settlement should proceed. Therefore, selling the property could save you the aggravation of dividing a singular property between many hands. Once the property is converted to money, the money can be more easily distributed among the heirs. One concern that you do need to address is the amount of time required to sell the property, since it is uncertain when it may sell. A short sale of the home can come to your aid if there are mortgage payments due which you are unwilling or unable to pay. If one or more heirs inheriting the property have an urgent need for cash, then a quick home sale is also a good option. Sometimes, you might receive some added tax benefits from selling the home. At times, you might also feel that you just want to get rid of the burdens an inherited home imposes by selling it quickly so you can get on with your life as smoothly as possible. If the property is in a different city or state, assuming the responsibility of maintaining a vacant house can be a burden that you may not be prepared to endure. If the house goes to probate, even if there are no residents, the property must be maintained. The property taxes, insurance premiums, utilities, homeowners association fees, and other ongoing costs must be paid by someone. Depending on how long the probate period lasts, families may need to pay for many months of maintenance, along with the legal fees and other expenses connected to owning and selling the property. At the end of the probate, you will also have to go through the effort and expenditure of
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