You stop paying for a house and get a fair price.

We buy the house and handle the contents

While the estate is being handled, property taxes, insurance, utilities, upkeep, and any mortgage payment can keep adding up.

Sell an inherited house without cleanout, repairs, or hauling away a lifetime of belongings — we take it as it is. You can take the belongings you want to keep; you do not have to empty the house or make repairs before asking us about a sale.

What happens next

1. 1. Talk through the house

   Talk with us about the Fort Madison house and whatever you know about the estate. You can call even if you do not have every probate question answered.

2. 2. Review the written offer

   We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. Review the offer and decide whether you want to move forward.

3. 3. Close through a title company

   You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company.

Iowa estate rules and taxes

Who can sign for the estate?

An Iowa estate can often sell its house before probate is finished, but the sale normally goes through the court-appointed personal representative—the executor or administrator—not an heir acting alone. 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, gets an order for the sale, and later files a report so the court can approve it. The sale may be for estate debts, distribution, or another purpose in the estate’s best interests.

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.

Iowa inheritance tax

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

Iowa Department of Revenue inheritance-tax information ↗

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 by law, and the county recorder will not record the deed until the tax is paid. Exemptions can apply, so the closing professional confirms whether the tax applies and the taxable amount.

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

Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate from these closing costs.

Iowa Code Chapter 428A — transfer tax and exemptions ↗ · Iowa Department of Revenue tax and fee descriptions ↗

Lee County estate, deed, and property-tax help

Fort Madison and Keokuk are Lee County’s two county seats. Lee North is in Fort Madison; Lee South is in Keokuk.

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

For more local seller information, see Fort Madison seller resources.