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Senior Housing Advicewith Bucky Cordray
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You inherited a house. Here is where to start.

An inherited house can feel like one more thing on a list that is already too long. Most families are dealing with grief, paperwork, and relatives in other cities all at once. None of that makes your situation unusual, and most of it can be sorted out one step at a time.

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Where are you right now?

The order things usually happen in

  1. Step 1: Secure the house

    Lock it, keep the insurance and utilities on, forward the mail, and take dated photos of every room.

  2. Step 2: Talk with a probate attorney

    They will tell you whether the house needs probate and who has the authority to sell it.

  3. Step 3: Find out what is owed

    Mortgage, reverse mortgage, property taxes, and any liens. Some of these have deadlines.

  4. Step 4: Decide as a family

    Keep it, rent it, list it, or sell it as-is. Look at what each would actually leave the estate.

  5. Step 5: Clear it out and close

    Keepsakes first, then the rest. The estate's attorney handles court approval where it is needed.

The four things that stall an estate sale

  • Heirs who don't agree

    One sibling wants to keep it, another needs the money now. A neutral person with real numbers often gets everyone moving again.

  • Heirs who are hard to reach

    Someone lives across the country, is deployed, or is in a care facility. Signatures can still be coordinated.

  • Title problems nobody knew about

    An old mortgage never released, a parent who passed earlier and was never probated, a lien. Most are fixable.

  • A full house and no money for repairs

    Cleanout and repair costs can be recovered at closing instead of coming out of an heir's pocket up front.

Two ways to sell the house, with honest numbers

List it

Put the house on the open market with an agent.

  • Usually brings the highest sale price.
  • Often needs cleanout, repairs, and showings first.
  • Commission and closing costs come out of the sale.
  • The estate keeps paying taxes, insurance, and utilities until it closes.

Take a direct as-is offer

KRE Group buys the house as it sits.

  • Usually a lower price than a listing.
  • No repairs, no cleanout, no showings.
  • You pick the closing date.
  • Fewer months of carrying costs for the estate.

You should see both numbers. Your family decides.

KRE Group may also make a direct cash offer on a property; you are always free to list with any agent or accept other offers.

Families we have helped

  • Inherited house

    A packed house and no money for repairs

    Situation
    The family inherited a home that was full to the ceilings. Nobody had the money to clear it out or fix it up.
    What we did
    Our team handled the cleanout and the repairs. Those costs were recovered at closing, so the heirs paid nothing up front.
    Outcome
    The house was cleared, repaired, and closed without anyone in the family writing a check first.

  • Probate

    Four heirs, scattered, and a foreclosure deadline

    Situation
    Four heirs lived far apart. One was deployed with the military and one was incarcerated. A bank foreclosure deadline was coming.
    What we did
    We located each heir and coordinated every signature, including the two who could not easily be reached.
    Outcome
    The house sold before the bank's foreclosure deadline.

  • Family conflict

    Step-siblings who could not agree

    Situation
    Step-siblings shared an inherited house and disagreed about what to do with it.
    What we did
    We mediated between the two sides.
    Outcome
    The sale went all the way through to closing.

  • Senior move

    An heir living in a care facility

    Situation
    One heir lived in a care facility and could not come to the house or to a closing.
    What we did
    We coordinated access to the property and every signature remotely.
    Outcome
    The heir's part of the sale was handled remotely.

See all case studies

Common questions

Do I need probate before I can sell an inherited house?

Often, yes, but not always. It depends on how the house was titled and whether there was a transfer-on-death deed or a joint owner. Your probate attorney can tell you which applies to your family.

Do I have to clean out or fix up the house first?

No. You can list it after cleanout and repairs, or sell it exactly as it sits. Both are fair choices, and the right one depends on time, money, and how the family feels.

What if my brothers and sisters can't agree?

That is common. It usually helps to put every option on one page with real numbers, so the family is deciding on facts instead of guesses.

Will you work with our attorney?

Yes. We work alongside the estate's attorney and keep them informed. We don't replace them, and we don't give legal advice.

Talk with someone who has done this before

Call or text (918) 317-2874. No obligation, no pressure.

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