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Everything You Need When You Inherit a Home in California, In One Place

Most people who inherit a home don't know what to do first. That's normal, and it's exactly why this page exists.

Below is a curated set of tools and guides, built from real cases: what a sibling buyout actually costs, what you'll owe in capital gains, whether Prop 19 protects your property taxes, and the full step by step playbook for selling a probate or trust home in California. Use all of them, or just the one that matches where you are right now, either way, it takes the guesswork off your plate. Curious what it actually costs to sell? See the full cost breakdown.

Prop 19 Guide mockup The Inherited Home Playbook Successor Trustee Checklist mockup

The Inherited Home Playbook
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The Inherited Home Playbook
The complete guide to selling a house in probate or selling a house in a trust in California, covering every decision point from the first weeks after inheriting through closing. Built from the same process Scott walks real clients through, not a generic checklist. Start here if you're not sure where to begin, or if you already know it's a probate or trust sale and want the specific steps.
Get the playbook →
 Sibling Buyout Cost Calculator
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Sibling Buyout Cost Calculator
See what's possible and what's affordable when a sibling or co-owner wants to keep the home, based on your actual property and situation. Covers whether moving in, buying out, or selling makes the most sense for everyone involved. Answers the question most families are afraid to ask each other directly.
Run the numbers →
 Capital Gains Estimate
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Capital Gains Estimate
Find out what you'd actually owe in capital gains tax on an inherited home, including the situations that change the math: a rental property you inherited, a home you were added to title on before the owner passed, a surviving spouse who wants to right size and move, or a long owned family home with decades of appreciation. Uses California's step up in basis rules with a worked example, not a formula you have to figure out yourself.
Estimate my taxes →
 Prop 19 Guide
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Prop 19 Guide
Download the guide built to answer exactly one question: how does Prop 19 affect my inherited home's property taxes. Covers the parent child exclusion, what triggers reassessment, and what it means for your specific situation in California. This is the resource, not a summary that sends you looking elsewhere for the real answer.
Download the guide →
 Successor Trustee Checklist
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Successor Trustee Checklist
You're the trustee now, maybe because you were willing, the oldest, or because someone had to be. This checklist gives you the deadlines and the order to follow them in, so you're not guessing at every step. Built for the first time trustee, whether you're the only beneficiary or splitting it with others.
Get the checklist →

Common Questions

Do I have to pay capital gains tax when I sell an inherited house in California?

Usually only on appreciation since the date of death, not the original purchase price, because of California's step up in basis rule. The Capital Gains Estimate above walks through your specific numbers, including rentals, added to title cases, and long held family homes.

How does Prop 19 affect an inherited home's property taxes?

It limits the parent child exclusion that used to let inherited homes keep the original owner's low tax basis. Whether it applies to your situation depends on a few specific factors, which the Prop 19 Guide above covers in full.

What's the difference between selling a house in probate and selling a house in a trust?

A probate sale requires court involvement and, in some cases, judge confirmation. A trust sale, if the trust is set up correctly, can move without the court at all. The Inherited Home Playbook above breaks down both paths step by step.

How do I know what it would cost to buy out a sibling or co-owner instead of selling?

It depends on the home's value, any mortgage balance, and how ownership is split. The Sibling Buyout Cost Calculator above gives you a real number based on your actual property, not a rough rule of thumb.

Do I need to use all of these resources, or just the one that fits my situation?

Just the one that fits. Each guide and tool above answers a specific question on its own, use one, a few, or all of them depending on where you are in the process.

How long does it take to sell an inherited home in California?

A trust sale can move as fast as a standard listing, often 30 to 60 days once it's ready to go. A probate sale typically takes 9 to 18 months from opening probate to close, though listing itself can start once Letters are issued, usually 4 to 6 months in. The Inherited Home Playbook above covers the timeline for both.

What happens if I inherited a home with a mortgage still on it?

The mortgage doesn't disappear, it transfers with the property, and you'll need a plan for it whether you keep, buy out, or sell. This affects the numbers in both the Sibling Buyout Cost Calculator and Capital Gains Estimate above, so it's worth factoring in early.

I live out of state, can I still sell an inherited home in California from a distance?

Yes, this is common and Scott coordinates the entire process remotely, from probate or trust paperwork through closing, without you needing to fly in. The Inherited Home Playbook above walks through what that coordination actually looks like.

Whichever one of these fits your situation, that's the right place to start. There's no order you have to follow and no reason to use all of them if only one applies. If something comes up that isn't covered here, or you'd rather just talk it through, reach out directly, Scott answers these questions every week and can tell you in a few minutes which path makes sense for your home.
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