When a home is sold through a trust or an estate, the sale is rarely only about real estate. There are family members with different feelings, a house full of belongings, legal steps that have to happen in order, and usually a grieving household that did not choose the timing. I take that seriously.
Where I fit in
I help the people responsible for the property: successor trustees, executors, administrators and the family members working with them. My role is the real estate part, from understanding the house to getting it sold. The legal part belongs to your attorney, and I keep in step with their guidance.
I have worked on an inherited property where probate issues made the sale difficult. The client described me as someone who listens to what you need and goes out of her way to make things go smoothly. That is the standard I hold myself to.
What I help with
- Understanding the property. I walk the house, note its condition, and help you decide what needs attention before a sale.
- Planning around the legal timeline. Whether a sale needs court involvement depends on how the estate is structured. I plan the marketing and the schedule around what your attorney tells you.
- Clearing and preparing. Houses that have been lived in for decades hold a lot. I can talk through sensible ways to approach sorting, donating and staging, and I can often stage with what is already in the home.
- Communication with the family. I keep everyone informed and make sure decisions are recorded clearly, which helps when several people share responsibility.
- Marketing and negotiation. I run the sale the way I would for any homeowner: careful exposure, clear explanations of offers, and negotiation on behalf of the estate or trust.
- Closing. I stay with the transaction through escrow and make sure open items are handled.
Discretion
Families often want to keep the details of a loss private. I treat information about your family and the property as confidential and share it only with the people who need it to complete the sale.
What I will not do
I will not rush you or pressure you to sell on a schedule that does not fit your family. I also will not give legal or tax advice. If a question belongs to your attorney or accountant, I will tell you so and help you take it to them.
Related help
Many of these sales involve long-time owners; see long-term homeowners. If the family is deciding what comes next after a move, see downsizing and life transitions. For the sales process itself, see selling your home.
Areas
I handle trust, estate and probate sales in La Crescenta, Sunland, Tujunga, Lake View Terrace, Altadena, Pasadena and the surrounding foothill communities.