Selling an Inherited House in Pontiac, IL

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.

You can decide what your family wants to keep. Ongoing costs can include property taxes, utilities, insurance, and maintenance while the house is being handled. A direct sale lets you compare an as-is offer without first taking on repair or cleanout work.

What happens next

1. Tell us the Pontiac property address, its condition, what is in the house, and what you know about the estate paperwork.
2. We talk through the property and your questions, then give you a written offer and written terms before you commit.
3. If you choose to proceed, the title company works through the deed, estate authority, and closing documents with the people who need to sign.

Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.

Compare what you keep

Compare a written offer with what you might keep from listing, using your own assumptions for repairs, cleanup, carrying costs, and sale expenses.

Illinois estate rules and sale costs

Often, yes: an independent estate representative can generally sell estate property without a separate court order, as long as the sale follows the will and serves the estate's interests. Illinois' independent-administration sale rule is in 755 ILCS 5/28-8.

If the will specifically leaves the house to someone, that person's written consent is required for this independent-administration sale. In supervised administration, a sale may need probate-court permission. A valid transfer-on-death instrument may pass the property outside probate. The deed, will, and appointment papers determine who can sign and what is needed to close. See the Illinois rules for supervised administration and the Real Property Transfer on Death Instrument Act.

For a taxable transfer, Illinois charges 50 cents for each $500 of taxable value, or part of $500. A county can add 25 cents for each $500, and some cities impose their own transfer taxes. Exemptions and the transaction's taxable value can change the amount; the property's actual county and city determine local taxes and who is responsible for them. The Illinois Department of Revenue explains the state and county transfer-tax rules.

When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the Illinois state, county and city transfer taxes. That does not pay the seller's mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes.

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.

Livingston County offices and buyer guidance

If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one. For deed, assessment, and county-tax office contacts, these Livingston County links identify the relevant county offices:

For questions to ask any buyer, read our Pontiac buyer trust and reviews guidance.

Questions and contact