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What will each heir actually receive from selling an inherited house?

Between the mortgage, back taxes, estate costs, and selling costs, the number that reaches the heirs is usually well below the sale price. This tool walks from sale price to per-heir share so the family can plan with real numbers.

Your numbers

Defaults are editable examples, not market data. Change anything.

Sale

Expected sale price

Selling costs (commission + closing + transfer tax)

Set to your buyer's terms; a direct cash sale is often near zero.

Repairs, cleanout, or prep

Zero if selling as-is with contents left behind.

Debts on the property

Mortgage / HELOC / reverse mortgage payoff

Delinquent property taxes (with penalties)

Other liens (HOA, judgments, city abatement)

Estate costs

Probate / attorney / court costs

California statutory probate fees scale with the estate's gross value; trust administrations cost far less.

Other estate debts paid from proceeds

Medical bills, credit cards, funeral costs the estate must pay.

Months carrying the house before sale

Monthly carrying cost

Taxes (possibly reassessed under Prop 19), insurance, utilities, mortgage if any.

Split

Number of heirs sharing equally

Results

Enter your numbers and press Calculate. Nothing here is an offer or an appraisal.

How it's calculated

The math, in plain language

Formula

Net to estate = sale price − selling costs − repairs/cleanout − mortgage and liens − delinquent taxes − probate/legal costs − other estate debts − carrying costs while held.
Per-heir share = net ÷ number of heirs. Real distributions follow the will, the trust, or California intestacy rules and may not be equal.
Capital gains are not modeled: inherited property generally receives a stepped-up basis to date-of-death value, so gains on a prompt sale are often small — confirm with a tax professional.

Assumptions and limits

Defaults are examples only. Enter the real payoff amounts from the lender, the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, and any lienholders.
California probate attorney and executor fees are set by statute as a percentage of the estate's gross value (before debts), so they can be significant on a San Diego house; a trust sale usually avoids them.
If no heir moves in, the property was likely reassessed under Prop 19 — use the new tax bill in the carrying cost.
Selling directly to a cash buyer typically removes the commission and much of the prep cost — set those fields accordingly to compare.
This tool is for general planning only. It is not an offer, an appraisal, or legal, tax, or financial advice. Results depend entirely on the numbers you enter.

FAQ

Questions about this tool

Does the estate have to pay the mortgage before selling?

No — the loan is paid off from the proceeds at closing. Keep making payments until then if you can, to avoid foreclosure and fees. A reverse mortgage becomes due after the borrower's death and is paid off the same way.

What about income tax on the sale?

Under current federal law, inherited property generally gets a stepped-up basis, so tax on a quick sale is often minimal; California follows the step-up for its income tax. This is general information; ask a CPA.

One heir wants to keep the house. How does that work?

That heir typically buys out the others based on a net figure like the one above, often with a refinance. A buyout between siblings is generally a reassessable change in ownership, unlike the parent-child transfer — ask the County Assessor.

Can we sell before probate is done?

Usually the personal representative needs court-issued letters before closing, but the sale can be lined up in parallel. Trust sales generally don't need to wait. See our inherited-house guide.

Want to discuss an actual offer?

The calculator uses your guesses. We use real comparable sales and a walkthrough. Enter the address — it's free and there's no obligation.

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