Documents You Can Expect to Sign at Closing
You can expect to sign a number of documents at closing.
Be Prepared for Closing and Receiving Funds from the Sale
The personal representative should set up an estate bank account soon after being appointed by the court. The successor trustee also should set up a trust bank account soon after the decedent dies.
Deciding How Thoroughly to Inspect the Property
The Colorado Real Estate Commission-approved forms used to sell a home usually call for the seller to make extensive disclosures about the state of the property to the buyer through the use of a Seller’s Property Disclosure Form (“SPD”). Most people assume, incorrectly, that filling out a SPD form is mandatory for the seller. It is not.
Get a Realistic Opinion of the Market
As the personal representative, you have a fiduciary duty to get the best possible price and terms for the house to benefit the estate’s beneficiaries and creditors. To do this, you must not only know what the value of the house is, you must know the current state of the market.
Get a Realistic Value of the Property
Many people who die are old. Let’s face it—old people often take good care of their property but don’t always update it.
Get Help with the Documents Needed for Closing
To close a sale of probate property, you need a specific type of deed, called a Personal Representative’s deed.
Maintain Insurance and Utilities, and Pay Taxes on the Property
One of the most important things to remember when someone dies is to maintain insurance coverage and utility service to the decedent’s house. It also is important to pay the property taxes on the house during probate.
Stay Current on the Decedent’s Mortgage
Selling property through probate can be complicated. The last thing you want is to add another level of complexity by allowing the home to fall into foreclosure before it is sold.
Use a Calendar to Plan Ahead
One of the most common mistakes sellers of probate real estate make is not allowing enough time to work through the probate process before selling the home.
Removing Personal Property from the Home
When a house is sold through probate, one of the biggest logistical hurdles a personal representative faces is removal of the decedent’s personal assets from the home before listing it for sale (or at least prior to closing).
Get the Right Professional Assistance
You will likely need the assistance of many different professionals to help you with a probate or trust administration so that a house may be properly sold.
Get to Know the Probate Process
After a loved one dies, you will have many questions about what you are supposed to do.
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