Selling a home after a parent passes is rarely just a real estate transaction. There’s a court process or a trust to work through, siblings who may live in different states and see the house very differently, and a lifetime of belongings to sort before anyone can even think about listing. The articles and case studies here walk through how probate and trust sales actually work in Santa Clara County, from full versus limited authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act to court confirmation, overbidding, and what Prop 19 and the step-up in basis mean for heirs deciding whether to keep, rent, or sell.
After 23 years and more than 460 closed transactions in Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area, I’ve learned that the family side of these sales matters as much as the legal side. You’ll find real examples of executors, trustees, and adult children navigating these decisions together, along with practical guidance on preparing an inherited home, coordinating with attorneys and CPAs, and getting everyone to the closing table with relationships intact.
By Seb Frey, Broker Associate at Compass, Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), CA DRE# 01369847. Affiliate Member, Professional Fiduciary Association…
DISCLAIMERNothing on this page should be considered to be tax, accounting, legal, or investment advice. If you need a referral to an expert in these…
Whether a California successor trustee can sell during the 16061.7 notice and 120-day contest window, the real risks, and how to time a Silicon Valley…
Who decides when siblings disagree about selling a parent's house in probate, how objections work, the executor's options, and what helps families move forward.
How the stepped-up basis works when a probate house is sold in California, a San Jose example with real numbers, the community property double step-up,…
Estate liquidators, an estate sale, auction, or cleanout? Estate sale firms often keep 30-50%. See what families really net and how to clear a home…
The order that works, Bay Area costs for estate sales, cleanouts, and senior move managers, realistic timelines, and how to handle the emotional side of…
How a sibling can buy out the others and keep a parent's house in probate: executor self-dealing rules, distributions in kind with real numbers, financing,…
What happens at a probate court confirmation hearing in San Jose: the overbid formula with real numbers, deposits, bidding increments, and how commissions are split.
The BOE-502-D is due within 150 days of a property owner's death. Who files it in Santa Clara County, the penalty for missing it, supplemental…