We pay fair market value adjusted for as-is condition and the cost of repairs, holding time, and resale risk we assume. Our offers reflect the price a qualified cash buyer would pay in a competitive market for a property sold without repairs, without contingencies, and with a fast close. In most cases, our offer will be 70-85% of the price the property would command if fully repaired and listed traditionally. But you avoid 5-6% in agent commissions, $5K-$20K in repair costs, 3-6 months of carrying costs, and deal failure risk. We provide a written breakdown of our valuation, and we encourage executors to obtain multiple offers or consult with a probate real estate attorney to confirm our offer is fair.

We need: (1) a copy of the death certificate, (2) the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by the court appointing you as executor or administrator, (3) a copy of the will (if one exists), and (4) access to the property for a walk-through inspection. We do not need a professional appraisal, title report, or inspection report to generate an offer. We order those ourselves. If the estate has a probate attorney, we're happy to coordinate directly with them to obtain the necessary documentation.

Yes. We purchase probate properties with existing mortgages, property tax liens, mechanic's liens, or judgment liens. At closing, we pay off all secured liens from the purchase proceeds, and the estate receives the net equity. If the property is underwater (liens exceed the value), we can explore a short sale with the lender or discuss other options. We work with a probate-experienced escrow officer who handles all lien payoff calculations and coordinates directly with lien holders.

We charge no fees to the executor or the estate. There are no broker commissions, no assignment fees, no administrative fees, and no junk fees. The only deductions from the purchase price are standard closing costs. Escrow, title insurance, recording, and transfer tax. Which we cover on behalf of the estate. The net proceeds wire to the estate is the offer price minus any mortgage or lien payoffs. This is a true net-to-estate transaction.

Probate sales in California require court involvement unless the estate was granted independent administration with full authority under Probate Code §10500. The executor must petition the court for approval to sell, provide notice to all beneficiaries, and in some cases attend a confirmation hearing where other buyers can overbid. The process adds 30-60 days to the timeline compared to a non-probate sale. Additionally, the executor owes a fiduciary duty to all beneficiaries to obtain fair value, which means the sale price and terms must be justifiable and transparent. Home Helpers has navigated this process dozens of times and works directly with your probate attorney to ensure compliance.

If multiple heirs own the property as tenants in common and some want to sell while others want to hold, we can purchase the ownership interest of the heirs who wish to sell. But this requires the cooperation of all co-owners or a partition action filed in court. Partition sales are complex and costly. In most cases, it's more efficient for the estate to sell the entire property and distribute proceeds to all heirs according to their ownership percentages. We can facilitate that conversation and provide a written offer that all heirs can review.

California probate law allows other buyers to appear at the confirmation hearing and submit overbids that exceed our offer by at least 5% of the first $10,000 plus 5% of the remainder. If an overbid is submitted and accepted by the court, you are free to accept that higher offer. There is no penalty to the estate. However, overbids are rare in as-is property sales because most overbidders are traditional buyers who require financing and inspections, which makes their bids less certain than our cash offer. If an overbid does occur and you choose to accept it, we wish you well. Our goal is to provide the estate with the best outcome, even if that means we're outbid.