without permission, and some insurance policies treat vacant homes differently.
- Property tax changes. California's rules for passing property to children changed under Proposition 19, so ask your CPA or attorney whether the house will be reassessed if someone keeps it.
Keep, rent or sell?
Keeping the house can make sense if someone in the family wants to live there and can afford the upkeep. Renting it can bring in income, but it also makes you a landlord, with repairs, tenants and California's tenant rules. Selling turns the house into money that can be divided among the heirs and closes the chapter.
Taxes matter here, too. How much you owe, if anything, can depend on the value of the house when the person passed away and when you sell. That's a conversation for a CPA before you decide.
How we work with heirs and estates
We work with heirs, executors, trustees and estate attorneys, and we're patient with the court's timeline. We buy inherited houses as-is, so nobody has to repair, clean or empty the house first. Take the photos and keepsakes that matter, and leave the rest.
Once we have the property details, we aim to send a written, no-obligation cash offer in about 24 hours. When the person signing has the authority to sell, we can close in about 7 days, or on the estate's timeline. On qualifying homes, a cash advance of up to $30,000 before closing may be available.* Out-of-state family members can sign with a mobile notary.
Start with the address on our offer form or call (909) 833-4848. We buy inherited houses throughout Riverside County and San Bernardino County, including Riverside, San Bernardino and Fontana, plus LA and Orange counties.
*Cash advance of up to $30,000 is available case by case, on qualifying homes and situations only, and is subject to our review of the property and title. Any advance is subtracted from your proceeds at closing. It’s money paid to you, never a fee: we never ask sellers to pay us anything up front.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Every situation is different, so talk to a real estate attorney, CPA or other qualified professional about yours.