Most clients arrive needing one of these. By the second call, we usually know which two or three apply.
Filed under DE-111, sold under the court’s authority (full or limited), closed once the judge signs off. Coordinated with your probate attorney.
Read more belowThe successor trustee has authority to sell. No court date. Typically 30–60 days faster than full probate — if the trust paperwork is in order.
Go to Trust Sales →HECM loans become due when the borrower passes. Heirs have ~6 months to sell, refinance, or hand the home to the lender. The math matters here.
Go to Reverse Mortgage →The court-appointed probate referee will value the home. Giving them clean data up front means a defensible number for the inventory, taxes, and pricing.
Go to Probate Appraisal →The differences are real but manageable. Court hearings on certain dates. Specific disclosures (the property is sold “as-is, where-is” and the seller has limited knowledge). A Notice of Proposed Action (DE-165) sent to heirs. A possible court confirmation hearing with overbid mechanics.
Most of my work is making this invisible to you. You sign documents, attend one hearing if needed, and the home sells.
When the court grants full Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA) authority — usually at the first hearing — the personal representative can accept an offer and close escrow without coming back to court.
How it works:
Limited authority is rarer in 2026 but still happens — usually when an heir objects to the appointment, or when the will limits the executor’s powers. The court has to confirm the sale at a hearing, and other bidders can show up to compete.
How it works:
Overbid math: Minimum overbid = original bid + 10% of first $10,000 + 5% of the remainder. Example: $526,000 → $552,800.
The information on the petition becomes public record. Investor solicitations — phone, text, mail — arrive within days of filing. They’ll quote you a number that’s 30% below market and call it “clean and quick.” You don’t have to entertain any of it.
Letters in hand, authority confirmed, NOPA timing planned. We’ll align on the calendar before any sign goes up.
Estate-sale referrals, junk haul, light staging. Family keepsakes are the priority — everything else can wait or get sorted by vendors I trust.
Honest math on each repair: cost, time, expected return. Most probate homes don’t need much. We’ll know which exceptions to chase.
Warm, naturally lit photography. Copy that’s honest about the home’s condition without underselling it.
Listed on the MLS with probate-sale disclosures. Newspaper publication arranged when court-confirmation rules apply.
Buyer-agent screening to filter out flippers who won’t close. NOPA strategy if multiple offers come in close.
Title, escrow officer, attorney’s confirming letters, certified court orders. The paperwork that closes the file.
If limited authority requires confirmation, I’ll prepare the report of sale and attend with you and the buyer’s agent.
Closing statement formatted for the final accounting your attorney files. One less thing to assemble.
Real-estate commissions in California are negotiable by law. For probate sales I’ll quote a flat percentage in writing before we sign anything, with no surprises at closing.
The commission comes out of escrow at close and is a deductible expense of the sale — not something the estate writes a check for up front.
If the home doesn’t sell, you don’t pay. That’s the deal.
Statutory probate attorney fees are separate and governed by Probate Code §10800–10814. Those fees are paid to the attorney, not to me, and are based on the gross value of the estate.