When my uncle passed away, my brother and I inherited his home in Jacksonville, Florida.
At that time, I’d heard of probate but was not all that familiar with the details.
I learned that probate involves the transfer of a deceased person’s assets to beneficiaries. This includes real estate, bank accounts and vehicles and is a legal process. Once the assets are identified, the debts of the estate need to be paid. For my uncle this was a considerable amount. He had mortgage loans, credit card debt and all sorts of bills and obligations. We needed to sell the house to cover the debt. I wasn’t sure if it was possible to sell a house going through probate. I found that the local real estate agents wanted no part of it. The house was in need of some significant repairs and updates. There was no way to attract a buyer without investing a lot of time and money. Even if we took on the hassle of fixing up the house, it could have taken months to attract a buyer and close on the deal. We needed the process to move along quickly. We were hoping to sell the house in as-is condition. The ideal solution was a cash home buyer. I found a contact form online, filled in the information and submitted it. I received a cash offer that same day. My brother and I accepted immediately. The terms were straightforward and we were able to close on the house in a week. Working with a cash home buyer was a positive experience for us, solving a huge and stressful situation.