What we do with the house and its contents
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Sell an inherited house without cleanout, repairs, or hauling away a lifetime of belongings — we take it as it is. If the family wants to keep particular items, tell us what should be set aside; we can discuss the remaining contents and include the arrangement in the written terms.
Mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep can continue while the estate holds the house. You do not have to decide that a sale is right for the family to ask about one.
What happens next
Talk through the house
Share the address, what you know about the house and its contents, and where things stand with the estate.
Read the written offer
We give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. You can review the written offer and terms before you commit.
Close through a title company
If you choose to proceed, a title company handles closing and checks the deed, title, and estate signing authority.
Signing from another location: Sell from anywhere in the country — we can send a notary to you, and you don't have to attend settlement or even visit the property.
Compare what you keep
Compare a written offer with an estimate of what a listing might leave after costs and carrying time. Adjust the assumptions for the Austin property in the home-sale calculator.
Open the Austin home-sale net-proceeds calculator →Texas estate rules and taxes
Texas law passes a person’s property at death to the people named in the will, or to the heirs if there is no will. The property remains subject to the person’s debts. That does not by itself tell you who may sign the deed; the estate route and its documents matter.
Independent administration
Once the court issues letters—the document showing the executor or administrator’s appointment—an independent executor or administrator can sell without first asking the judge. The power to sell can come from the will or appointment order, or from a recorded sworn affidavit that meets the statute. The title company checks the estate papers and who has authority for this sale.
Dependent administration
The court stays in charge. The house cannot be sold without a court order, and the judge must approve the sale before the deed is signed.
No will, no probate, or a muniment of title
If there is no will, the heirs can agree to have an independent administrator appointed and give that person power to sell. If there is no probate, the heirs usually all sign the deed, and the title company decides what proof of heirship it needs, such as an affidavit of heirship.
When there is a will and the only unpaid debts are a mortgage or other liens on real estate, a court may admit the will as a muniment of title. No executor is appointed; the court order lets the people named in the will deal with the property. This generally must be requested within four years of death.
We help coordinate the sale, but we do not provide legal advice. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who has authority to sign for the estate.
Transfer tax and closing costs
Texas has no state, county, or city real-estate transfer tax on a sale that conveys full ownership of real property. The deed is signed before a notary and recorded with the county clerk, which charges recording fees by the page, not by the sale price. See the Texas Constitution’s transfer-tax restriction.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate.
Texas estate-law references
- Texas Estates Code §§ 101.001, 101.003, and 101.051 — property passing at death and letters
- Texas Estates Code §§ 401.001–401.006 — independent administration and heirs’ consent
- Texas Estates Code §§ 402.052–402.053 — independent executor sale authority
- Texas Estates Code §§ 356.001, 356.556, and 356.558 — dependent administration and court-approved sale
- Texas Estates Code §§ 257.001, 257.054, and 257.102 — muniment of title
- Tarrant County Law Library — affidavit of heirship research guide
- Texas Constitution, Article VIII, Section 29 — real-estate transfer-tax restriction
Local estate and deed offices
If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one. Austin is a city, not a county. Check the property’s official parcel record, then use the matching county office below; the city name alone does not identify the right probate or deed office.
Bastrop County
After confirming the parcel is in Bastrop County, use its probate-court and county-clerk routes for estate and deed-record questions.
Hays County
Confirm the parcel’s county first, then use the state directories to find the Hays County court and county-clerk listings.
Travis County
The county clerk has separate probate and real-property recording routes.
Williamson County
Confirm the parcel’s county first, then use the state directories to find the Williamson County court and county-clerk listings.
Questions and contact
Questions about selling an inherited house in Austin, TX
Can I sell an inherited Texas house before the estate is finished?
Often, yes, once the person signing has authority under the estate route. An independent executor or administrator can sell without first asking the judge after letters are issued when the sale authority is supported as Texas law requires. A dependent administration needs a court order, and the judge must approve the sale before the deed is signed. The title company or a qualified attorney can review the actual documents.
Do I have to put the house in my own name before selling it?
You can sell in the estate's name once the estate is opened — no need to put the house in your own name first. If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one. We help coordinate the sale, but we do not provide legal advice. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who has authority to sign for the estate.
Who can sign the deed for an inherited house?
It depends on how the estate is handled. The court-issued letters show who was appointed, but the will, appointment order, sale authority, any court order, and title review can affect who signs. If there is no probate, the heirs usually all sign the deed, and the title company decides what proof of heirship it needs.
What if there is no will or no probate?
If there is no will, the heirs can agree to have an independent administrator appointed and give that person power to sell. If there is no probate, the heirs usually all sign the deed, and the title company decides what proof of heirship it needs, such as an affidavit of heirship.
Can the will be used as a muniment of title?
When there is a will and the only unpaid debts are a mortgage or other liens on real estate, a court may admit the will as a muniment of title. No executor is appointed; the court order lets the people named in the will deal with the property. This generally must be requested within four years of death.
Do I need to clear out or repair the inherited house first?
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Sell an inherited house without cleanout, repairs, or hauling away a lifetime of belongings — we take it as it is. We can discuss which belongings the family wants to keep and what will remain as part of the written terms.
Does Texas charge a real-estate transfer tax when I sell?
Texas has no state, county, or city real-estate transfer tax on a sale that conveys full ownership of real property. The deed is signed before a notary and recorded with the county clerk, which charges recording fees. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate.
Can I sign from outside Texas without visiting the property?
Sell from anywhere in the country — we can send a notary to you, and you don't have to attend settlement or even visit the property. Remote signing does not change who has authority to sign for the estate.
Does USA Home Buyers give legal advice about the estate?
We help coordinate the sale, but we do not provide legal advice. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who has authority to sign for the estate.
Talk with us about the inherited house
Call 888-274-5006 or send the property address and the estate details you have.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.
We help coordinate the sale, but we do not provide legal advice. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who has authority to sign for the estate.