Selling an Inherited House in Des Moines, IA

What we do with the house and its contents

Sell an inherited house without cleanout, repairs, or hauling away a lifetime of belongings — we take it as it is. You can keep the things your family wants; no repairs, cleaning, or cleanout are required to sell to us.

While the estate holds the house, carrying costs such as a mortgage payment, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep can continue. You can compare those bills and the written offer with the estate’s other options; we do not assume the house was unwanted.

What happens next

1. We talk through the Des Moines address, the house’s condition and contents, access, timing, and what you know about the estate.
2. We give you a written cash offer and written terms before you commit. You can review them and decide whether they fit.
3. If you choose to proceed, the title company works through title, payoffs, and closing documents with the estate’s authorized representative. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who must sign.

Iowa estate rules and taxes

Who can sign and when the estate can sell

Often, an Iowa estate can sell a house before probate is finished, but the sale normally goes through the estate’s court-appointed personal representative — the person the court appointed to handle the estate — not an heir acting alone. The representative can sell estate real estate to pay debts, distribute the estate, or for another purpose in the estate’s best interests.

If the will gives the representative power to sell, the usual court sale steps do not apply. Otherwise, the representative petitions the court and gives notice to interested people unless they waive it in writing, obtains an order for the sale, and later files a report so the court can approve it. A homestead can be sold only as the court directs, and a surviving spouse may have the right to keep it. Mortgages and other liens still have to be paid or released at closing.

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.

Iowa inheritance tax

Iowa inheritance tax does not apply to deaths on or after January 1, 2025. An earlier death may be subject to rules that applied at that time; check the estate’s facts with the Iowa Department of Revenue or a qualified tax professional.

Iowa real estate transfer tax

Iowa’s real estate transfer tax is 80 cents for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price above the first $500. The person conveying the property, normally the seller, is liable under state law. Exemptions include certain family, divorce, estate-distribution, and $500-or-less transfers, so the closing professional confirms whether the tax applies and the taxable amount. The county recorder will not record the deed until applicable tax is paid, and a declaration of value is filed when required.

When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax.

Your mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes remain separate.

Iowa law and tax sources

• Iowa Code § 633.383 — power to sell given in a will
• Iowa Code § 633.386 — purposes of sale and homestead
• Iowa Code § 633.388 — petition to sell estate real estate
• Iowa Code § 633.389 — notice of a proposed sale
• Iowa Code § 633.396 — order for sale
• Iowa Code § 633.399 — report for court approval
• Iowa Code § 561.12 — surviving spouse and homestead
• Iowa Code chapter 428A — transfer tax and recording
• Iowa Code § 428A.1 — transfer-tax rate
• Iowa Code § 428A.2 — transfer-tax exemptions
• Iowa Code § 428A.3 — who is liable for transfer tax
• Iowa Department of Revenue — inheritance tax

Local estate and deed help

The incorporated City of Des Moines intersects Polk and Warren counties. A Des Moines address alone does not identify which county a particular parcel is in, so check the property location before contacting a county office. Polk and Warren counties are both in Iowa Judicial District 5. The court pages and offices below are contact routes; they do not establish an estate’s venue or a parcel-specific result.

If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one.

Seller reviews

Testimonials are real, from our transactions, verified and approved by our attorneys.

Des Moines inherited-property questions