Start with a decision file.
Before listing, repairing, or emptying an inherited home, organize the information the family and its professionals will need.
- The deed and available trust or estate documents.
- Mortgage, property-tax, insurance, and utility records.
- Names and roles of everyone involved in the decision.
- Information about anyone currently occupying the property.
- Known repairs, permits, liens, or deferred maintenance.
- Instructions for personal belongings that must be secured or distributed.
Next, determine who has authority to act. When that is unclear, a qualified estate or probate attorney should advise the family. Once authority and goals are understood, the real estate choices—selling as-is, completing selected repairs, or preparing fully for market—can be compared more productively.
General real estate information only. This is not legal, probate, tax, or financial advice.