Nobody plans for this one. A parent passes, and suddenly you're responsible for a house in Garland you haven't lived in since high school — while you're grieving, working, and maybe living three states away.
Before anyone can sign a deed, someone has to have legal authority to sign it. In Texas that usually means probate — and Texas probate is friendlier than most states. If there's a will, the court typically grants independent administration, which lets the executor sell the house without asking the judge's permission for every step. If there's no will, heirs often use tools like an affidavit of heirship. Which path fits depends on your family's facts; a probate attorney will know in one conversation. In Collin or Dallas County, straightforward cases often move in weeks, not years.
One piece of good news while you wait: when you inherit a property, its tax basis generally "steps up" to the value at the date of death. In plain terms — if Mom bought the house in Richardson for forty thousand dollars in 1982 and it's worth three hundred thousand now, you are not paying capital gains on that whole run-up. Confirm the specifics with a CPA, but for most families, the tax bill on a prompt sale is far smaller than they fear.
Keep it. Rent it out or move in. This makes sense if the house is in good shape and you want the asset. Be honest about the job you're signing up for: tenants, taxes, insurance, and a thirty-year-old roof don't care that you live in Denver.
Fix it and list it. This nets the most money if the house only needs cosmetics and someone local can manage the work. Where it goes wrong: an "update the kitchen" plan that becomes a six-month, forty-thousand-dollar project run by group text from out of state, while taxes and utilities keep the meter running.
Sell it as-is. An investor buys the house in its current condition — furniture, deferred maintenance, and all — usually for cash, on your timeline. You'll get less than a fully renovated retail price. What you're buying with that discount is certainty: no repairs, no showings, no clean-out, and a closing date that works for a family spread across four cities.
Get two numbers. First, what the house would sell for fixed up, minus realistic repair costs, selling costs, and six months of holding — that's your true "list it" number, and it's always smaller than the Zillow number. Second, a written as-is cash offer. Compare them side by side. Sometimes listing wins clearly and you should list. Because Myers agents are licensed, they'll show you both numbers and tell you which one they'd take — even when the answer is "list it," as we walk through in how cash buyers actually price a house.
A licensed investor-agent will show you the as-is offer and the list-it math, side by side.
This article is general information for Texas property owners, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws change and facts matter — consult your own attorney, CPA, or advisor about your situation. Any offer examples are illustrations, not commitments.