We buy the house as-is and take it as it is
We buy houses as-is in Modesto and Stanislaus County, including inherited homes. 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.
An inherited house can keep generating property-tax, insurance, utility, and upkeep bills while the family sorts out the estate. If you choose to sell, you can tell us which belongings family members want to keep; put any agreed contents and access details in the written terms. You do not have to clean out the rest to sell to us.
We discuss the property and the estate status with you, then provide a written offer and written terms before you commit. A title company handles closing; estate authority and any required notices or court steps still apply.
What happens next
- Tell us the Modesto property address, its condition, what is happening with the estate, and any timing concerns.
- We talk through the house and the belongings that may stay, and review the information available about the estate and property.
- We send a written cash offer and written terms within 24 hours. You can read the terms before deciding whether to accept.
- If you choose to proceed, a title company coordinates title review, signing, and closing. The estate’s authority and any notice or court-confirmation requirement must be addressed for the particular sale.
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.
Signing remotely does not remove any estate notice, court-confirmation, or title requirements that apply.
Compare what you keep
Compare the written offer with a possible listing using your own assumptions for repairs, commission, carrying costs, and closing costs. A calculator estimate is not a property-specific offer or net proceeds statement.
Use the Modesto home-sale net-proceeds calculator →California estate authority and taxes
For a house owned by an estate, the court-appointed personal representative—the executor or administrator—signs for the estate. An heir’s family relationship alone does not give them authority to sign. Whether a sale can proceed before probate ends depends on the representative’s authority and the title and estate records.
With full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, the representative can sell real property without a court confirmation hearing after giving heirs and beneficiaries a Notice of Proposed Action at least 15 days before acting. If someone objects, the sale goes through court supervision. With limited authority, a real-property sale is court-supervised: the court confirms the sale at a hearing where others may overbid, and a private sale generally must bring at least 90% of a recent appraisal.
Some surviving spouses or heirs may qualify for a simpler procedure, including a spousal property petition or a primary-residence petition. For deaths on or after April 1, 2025, the primary-residence petition may apply to a home valued up to $750,000. The title company or a qualified attorney should confirm which procedure and signer apply to the actual property.
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.
California’s county documentary transfer tax is $0.55 for each $500 of value, or fraction of $500—$1.10 per $1,000—for a covered transfer. A city may have its own tax, and the taxable amount and local treatment depend on the property and transaction. Have escrow or the title company confirm the county, any city tax, and the amount for this sale.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the county documentary transfer tax and any city transfer tax. This does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes.
Recorded loans and liens must be paid or released at closing. The title company checks the records and current payoffs; their amounts are separate from the closing costs we pay.
- California Probate Code § 10511: sale with full authority
- California Probate Code § 10586: notice of proposed action
- California Probate Code § 10589: objection to proposed action
- California Probate Code § 10501: actions requiring court supervision
- California Probate Code § 10309: court-confirmed sale price
- California Courts: when formal probate may not be needed
- California Revenue and Taxation Code § 11911: documentary transfer tax
- California Revenue and Taxation Code § 11931: city tax credit and allocation
Local help and seller reviews
If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one.
Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder
Official county office link for recorder information. Check directly with the county about the deed and records for a specific property.
Visit the Clerk-Recorder →Stanislaus County Assessor’s Office
Official county office link for assessment information. Contact the county about a specific property or assessment question.
Visit the Assessor’s Office →Testimonials are real, from our transactions, verified and approved by our attorneys. The sellers’ actual towns are shown with their reviews.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Questions and contact
Inherited-property questions
Can I sell an inherited California house before probate is finished?
Sometimes. For a house owned by the estate, the court-appointed personal representative (executor or administrator) is the person who signs for the estate. With full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, the representative can sell without a court confirmation hearing after giving heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days’ notice of the proposed action. If someone objects, court supervision is required. With limited authority, a real-property sale requires court supervision and confirmation. The estate file and title review determine which route applies.
Who can sign for an inherited house?
An heir does not sign for an estate just because they are related to the person who died. For estate-owned property, the court-appointed personal representative signs, subject to the representative’s authority, required notices or court orders, and title requirements. A surviving spouse, co-owner, trust, or simplified transfer procedure may involve a different route. 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?
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. Whether the estate may sell the property and who must sign depend on the appointment, authority, title, and any required court process. 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.
What changes if the representative has limited authority?
A sale of real property with limited authority is court-supervised. The court confirms the sale at a hearing where other buyers may be allowed to overbid; a private sale generally must be at least 90% of a recent appraisal. The court record and the property’s circumstances control the next step.
Could a simpler California procedure apply instead of full probate?
Some surviving spouses or heirs may qualify for a simplified court procedure, such as a spousal property petition or a petition for a decedent’s primary residence. For deaths on or after April 1, 2025, the primary-residence procedure may apply to a home valued up to $750,000. Eligibility depends on the facts and statutory requirements; California Courts’ self-help information explains the available paths.
What transfer tax applies when an inherited California house is sold?
For a covered transfer, California’s county documentary transfer tax is $0.55 for each $500 of value, or fraction of $500 ($1.10 per $1,000). Cities may impose their own transfer tax, and the taxable amount and local treatment depend on the property and transaction. Have escrow or the title company confirm the county, any city tax, and the amount for this sale. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the county documentary transfer tax and any city transfer tax. This does not pay a mortgage, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
What happens to belongings, repairs, or cleanout?
Sell an inherited house without cleanout, repairs, or hauling away a lifetime of belongings — we take it as it is. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. If family members want particular belongings, tell us so the written terms are clear about what stays with the house.
What happens to a mortgage or lien on the house?
An inherited house’s recorded loans and liens do not disappear. They must be paid or released at closing, and the title company checks the current records and payoffs. The amount due on a loan, lien, or back tax is separate from the closing costs we pay.
Can I sign from outside California?
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 remove any estate notice, court-confirmation, or title requirements that apply to the sale.
Does USA Home Buyers provide legal advice about an 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.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.
Prefer to call? 888-274-5006