Sacramento · Placer · El Dorado · Yolo · Solano · San Joaquin · Sutter · Yuba · Nevada · Amador
Selling a house in probate shouldn’t be the hardest part of losing someone.
Plain-English help for executors, trustees and heirs who need to prepare, price or sell an inherited home anywhere within about 60 miles of downtown Sacramento.
Where are you in the process?
I need to sell during probate
You’ve been named executor or administrator. Find out whether you need court confirmation, how the overbid works, and what IAEA full authority changes.
I’m getting the house ready
Clean out, fix up or sell as-is? Keep it insured while it’s vacant, handle the mortgage, and work through it with siblings who don’t agree.
I want to buy a probate home
Probate and trust sales follow their own rules. Learn how offers, court hearings and overbids work before you bid on an estate property.
Key facts about California probate sales
- Timeline: California courts say formal probate typically takes 9 to 18 months, sometimes longer.
- No authority until letters issue: an executor can’t sell the house until the court issues letters.
- Court-confirmed sales: the offer must be at least 90% of the appraised value, and other buyers can overbid at the hearing.
- Smaller estates: for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, a primary residence worth up to $750,000 may pass by petition instead of full probate.
- Property taxes: under Prop 19, a child generally has to move in within one year to keep a parent’s tax base.
Free probate guides
One question per article, answered for Sacramento-area families. Nothing is gated.
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What Happens to the House If There’s No Will in California?
State law picks the heirs, a court picks who is in charge, and an attorney keeps the family from guessing.
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Can You Sell a House Held in a Trust Without Going to Court?
Usually yes. A successor trustee can sell without a judge, as long as the house is actually titled in the trust.
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How Much Are Executor and Attorney Fees in a California Probate?
California sets both fees by a formula on the gross estate, so you can estimate them before you file.
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What If Siblings Disagree About Selling the Inherited House?
Who has the final say, what an objection really does, and the fair ways families settle it without a lawsuit.
Work with someone who knows probate
Bart Hubbard is a California real estate associate with HomeSmart ICARE Realty and a C.A.R. Certified Probate & Trust Specialist. He is also the author of Prop 19 Hero, a guide to California’s inheritance and property tax rules. He helps executors, trustees and heirs across the Sacramento region understand their options before they commit to anything.
Talk it through, no obligation
If you’re settling an estate in the Sacramento region, Bart can tell you what you’re facing before you make any decisions.
Phone: (916) 908-4101
Email: bart@barttheagent.com
Office: 1891 East Roseville Parkway, Suite 180, Roseville, CA 95661