How we help
Start with the questions, not the listing.
Inheriting a home is, on the surface, a real estate question. Underneath, it’s usually about time, family, taxes, sentiment, and what the next few months of your life look like. We treat it that way.
A quick note on the legal process.
When someone passes away, their estate — the things they owned, including any real estate — usually has to be settled through a court-supervised process. In most states, that process is called probate. It can take months, sometimes longer, and it’s how the law confirms who has legal authority to sell or transfer the home.
You don’t need to be finished with that process to talk to us. Plenty of the families we work with are in the middle of it and just want to start thinking ahead. We’ll meet you wherever you are.
We’re a real estate firm, not a law firm. If you need help with the legal side, we’ll point you toward people who specialize in it.
The full menu of options.
Most heirs we meet only knew about one or two of these. Each one is a legitimate path; the right one depends on your family, the property, and your timeline.
Sell on the open market
List the home with a local agent and sell it for its full market value. Usually takes 30–90 days from listing to closing. Best when the property is in reasonable condition and the family wants to convert the home into cash to divide or save.
Sell as-is to a buyer who pays cash
Faster (often two to four weeks), no repairs, no showings. Comes at a meaningful discount to market value. Useful when the home needs significant work or when speed matters more than maximizing the price.
Rent it out
Hold the home and lease it to a tenant. Generates income, preserves the asset, and may have tax advantages — but it makes you a landlord, with everything that involves. We can model whether the numbers work in your market.
Transfer to a family member
Sometimes one heir wants the home and the others want their share in cash. There are clean ways to structure this — buy-outs, partial gifts, or formal transfers — and tax considerations to think through with a CPA.
Light renovation, then sell
A targeted investment in paint, flooring, or curb appeal can lift the sale price by more than the cost. We help you decide whether that math actually works for this specific home, or whether it’s safer to sell as-is.
Hold and wait
Sometimes the right answer is simply to do nothing for a season. We’ll talk through the carrying costs (taxes, insurance, upkeep) so the decision to wait is informed, not accidental.
Our process
What working with us actually looks like.
- 01
A first conversation
Twenty to thirty minutes on the phone. We learn the basics — where the property is, who the heirs are, where you are in the legal process, what feels urgent and what doesn’t. No commitment, no fee.
- 02
A property and market analysis
We pull recent comparable sales, look at the neighborhood, estimate likely repair costs and carrying costs, and check the local rental market. You receive a short written summary you can share with family or your attorney.
- 03
Options laid out side by side
We walk you through what each path — selling, renting, transferring, holding — would actually mean: timeline, likely proceeds, work involved, tax considerations. You decide what fits.
- 04
A trusted local agent, if you want one
If your decision involves the local market, we introduce you to a licensed agent we’ve vetted in your area. They handle the on-the-ground work; we stay available if you have questions.
What does it cost?
The initial conversation, the property analysis, and the side-by-side options are free. If you choose to list with the local agent we introduce you to, you pay the standard commission at closing, just as you would with any agent. We don’t add fees on top.
If you decide to do nothing, or to handle things yourself, that’s fine too. There’s no cancellation fee because there’s nothing to cancel.
Let’s start with a short conversation.
Tell us a little about the property and the situation. We’ll usually get back to you within a business day.