Have you ever wondered what happens to a house when it goes through the probate process? The probate process is unfamiliar to many homeowners because most homes are legally inherited and therefore avoid the probate process. Here are a few steps you should take if you end up with a probate house on your hands.
Go to Probate Court
First, if your house has gone into probate and you’re intent on retaining the home, you’ll need to pay a visit to probate court. Remember, a house goes into probate when it hasn’t been legally or properly passed on to an inheritor. For this reason, it is necessary to go to probate court to sort through the legal procedures and processes that pertain to a house in probate. If your house doesn’t have a community property law, joint ownership, living trust, or transfer-on-death deed, you’ll need to go through the legal probate process to regain ownership of the property. Luckily, there are lawyers in probate court that are trained to help you through this process. However, you should anticipate spending anywhere from a few months to a few years on this step.
Maintain the House
In the meantime, make sure that you’re maintaining the house that is in probate. This will not only help you to maintain the value of the property but it will also help you to protect the home. This is especially important if you’re not currently living in the probate home. Maintaining the home and visiting it often can give it a lived-in look that will dissuade robbers from breaking and entering. Plus, caring for the home and organizing the previous owner’s property can be a healing and cathartic process.
Sell for Cash Instead
Sometimes, it might become too difficult and overwhelming to maintain the house or go to the probate court. In this case, consider selling the probate house instead. Selling the home can help you to be rid of the legal responsibilities attached to the property, while still gaining greater financial stability from the home’s value. However, you should be aware that there are only certain home buyers that will purchase a probate home, due to the complicated legal process that it entails. Cash buyers will be your best option when you’re trying to sell a probate house. They’ll give you their highest possible cash offer and help you to sell the house quickly and easily. If you sell to a cash home buying company, you won’t even need to repair, inspect, clean, or empty the home before selling.
So, if you end up with a probate house on your hand, remember the steps in this article. You can go to probate court and maintain the house in the meantime if you’re trying to regain ownership of the house. If you want to sell the house instead, make sure that you sell to a cash buyer for the easiest possible sale.
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