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Selling an inherited house in Chicago, as it is

An inherited house often comes with deferred repairs, a lifetime of belongings and several family members who need to agree. Here is what to sort out and what your options are.

First: who has the authority to sell?

A house that is still in the name of someone who has died usually cannot be sold until someone has legal authority to sign. In Illinois that may come through probate, a trust, a transfer on death instrument or another route, depending on how the property was held. A probate or real estate attorney can tell you which applies. We can talk through the house at any stage, and a sale closes once the authority is in place.

Your options

• Fix it up and list it. Often the highest price. It takes cash for repairs, time, and someone local to manage the work.
• List it as-is with an agent. Less work up front. Buyers who need a mortgage may struggle if the house has major problems.
• Sell as-is to an investor. Usually a lower price. In return you skip repairs, clean-out, showings and commissions, and you pick the closing date.

What helps the conversation go fast

• The property address and who is on the title now
• Whether probate has been opened
• Known problems: roof, water, foundation, heating, permits or violations
• Whether the house is empty, and whether utilities are on

You do not have to empty it

Take the things that matter to the family. Leave the rest. Clean-out is part of the work we take on after closing.