February 17, 2025

Probate Process


Find Your Dream Home

Process

As a real estate agent that has specialized in probate and inheritance property sales, it has been with great humility that I have become acquainted with the difficult circumstances surrounding the loss of a loved one.

We know first-hand that it is never easy losing someone we hold dear, so we extend my deepest sympathies during this trying time. Many people find that the challenge of settling their loved ones’ estate is among life’s more difficult responsibilities. It is both an honor and a burden, but please understand that you are not alone.

Probates can be a complicated legal matter, and it makes sense to hire a real estate agent that understands the intricacies of the process. As a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist,We are trained and well versed in probate and inherited property sales. Managing the details of a conservatorship, trust or probate estate is stressful enough. Why add the sale of real property to your list of responsibilities?

By working together, we can help you navigate through the probate process and sell the probate property for top dollar to qualified buyers, which will allow you to resolve other obligations and help you and your family move on to build better memories.

 

Many estates suffer from deferred maintenance. We can offer property management, alleviating the stress of up-keeping your loved one’s home.

Legal issues and negotiating with heirs are tall orders. This process is stressful enough. Yet home clean-up and preparation adds a new dimension of complexity and stress. Even further complications can arise, including eviction and squatter removal.

Take a deep breath and rest assured I can handle these thorny details for you. I come equipped with professionals that are more than ready to help. Reliable experts, familiar with every aspect of the sale process, take the guess work and anxiety out of the equation by making your probated property house presentable and ready to sell.

Help like this makes all the difference.

Many people find that settling their loved one’s estate is among life’s more difficult challenges. If you decide to sell your home, it makes sense to work with a REALTOR® that thoroughly understands the closely regulated probate process. I am sensitive to the need for confidentiality, clear thinking, timely explanations, aggressive marketing, astute negotiations and, in many cases, quick sales. Contact us for peace of mind.

  • Work with sellers to set a price that attracts the most qualified buyers.
    Work closely with attorneys, trustees, fiduciaries and other representatives to ensure a seamless transaction.
  • a mediator, help deal with various issues/misunderstandings that arise with multiple beneficiaries.
  • with multiple Boards of Realtors and with more than one Multiple Listing Service
  • a Property Profile within two business days.
  • a thorough market analysis, including detailed information on comparable sales in the area.
  • the property extensively online with virtual tours spanning many websites.
  • For Sale signs with our direct number.
  • 24-hour access for agents to show the property
  • high-visibility print advertising in local and regional publications
  • public open houses
  • flyers to the surrounding community to announce the listing
  • word-of-mouth advertising to top agents and their clients
  • go on and on – share your thoughts on adding or chopping this down.

 

Glossary Of Probate Terms


Beneficiary: A person who inherits when there is a will.

Conservator: A person who has the court-appointed fiduciary responsibility for the care of another adult.

Conservatee: The person whose care is provided for under a conservatorship.

Conservatorship: A court proceeding wherein a judge appoints a responsible person (conservator) to care for another person (conservatee) who cannot care for him/her self or his/her finances.

Custodian of the Will: The person in possession of the will when the person who wrote the will dies.

Decedent: The person who died.

Executor: A person named in a will and appointed by the Court to carry out the decedent’s wishes. This person is usually named as the seller of the real property.

Heir: A person who inherits. 

Intestate: When someone dies without leaving a will. When there is no will, the sale of the decedent’s real property often requires court confirmation.

Intestate succession: The order of who inherits the property when the decedent does not have a will.

Legatees, or Devisees: People who are named in a will.

Personal Representative (Administrator or Executor): The person responsible for overseeing the distribution of the estate.

Probate: The process of deciding where, how and to whom to distribute the decedent’s estate, such as the real property.

Probate real estate sale: The transfer of legal title (ownership) of real property from the estate of the person who has died to his or her beneficiaries or to a buyer under the supervision of the Court.

Probate referee: Before real property can be sold through probate, it must be appraised. This is done by a probate referee. In California, probate referees are appointed by the State Controller and assigned to a particular case by the court clerk. They are paid for this service directly by the estate, usually a percentage of the appraised value.

Real Property: The term used to refer to real estate (land and buildings) in probate and trust sales.

Testate: When someone dies leaving a will.

Trust: When a person (trustee) holds property at another person’s (Settlor’s) requests for the benefit of someone else (Beneficiary).

Will: A legal document that lists a person’s wishes about what will happen to his/her personal and real property after death.