Sell an Inherited House in Probate — We Pay the Probate Costs

Why most buyers avoid probate houses (and we don’t)

A house in an unopened estate can’t deliver clean title, so a retail buyer with a mortgage can’t buy it, and most agents won’t list it until probate is done. That means months of delay, attorney retainers you pay up front, and a vacant house you’re insuring, mowing and worrying about from wherever you live.

Since 2018 we have made probate houses our specialty. We sign the contract with the heirs or the personal representative, an independent probate attorney representing the estate opens and runs the probate, and we pay the costs — court fees, publication, attorney fees. The sale closes as soon as the court authorizes it. You never write a check.

How selling an inherited house to us works

1. Tell us about the house and the family. Who passed away, whether there was a will, who the heirs are, and whether anything has been filed with the court yet. If you don’t know, that’s fine — we’ll help you find out.
2. One walkthrough. If you’re out of state, a neighbor, a relative, or a lockbox works. You don’t need to clean out anything.
3. Written cash offer within 24 hours. As-is, with the probate costs built in on our side.
4. We pay for the probate, handled by an independent attorney who represents the estate. Use your own attorney, or we’ll introduce you to one. Summary administration can move in weeks; formal administration has a creditor period of about three months after notice is published, so plan on a few months. We wait with you and cover the costs.
5. Close at a licensed title company. Proceeds are split among the heirs exactly as the court orders and wired to each of you.

Common complications we handle

• Multiple heirs who don’t agree. We talk with every heir individually, wherever they live. One honest number and a clear split usually settles it.
• No will. Florida’s intestacy rules decide who inherits; the probate court applies them. We buy from spouses, children, siblings, nieces and nephews, and cousins.
• Heirs nobody can find. We have hired private investigators to locate heirs overseas so an estate could be settled. (Read Miadora’s story on our reviews page.)
• A mortgage, reverse mortgage, Medicaid claim, or liens. These are paid from the sale price at closing. If the payoff is close to the value, tell us early.
• Homestead. Florida homestead property passes outside the normal creditor process and needs a separate court determination; the probate attorney handles it, and every heir with an interest in homestead must sign the sale.
• The house is full. Take the photo albums and the jewelry. Leave the furniture, the garage, the shed. We clear it after closing.

Taxes on an inherited house

Good news for most heirs: inherited property generally gets a stepped-up basis to its value at the date of death, so a sale shortly after death usually produces little or no capital gain. Florida has no state estate or inheritance tax. Talk to a CPA about your specific numbers — we can recommend one.

Should you list it instead?

If the house is in good shape, the estate is already closed, the heirs agree, and nobody is in a hurry, listing with an agent may net more. We’ll tell you that. Where we win is the inherited house that needs work, has a probate still to run, has people living in it, or has heirs who need the money and the closure now. See the net-to-net comparison.

We are a cash home buyer, not a law firm. This page is general information about Florida law and local process, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, talk to a Florida attorney — we work with several and are glad to make an introduction.