Home in Probate: First Step, Here's How You Start

Named the personal representative of an estate or an inherited home? Not sure where to start, or whether you're keeping the home or selling it? Here's the first real step.

Hi, I'm Tanja Odzak, Realtor with eXp Realty, helping people sell and buy homes right here in the East Bay for the last 10 years.

Your first step is filing with Family and Probate Court in the county where the deceased person lived, the will, a copy of the death certificate, and a petition to be formally appointed Personal Representative. Once approved, you'll receive "Letters," proof of your legal authority to manage the estate's assets, though it can take several weeks or more to get them.

As Personal Representative, you're responsible for collecting, inventorying, and protecting the estate's assets, paying valid debts and taxes, and distributing what remains as the will directs. A strong team helps enormously here, a probate attorney, a tax professional, and if real estate is involved, an experienced agent.

I'm Tanja Odzak, and I've sold over $100 million worth of homes with a decade of experience in the East Bay. I'm a resource on the real estate side of this process, always seek proper legal advice from an attorney alongside it.