Inherited & Probate Property
Sell an inherited house without the overwhelm.
Losing someone is hard enough. Suddenly owning their house — with its repairs, taxes, belongings, and maybe a probate court — shouldn’t bury you in a second job. We’re a local family that buys inherited houses across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties completely as-is, on the estate’s timeline, with patience for the paperwork.
First question: does the house need probate?
Not every inherited house goes through the full probate court process. If the home was held in a living trust, owned in joint tenancy, or covered by a recorded transfer-on-death deed, it usually passes outside probate and can be sold once title is updated.
California also has shortcuts for smaller estates — and they got dramatically better in 2025. For deaths on or after April 1, 2025, heirs can use a simplified court petition (instead of full probate) when the home was the deceased person’s primary residence worth up to $750,000 — up from a limit under $185,000 before. Many Inland Empire family homes now qualify. There’s a short waiting period and an appraisal involved, but it can save the estate a year of court time.
If none of those apply, the house typically goes through formal probate before it can change hands. That’s not a dead end — it just shapes the timeline, and it’s a road we know well.
Yes — you can sell during probate.
When the court gives the estate’s personal representative “full authority” under California’s Independent Administration of Estates Act, the house can usually be sold without a court confirmation hearing — the representative serves the required notice to heirs, and once the notice period passes, escrow can proceed like a normal sale.
With “limited authority,” the sale goes through court confirmation: the price must come in at or above 90% of the probate referee’s appraisal, and the hearing includes an open overbidding process. It’s slower and more formal, but very doable — and a cash buyer who won’t vanish during the wait makes it far smoother.
Either way, we coordinate directly with your probate attorney or the estate’s representative, put our offer in writing for the court file when needed, and hold our price through the process. California probates typically take somewhere around nine to eighteen months start to finish — we close on the estate’s schedule, not ours.
The tax picture most heirs don’t know.
Two tax rules shape most inherited-house decisions in California. The first is good news: inherited property gets a “stepped-up basis,” meaning its taxable starting value resets to the market value on the date of death. Heirs who sell soon after typically owe little or no capital gains tax, because there’s been little time for new appreciation.
The second is the one that surprises families: since Proposition 19 took effect in 2021, an inherited home is generally reassessed to full market value for property taxes — unless a child moves in and makes it their primary residence within one year, and even then the exclusion is capped. For a house bought decades ago, that can mean property taxes jumping from a few hundred dollars a year to many thousands. It’s a big reason keeping the house as a rental often costs more than families expect.
We’re not tax advisors and this isn’t tax advice — but we’ll happily walk through the practical math of keeping versus selling, and we’ll never rush you.
Full of belongings? Needs work? Heirs in three states?
This is where selling to a local family buyer instead of listing really changes the experience. There’s no fixing, painting, staging, or hosting strangers through your parent’s home. Take the keepsakes and photo albums — leave absolutely everything else, and we’ll handle the cleanout after closing.
When several heirs share the decision, we put everything in plain writing, keep every sibling on the same email thread if you want, and the title company splits proceeds exactly as the estate directs at escrow. A neutral, patient buyer tends to lower the temperature in family conversations.
- Sell completely as-is — any condition, any era
- Leave behind furniture, clutter, everything
- No agent commissions out of the estate
- Offer in writing for the attorney or court file
- We wait out probate — no pressure, no expiring offers
- Proceeds split between heirs at escrow, cleanly
Local Knowledge
We know the Inland Empire probate process.
Riverside County probate matters are heard at the Historic Courthouse in downtown Riverside, in Temecula, and in Palm Springs; San Bernardino County probate is centered at the Fontana and Victorville courthouses. We buy inherited houses in Riverside, Moreno Valley, Fontana, Hemet, San Bernardino, Victorville, and every city in between — and we’ve learned the local rhythms, so nothing about the process surprises us.
Common Questions
Answers before you even ask.
Can we sell before probate is finished?
Often, yes. If the estate’s representative has full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, the sale can usually close during probate after the required notice to heirs — no court hearing needed. With limited authority, the sale happens through a court confirmation hearing. We work with both paths and coordinate with your attorney.
The house is full of stuff. Do we have to clear it out?
No. Take the things that matter to your family and leave the rest — furniture, boxes, the garage, all of it. We handle the cleanout after closing. It’s one of the biggest reliefs for families we work with.
What if the heirs don’t agree?
It’s common. We provide a clear written offer everyone can evaluate, answer every sibling’s questions directly, and stay patient while the family decides. Proceeds are divided at escrow exactly as the estate directs, which keeps the money side clean and transparent.
Will we owe capital gains tax on the sale?
Usually far less than people fear. Inherited property receives a stepped-up basis to its value at the date of death, so selling soon after typically means little or no taxable gain. Confirm your specific situation with a tax professional — we’re buyers, not tax advisors.
The house still has a mortgage. Can you still buy it?
Yes. The loan gets paid off through escrow out of the sale proceeds, like any normal sale. If payments have fallen behind during the estate process, acting sooner protects the equity — tell us and we’ll prioritize speed.
Have a different question? Ask us directly — a real person answers.
Tell us about the property.
No pressure and no obligation — just a fair cash offer and straight answers about the probate path you’re on. We’ll move exactly as fast or as slow as the estate needs.
Free and no-obligation. See how it works or explore all your selling options.
This page is general information for Inland Empire homeowners, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws and figures change; always confirm how they apply to your situation with a qualified professional. Probate procedures, small-estate limits, and tax rules referenced here reflect California law as of mid-2026, including changes effective April 2025.