Nancy Cokinda - NAVIGATING A PROBATE HOME SALE

house can be hauled out by a cleaning company at prices which are dependent on the contents of the house and the size of items to be hauled away. If there are many items to be carried away, the price may become cause for concern. Heirs who live outside the area will have to rely heavily on the help of real estate agents for regular supervision of ongoing activities in their absence. It can get complicated when there are two or more siblings who inherit a home, because each will likely have a different opinion on the price the property should be sold for. Also, multiple heirs will have differing opinions on the inspection of the house and the type of attorney needed because each sibling will have different values—both financial and emotional—in mind. It is the executor who makes the final determination. Where the executor is also a sibling, those determinations can lead to arguments and a breakdown in family relations, so be cautious! For tax considerations, the tax basis of the inheritance is the value of the home on the day the owner of the willed property died. The difference between the home’s value and the amount received after the sale of the property is the gain on which taxes are owed. Where more than one sibling inherits the home, the gain is divided equally and each heir will claim their share of both money and taxes. If the property sells for less than its assessed value, then there will be no gain to be reported.

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