You inherited a house. Start with authority—not repairs.

Do these in order

1. Pull the deed and estate or trust documents.Have the attorney or title professional identify ownership and signature authority.
2. Protect the asset.Confirm insurance, access, utilities, mail, lawn, pool, leaks, and any vacancy requirements with the insurer.
3. Inventory property obligations.Mortgage, taxes, association or district charges, permits, code matters, and possible liens belong on one worksheet.
4. Decide what happens to contents.Separate family decisions from the real estate timeline; use written approval for removals and vendors.
5. Price both paths.Compare a documented as-is range with a limited repair-and-presentation plan before spending estate money.

The short version: First confirm how ownership passed and who may sell. Then compare keeping, renting and selling using a realistic carrying-cost budget and the condition of the house. Do not assume inheritance eliminates mortgages, makes every heir a signer or guarantees a tax-free sale.

Sources checked October 12, 2026. Mo is not an attorney or CPA. A Florida probate or elder-law attorney addresses title and inheritance questions; a CPA addresses basis, gain and tax reporting. Start with the parent's-home planning hub if you are still deciding what help you need.

When you’re ready, Mo can talk through the house while your attorney handles the law. You do not need to share medical details to begin.

Tell Mo about the home

Call or text 352-298-8602 · LPT Realty, LLC

How did title pass to you?

“Inherited” describes the family situation, not a single method of transferring ownership. Ask the attorney to read the recorded deed together with the estate or trust documents before anyone signs as seller. These are review paths, not a do-it-yourself title determination:

• Probate: if the house is an estate asset, the will, appointment, orders and power of sale matter. See the probate sale guide and §733.613.
• Trust: ask whether title is actually held in the trust and who currently has trustee authority. A trust binder in the house is not a substitute for reviewing the deed. Use the trust-owned home guide to prepare questions.
• Lady Bird deed: bring the actual recorded enhanced life-estate deed for review; do not rely on the label someone gave it. See the Lady Bird deed guide.
• Survivorship: two names on a deed do not always mean the survivor owns everything. §689.15 generally requires express survivorship language for a transfer to multiple owners, except estates by the entirety. The title professional must identify the actual ownership.
• Homestead: ask counsel to apply the separate Florida inheritance rules. The homestead inheritance guide explains questions to raise; it does not decide your family's shares.

One family may have more than one of these issues. The useful deliverable is a written answer identifying the owners, lawful signer and documents required to close—not a guess that the simplest route applies.

When there are several heirs

A sale gets harder when everyone receives different information. Mo can give the authorized decision-maker a written pricing range, estimated net proceeds, showing feedback, offer comparison, and milestone update that can be shared consistently. The probate attorney still determines who has authority, whether consent is legally needed, and how proceeds are distributed.

Before accepting an offer, agree on a practical communication plan: who receives updates, how offers are discussed, who approves preparation expenses and how decisions reach the authorized signer. Keep the legal authority question separate from a family vote. An informal majority decision is not a title opinion.

If owners disagree about selling, occupancy, reimbursement or a buyout, ask a Florida attorney about the available options, including whether partition is relevant. Mo does not decide ownership disputes or use the threat of a lawsuit to pressure someone into selling. A documented market analysis may help a discussion, but it does not establish each person's legal entitlement.

If one heir wants to keep the home, use the sibling-buyout comparison to organize the property questions for the family and its advisers.

Inherited basis: “stepped up” is not always the whole answer

IRS Publication 551 says inherited property's basis is generally its fair market value at death, with alternatives and exceptions such as an elected alternate valuation. The adjustment can be down as well as up. Joint ownership, trust distributions and unusual transfer histories need individual tax review; do not automatically apply the entire home's death-date value to every person's interest.

Ask your CPA what valuation evidence to obtain before cleanout or renovations and which expenses to document. Keep the appraisal or other accepted valuation, improvement records and closing statement. A current listing price and a mortgage payoff are not substitutes for the tax basis. Selling promptly does not, by itself, guarantee there is no taxable gain.

Use the Florida home-sale capital-gains guide for questions to take to your tax professional. Mo's market analysis helps set a sale strategy; it is not a tax appraisal or a CPA's calculation. Before spending proceeds, ask who reports the sale—the estate, a trust or the individual owners—and what records that filer needs.

Make a carrying-cost worksheet before choosing a date

Build your budget from the property's actual bills, not a neighborhood average. Put mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, utilities, association or District charges, lawn or pool care and necessary maintenance on a dated worksheet. Identify who is authorized to pay, where the funds come from and who keeps receipts. Ask the attorney about any estate reimbursements; do not assume family advances are automatically repayable.

Compare two timelines without pretending either is guaranteed: listing in current condition, and completing a specific preparation scope first. For each, show the proposed work, written vendor quotes, additional carrying costs and a reasonable market-price range. A higher hoped-for sale price is not enough if the added work, delay and uncertainty consume the difference.

The seller net sheet can organize estimated sale deductions. Keep a separate reserve discussion with counsel for estate expenses, claims and taxes. An estimated closing balance is not permission to distribute the money.

Tell the insurer how the house is actually being used

Ask the insurer or licensed agent about the owner's death, whether anyone occupies the home, the expected vacancy period and any planned work. Request written guidance about the appropriate policy, named insured, inspections, water or utility requirements and coverage during marketing. Do not assume the old arrangement still fits, and do not cancel coverage simply because a contract is signed.

This is a checklist for your insurer, not a statement that every policy has the same vacancy rule. Choose an authorized local contact for access and condition updates. Agree in advance on what happens if a leak, storm issue or other problem is discovered and who can approve an expense. Mo can coordinate property-sale access; the insurance professional determines coverage.

A manageable remote-sale plan for out-of-state heirs

Start with one scheduled review of the property rather than a succession of unplanned trips. After access is authorized, ask Mo for a condition overview, a pricing discussion and a proposed list of preparation decisions. Distinguish items the family must review personally from sale logistics that can be handled locally.

Use an approved contents plan before removing belongings, and save personal papers separately. Request written quotes and approvals before vendor work. Keep the decision-maker, attorney and closing team on the same milestone list: title clearance, contents removal, photography, launch, inspections, any repairs and possession.

Ask the closing team early how each required signer can execute the actual documents from their location. Availability of remote signing depends on the transaction and the professionals accepting the documents; do not assume every deed can be completed by a simple electronic click. See the out-of-state sale guide for the property-side plan.

As-is does not mean invisible

An as-is contract does not erase disclosure duties or inspection risk. Strong as-is marketing still requires honest photos, known-condition disclosure, access planning, clean offer terms, and a price that reflects the work a buyer will inherit. Sometimes selective cleanout, safety work, landscaping, or photography creates a better return without turning the estate into a renovation project.

Know the number that matters

The asking price is not the estate’s likely proceeds. Build a working net sheet with expected mortgage payoff, taxes, association demands, title and closing items, agreed credits, preparation costs, and brokerage compensation. Legal claims and estate accounting stay with the attorney and personal representative.

Open the seller net sheet