You did not plan to sell this house
Maybe a parent passed, and the family home is yours to handle now. Maybe the house you raised everyone in simply got bigger than your life. Either way, two questions shape your timing more than the market does, and this guide walks the whole sale in order, so nothing has to be decided today.
Whichever brought you here
A parent passed, and a house held in a trust or moving through probate is yours to handle, often from out of town and alongside siblings. The guide walks what to do first.
Thirty years in, and the house you raised everyone in is bigger than your life now. Leaving a home you chose and loved is its own kind of decision. The guide honors that.
The two questions to ask first
You do not need to become an expert. You need to ask your CPA two things, early, because the answers can shape your timing more than the market does.
Step-up in basis
When you inherit a home, its cost basis generally resets to its value on the date of death. In practice this often means far less capital gains tax than heirs expect, sometimes none, if you sell reasonably soon. Most people do not know to ask about it.
Proposition 19
California changed how inherited property taxes work. For a home you are selling rather than keeping, this matters less, but if any family member is considering holding it, the picture changes meaningfully. Worth a single conversation before you decide.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. The guide tells you what to ask, and when; your CPA and attorney confirm your specifics.
The whole sale, in order
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A steady hand for families selling a home that carries a lifetime, with the prep, the privacy, and the people handled for you.