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. We can discuss what the family wants to keep and include any agreement about belongings in the written terms.
Property taxes, utilities, insurance, and maintenance can keep adding up while a house sits in an estate. A sale can end future carrying costs, but a mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes remain separate.
What happens next
- Talk through the property. Tell us where the house is, what you know about its condition and contents, and where the estate process stands. You can start before the cleanout or repairs.
- Review the written offer and terms. You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company.
- We review the sale details. We review title, payoff, occupancy, and seller authority with the closing team.
- Close. 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.
What you keep from the sale
Compare the numbers that matter to you, including the offer, any mortgage payoff, liens, taxes, and costs you expect to pay. The calculator lets you change the assumptions for your situation.
Use the Rockford home-sale net-proceeds calculator →Illinois estate rules and transfer taxes
Who can sell and sign?
When an estate is under independent administration, its appointed representative can generally sell estate property without a separate court order if the sale follows the will and serves the estate's interests. If the will specifically leaves the house to someone, that person's written consent is required for this type of sale. Under 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.
Read the Illinois rules on independent administration, consent when a will leaves the house to someone, and the Transfer on Death Instrument Act.
Illinois transfer taxes and closing costs
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 taxable value can change the amount; the property's actual county and city determine which local taxes apply.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the Illinois state, county and city transfer taxes. This does not pay your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
See the Illinois Department of Revenue transfer-declaration instructions and 35 ILCS 200/31-10.
Local estate and deed offices
For deed records, the right recorder depends on whether the home is in Winnebago or Ogle County; both offices are listed below.
If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one.
Questions about an inherited house
Inherited-property questions
Can I sell an inherited Rockford house before probate is finished?
Often, yes. An appointed independent estate representative can generally sell estate property without a separate court order if the sale follows the will and serves the estate’s interests. If the will specifically leaves the house to someone, that person’s written consent is required for this independent-administration sale. Under 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 closing requires.
Who can sign for an inherited house?
An appointed independent estate representative can generally handle an estate sale when it follows the will and serves the estate’s interests. If the will specifically leaves the house to someone, that person’s written consent is required for an independent-administration sale; under supervised administration, probate-court permission may be needed. A valid transfer-on-death instrument may pass the property outside probate. The deed, will, appointment papers, and type of administration determine who can sign.
What happens to the belongings in the house?
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. We can discuss what the family wants to keep and include any agreement about belongings in the written terms.
What Illinois transfer taxes apply to an inherited-house sale?
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. The property’s county and city, taxable value, and any exemption affect the amount. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including the Illinois state, county and city transfer taxes. This does not pay a mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
Can I sign from outside Illinois?
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.
More Rockford resources
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