How to Sell a House in Lewiston, Idaho | 2026 Guide

Who can sign for an inherited house?

Usually, the appointed personal representative can sell estate land at a public or private sale without a separate court order. In Idaho, the representative's authority begins on appointment; the will or a court order in a formal case can limit it. The title company can review the appointment and ownership papers to confirm who must sign. If no representative has been appointed or authority is disputed, an Idaho estate attorney can advise.

Idaho Code § 15-3-701 — when a representative’s powers begin · § 15-3-715 — power to sell estate property

Idaho deed fees, transfer tax, and property taxes

Idaho has no state real-estate transfer tax. Recording a deed carries a county fee, and the Nez Perce County Recorder can confirm the charge for your deed. Counties mail property-tax bills in November. Payment is due December 20, or half by December 20 and the rest by June 20 of the following year.

When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes and share of current property taxes are separate.

Idaho Code § 31-3205 — county recorder fees · Idaho Code, Title 63 — taxation · Idaho State Tax Commission — property-tax dates

A sale with a tenant in place

A sale does not cancel the lease; the buyer takes the house subject to it and becomes the new landlord. Idaho law makes the new owner responsible for returning the security deposit. After a tenancy ends, the deposit is generally due within 21 days, or within 30 days if the lease provides for that period. Idaho has separate rules for month-to-month notices and fixed-term leases.

Idaho Code § 6-321 — security deposits · § 55-208 — month-to-month notice · § 55-304 — rent increases and nonrenewal

Idaho deed-of-trust foreclosure deadlines

You may still be able to sell before a trustee's sale, but timing matters. With a deed of trust, the lender can foreclose without going to court. The process starts when a notice of default is recorded with the county and mailed. A trustee’s sale cannot happen until at least 120 days after the notice of sale is mailed. The notice must be published once a week for four weeks, with the last publication at least 30 days before the sale; the trustee must also try to serve an adult occupant and post the notice. A borrower can usually reinstate within 115 days after the notice of default is recorded by paying overdue amounts and allowed costs and fees; principal not otherwise due is excluded, but amounts already due still have to be paid.

For a regulated lender’s loan on a main home with a homeowner’s exemption, a loan-change request form comes with the notice of default. If the lender receives it within 30 days, the sale cannot happen until the lender answers. A lender-requested postponement is announced at the sale and can be up to 30 days at a time. For covered primary-home loans from a regulated lender, the trustee must mail at least 14 days’ notice before a postponed sale. There is no right to buy the house back after a trustee’s sale. A court foreclosure generally allows six months to redeem after the sale, or one year if the land is more than 20 acres.

Idaho also requires a notice in a contract to sell during a trustee-sale foreclosure. You have five business days to cancel, and no money or interest in the house can change hands until those five days pass. If a trustee's sale is scheduled, tell us the date right away so we can try to close before it.

Idaho Code § 45-1503 — deed-of-trust foreclosure · § 45-1505 — notice of default · § 45-1506 — notice, reinstatement, and postponement · § 45-1506C — loan-change request · § 45-1508 — no redemption after a trustee’s sale · § 11-402 — redemption after a court sale · § 45-1602 — contract notice · § 45-1603 — five-business-day cancellation period