There was a death in the family, and somewhere in the middle of everything else, there's a house. Maybe it was your parents' home for thirty years. Maybe you're figuring this out alone, or with siblings who all have opinions. On top of the grief, now there's a practical question: what actually happens to the house, and what do you need to do?
If reading through all of this feels like one more thing on your plate right now, you don't have to. Call me at 650-787-3481 and I'll just explain it to you directly, whatever stage you're at.
Take a breath. Here's the short version, without the legal jargon.
The short version
Selling an inherited home usually comes down to three things: someone needs the legal right to sell it, the court may need to review the sale, and then it closes like a normal sale. That's genuinely most of it. The exact path depends on whether there was a will, but you don't need to become an expert in any of this. It's what your agent and attorney are for.
Was there a will?
This is really the only fork in the road you need to understand right now.
If yes, whoever the will named as executor goes to the court, and the court gives them the legal authority to act on the estate's behalf. In a lot of cases, that authority is enough to sell the house pretty much like a normal sale, no extra court hearings needed.
If no, the court appoints someone (usually the closest family member) to handle things instead. In this situation, the sale more often needs the court's sign-off before it can close, which just means one extra step along the way.
Either way, this is the first thing to sort out, and a probate attorney can tell you exactly where you stand within one conversation.
What actually happens next
Once that's settled, the rest looks a lot more familiar:
- The court has the home formally valued (a bit like an appraisal).
- We prepare and list it, same as any home, pricing it right and getting it market-ready.
- An offer comes in. If court approval is needed, there's one added step, a short hearing where the sale gets confirmed. If not, it moves straight to closing.
- It closes, same as any other home sale from there.
That's genuinely it. It can feel like a lot from the outside, but in practice, most of this is paperwork your agent and attorney handle, not something you have to manage yourself.
What about the home's value for tax purposes?
Separate from the court valuation, families often need what's called a "date of death value," an estimate of what the home was worth on the day the person passed. This matters for tax purposes (it affects the stepped-up basis heirs use if the home is later sold). I've prepared these letters for families many times.
One thing I always tell people upfront: check with your attorney or CPA about whether a real estate professional's opinion of value is sufficient for your situation, or whether you need a certified appraisal instead. It depends on your circumstances, and it's a quick question that's worth asking early rather than assuming either way.
How long does this take?
Settling an estate overall can take many months to a year or more. The home sale itself usually moves faster than that, especially once someone has clear authority to sell. (Every family's situation is a little different, so think of this as a starting point, not a replacement for advice from a probate attorney.)
You don't have to figure this out alone
This isn't just paperwork, it's genuinely hard, on top of everything else you're dealing with. I grew up around this side of the business. Our family brokerage has handled estate sales for decades, and I understand both the practical side and what it actually feels like to sell a home that meant something to your family.
This is genuinely something our team specializes in, not just something we occasionally handle. We work with estate sale coordinators, and when a home needs to be cleared out, we bring in the dump trucks and contractor crews ourselves and manage the whole thing, at no extra fee to you. The easier this goes for your family, the easier it goes for us too, so making it simple on your end is really the whole point.
If you're facing this right now
Whether there was a will or not, whether you're the one in charge or just trying to help a parent or sibling through it, I'm happy to talk through where things stand and what your actual next step is, no pressure, no obligation, and no need to have it all figured out before you call.
