Inherited homes
Getting Cash Offers on a House You Just Inherited? Don't Sign Anything Yet.
Why Your Mailbox Is Filling Up
If someone you love just passed away, the letters may already be arriving. "We buy houses, any condition." "Cash in 7 days." Texts and phone calls, too.
It isn't a coincidence. When a probate case is filed, it becomes public record. Some buyers check those filings every week so they can reach families first, while everyone is still grieving and just wants one thing off their plate.
Some of those offers are fair. Many aren't. The first offer is usually written for the buyer's benefit, not yours. You don't have to figure this out alone, and in most cases you don't have to decide this week.
Signs an Offer Deserves a Second Look
- It came before you'd had time to think about the house.
- It's well under what homes on the same street have sold for.
- There's pressure to sign fast, or the offer "expires" in a few days.
- They'd rather you didn't talk to a REALTOR® or an attorney.
- The contract lets them back out, or sell your contract to someone else, while the house sits waiting. Watch for "and/or assignee" next to the buyer's name.
- They won't explain how they came up with their number.
Our page on selling without repairs walks through these in more detail.
Your Plan Before You Say Yes to Anyone
- Take a breath. Keep the house locked, insured and the utilities on. Most decisions can wait a few weeks.
- Confirm who can sign. Usually it's the executor, administrator or trustee. Your probate or trust attorney can tell you for sure.
- Find out what the house is worth as it sits today, from someone who isn't trying to buy it.
- Compare at least two paths. A cash sale as-is, and an open-market sale with or without a few repairs. Look at what you'd actually walk away with from each, not just the headline price.
- Talk it over as a family before anyone signs. One rushed signature can cause years of hard feelings between brothers and sisters.
The Free Offer Check
Already have an offer? Send it to us. No offer yet? Just send the address. Within 48 hours, Maggie will send you:
- Recent sales nearby that are similar to the house, with what each one sold for.
- A likely price range, as-is and after a few simple fixes.
- Your two numbers side by side: what you'd likely walk away with from the cash offer, and from an open-market sale.
- A plain-English read on the offer itself: the deadlines, the ways the buyer can back out, and anything that looks off.
It's free, and there's no obligation to list with us. If the cash offer turns out to be the better deal for your family, we'll tell you so. Sometimes it is. Our job is to make sure you know before you sign.
The Offer Check compares recent sales. It isn't an appraisal. In a California probate, the court-appointed probate referee handles the official appraisal of estate property, and your attorney can explain how that fits your case.
Use the form on our contact page, or text a photo of the offer to (916) 549-3131.
The Hard Conversations Come First
Selling a parent's house is rarely just about the house. The hard conversations usually come first, and they need real answers:
- Do we sell it, keep it or rent it out?
- What if one of us wants to keep the house and the others want to sell?
- Who pays the taxes, insurance and utilities while we decide?
- What do we do with everything inside?
- Is someone living there, and how do we handle that kindly?
- What will each of us actually walk away with?
You don't need every answer before you call. Maggie can sit down with the family, in person or on a call, and work through them with real numbers in front of everyone. That way the decision rests on facts, not on whoever made the first offer.
If You Do Need to Sell Soon
Sometimes waiting isn't an option. The taxes are due, the house is empty, or the family simply needs it done. We can help with that too:
- Our cash-buyer network. Several buyers compete for the house, instead of one buyer naming the price.
- An as-is listing on the open market, for buyers who want a project.
- Cleanouts, estate sales, donations and repairs, coordinated for you through Turnkey Home Prep, so nobody has to drive back and forth every weekend.
- Court confirmation and trust sales, start to finish. Our probate and trust page explains each step.
Who Does Your Offer Check
Maggie B. Hopkins is a real estate broker and a mortgage broker, and a Certified Probate & Trust Specialist. She has been helping Sacramento families with home loans since 2003 and with buying and selling since 2006. She reads the offer the way she'd want someone to read it for her own family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a bad idea to sell an inherited house to a cash buyer?
No. Cash can be the right choice, especially for a house that needs a lot of work. The risk is taking the first offer without knowing what the house is worth or what an open-market sale would bring.
How did these buyers find out about the house?
Probate filings are public record. Some buyers check them every week and mail the families listed.
Can we sell before probate is finished?
Often, yes, depending on the authority the court gave the executor or administrator. Your attorney can tell you which kind you have, and we work within it.
Do we have to fix the house up first?
No. We'll show you which repairs, if any, would bring back more than they cost, and which ones to skip.
Does the Offer Check cost anything?
No. It's free, you'll have it within 48 hours, and there's no obligation to list with us afterward.