sell inherited house

How to Sell an Inherited House in San Jose – The Reality Behind Probate

Selling an inherited house in San Jose is not as easy as you may think.

First, there is always that emotional bit of preparing a loved one’s house ready for sale – which most likely includes depersonalizing his or her rooms and also clearing out all the belongings… Then there is the cost of marketing the house in order to attract potential buyers.

 

Usually, heirs get to deal with the high costs of liens and other issues. Consequently, disagreements may arise.

 

Therefore we at Skye Homes have compiled a few points that should help steer you in the right direction if you ever find yourself in such a dilemma. Here are a few tips on how to sell a home you inherited in San Jose without having to sweat much.

 

Making the probate process go smoothly

Get some advice

The first step you should take is to get some professional advice. You must understand the status your house is in. Make sure that you verify your ownership. Seek advice from a real estate attorney. Get info from other experts too. And completely utilize this site too of course. We have a plethora of related articles on selling and inherited property. The IRS website is a friendly resource in this case as well.

 

Next Step: Begin the probate process

 

Before you embark on the selling process, your house must go through probate. Most countries allow for a summary probate – which is just a simple process that takes a very short time and involves less legal processes. Once your house passes the probate process in San Jose, you can then put it on the market.

 

Tax consideration

The tax basis of your property is the house value on the date that the person who willed you died. The difference between the amount you realize from the sale and the value is basically the gain on which you owe the taxes.

 

How to sell an inherited house in San Jose

Agreeing to sell

If you are ready to sell your house in San Jose, you can inform the executor to petition the court in order to get the “go ahead” sign and proceed with the sale from the there. Problems always arise when siblings who share the inheritance have different views – for instance others may want to sell the house while others may not be for the idea. If and when this happens to be the case, it is important to “disagree to agree”. It is also important to involve your estate lawyer in this stage.

 

Preparing to sell

A house that belonged to an elderly person may require repairs and a bit of updating before you can put it on sale. You will need to get rid of everything! You can choose to hire an inspector to note down potential issues and recommend possible repairs. Although you can sell a home in San Jose “as is” you may be forced to accept a lower price, especially if your house requires extensive repairs or cleaning.

 

Here at Skye Homes, however, we will always give you a fair deal and help you get as much value from your inherited house as possible. We often times buy houses in San Jose, repair and fix them up and either rent them out or sell them to someone else looking for a great deal.

 

If your local San Jose house meets a few simple qualifications, we can buy your house fast.

Picture of Jake Knight
Jake Knight

Jake Knight has been a residential real estate investor since 2016. He specializes in acquiring and renovating houses in the Bay Area, Sacramento, eventually expanding to over 15+ states. Jake’s prior experience in lending, going back to 2003, laid the foundation for solving complex real estate issues.

Drawing upon his background in assisting sellers with the task of transitioning from a home they have lived in for decades, Jake launched a “senior move management” business in 2021. This company provides valuable support to seniors during the process of packing, coordinating their moves, and downsizing as they transition into senior living communities.

In 2022, Jake expanded his services by becoming a licensed real estate agent in California, providing comprehensive solutions to his seller clients.

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On the other hand, there are some sellers who need a custom solution due to either the property’s condition or the seller’s personal situation, or a combination of the two.

When the property is in really bad shape, they’re likely going to sell to an investor, so it may make sense to save money on commissions and find their own investor.

Some examples of personal situations that we can help with are: hoarding, pre-foreclosure or other financial issues that require a fast home sale, house with non-paying tenants or squatters, severely delinquent property taxes, homeowners who want to rent back the home longer than normal, or sellers who value privacy and/or are embarrassed by their home.

If your seller lead meets these criteria, you should propose the idea of making an introduction to me. You can simply suggest to them that your partner or colleague buys houses and ask if they are interested in speaking with me. Remember, you are not performing real estate agent duties. See our disclaimer below. The main thing to keep in mind at this point is to qualify them as a good fit or not. I can help you with the documentation and process things.