What should I fix before selling my Sacramento home?

This weekend, I met with a Sacramento homeowner who's thinking about selling their home in early 2027. We spent some time walking through the house and around the yard, talking about the property, the market, and what they might want to do between now and when they're ready to list the home for sale. And naturally, one of the questions that came up was: "What should I fix before putting my house on the market?" It's a great question, and one I get asked all the time. 

Just because something could be improved doesn't necessarily mean it should be improved before selling. Some improvements have a better return than others. And some repairs may be a higher priority than others. My goal is always to make the best strategic improvements or repairs that will maximize your home's value so you're in the best possible position when your home hits the market. If you're thinking about selling your Sacramento home in early 2027, right now is a fantastic time to start planning. 

As I help my clients evaluate what to repair, the first thing I always recommend is getting pre-listing inspections. As a baseline, I usually recommend a wood destroying pest inspection to identify termites, dryrot, and conditions that could lead to future wood deterioration, and also a roof inspection. And depending on the property, other inspections might make sense, too. 

Erin why do you recommend this before listing? Because I'd much rather have my sellers know about potential problems before a buyer discovers them during escrow. Imagine spending a bunch of time and money painting, replacing flooring, and updating fixtures, only to discover that your roof needs significant repairs or there's a plumbing problem underneath the house. That money might have been better spent addressing those issues! Or maybe you paint the entire exterior of the home only to discover that you painted over dryrot, and it has to be repaired and painted all over again. Pre-listing inspections help us identify potential concerns, obtain repair estimates, and decide which improvements are worth the time and effort. They also give us an opportunity to address problems on our own timeline rather than scrambling to negotiate repairs in the middle of escrow. 

I don't always recommend fixing everything. In fact, sometimes I recommend doing very little. If your kitchen is 30 years old but functional and in good shape, I'm probably not going to suggest  remodeling it just to sell. There's no guarantee you'll recover that expense, and the next buyer might have completely different tastes anyway. Relatively inexpensive improvements can make a big difference in how buyers perceive a property. Some things I frequently recommend include: 

• Fresh paint: Particularly where walls are scuffed or colors are very vibrant or distinct. Neutral is better for selling. 
• Landscaping: Trimming overgrown bushes, removing weeds, and fresh bark can all make a huge difference in curb appeal.. 
• Minor repairs: Fixing dripping faucets, torn window screens, damaged trim, damaged miniblinds, and other little things that accumulate over time. 
• Deep cleaning and decluttering: If nothing else this is the most important to make the home feel clean, smelling good, spacious, and well maintained. 
• Lighting: Replacing burned-out bulbs, making sure all of the bulbs have the same tone, and making sure rooms feel bright and welcoming. 

What about when inspections find big-ticket items?...This is where those pre-listing inspections are really key. Let's say your roof inspection reveals that the roof is nearing the end of its useful life. Or the pest inspection identifies dryrot. Should you fix those things before listing? Maybe. But not automatically. We need to consider the cost of the repair, how the issue might affect a buyer's ability to obtain financing or insurance, and how buyers are likely to respond. Sometimes completing the repair makes sense. Other times, it may be better to price the home appropriately, disclose the condition, and let the buyer decide how to address it. The same goes for major cosmetic renovations. Just because you spend $30,000 updating a kitchen or bathroom doesn't mean your home's value increases by $30,000. I always show potential sellers comparable homes that have actually sold in both remodeled and original or fixer condition. What are buyers paying for updated homes versus those in original condition? Does the potential increase in sale price justify the expense? Sometimes the smartest renovation decision is deciding not to renovate at all. 

Here's another important piece of advice: document everything! If you're making repairs before listing, keep copies of contractor invoices, receipts, warranties, permits, inspection reports, and any other documentation related to the work. If an inspection identifies an issue and you have it repaired, it's particularly helpful to retain both the original inspection report and documentation showing what was done to address it. Sellers have disclosure obligations, and buyers are going to want to understand the property's condition and repair history.  Having organized documentation makes it easier to complete your disclosures accurately, answer buyer questions, and demonstrate that identified issues were addressed. Making a repair doesn't eliminate your obligation to disclose the original problem. And if you decide not to repair something identified during an inspection, that information may still need to be disclosed to prospective buyers. Good records help make the entire process more transparent and can prevent unnecessary confusion during escrow. 

If you're thinking about listing your Sacramento home in January, February, or March of 2027, you have a great opportunity right now to prepare without feeling rushed. We can walk through the property, arrange inspections, obtain estimates, and prioritize projects over the next couple of months. And with the holidays approaching, it's especially helpful to have a plan rather than a big hairy overwhelming to-do list. Not everything needs to happen immediately. Some things can wait until closer to listing, while others are worth addressing sooner. Every home is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to getting a home ready for sale. That's why I think it's so important to have these conversations before you start hiring contractors or taking on projects. If you're thinking about selling your Sacramento-area home in early 2027, now is a great time to start figuring out your gameplan. I'm always happy to come take a look, walk through your options, and help you put together a strategy.

New Listing - 3801 Y Street, Sacramento, CA 95817

Charming 1940s ranch-style home in Sacramento's Med Center/North Oak Park neighborhood! This 2-bedroom, 1-bath home offers a great combination of classic character, thoughtful updates, and a location that's hard to beat -- it is the perfect blank canvas for your personal touches! Step inside to find beautiful wood floors, a spacious living room with a cozy fireplace and plenty of natural light, and a separate dining area with room to gather. The galley kitchen offers generous counter, cabinet space, and a gas oven. There's also a convenient updated indoor laundry room with extra storage. Two large bedrooms with new ceiling fans, and a remodeled bathroom that features updated tile flooring, a tiled shower surround, newer vanity, and modern fixtures. Dual pane windows throughout, and electrical panel replaced in 2021. Outside, the long driveway leads to an oversized detached garage, while the spacious backyard offers lots room to garden, entertain, play, or explore future possibilities. A large covered patio behind the garage provides a shaded spot for outdoor gatherings or al fresco dining, with plenty of yard space left to make your own. And then there's the location! Just blocks from UC Davis Medical Center and convenient to Shriners Children's Hospital, this home is ideally situated near one of Sacramento's major employment and medical hubs. Enjoy close proximity to the restaurants, coffee shops, and neighborhood businesses of Oak Park, along with nearby parks, Midtown and Downtown Sacramento, Sacramento State University, Aggie Square, public transit, and Highway 50. If you are looking for a home with potential in a convenient central location, 3801 Y Street offers plenty to appreciate and room to make it your own! Offered at $429,000. For more photos, information, and a 3D virtual tour, please visit 3801 Y Street, Sacramento, CA 95817.

Why Buying a Home Can Still Make Financial Sense...Even at Today’s Interest Rates...

I was just having this conversation with a potential new buyer this week. With mortgage rates where they are today, does buying a home actually still make financial sense? When you look at a 30-year mortgage and see how much interest you could potentially pay over the life of the loan, it is totally understandable why some potential buyers look at that total number and think, “How can this possibly be a good investment?” It’s a fair question. But I think it looks very different when you consider what’s actually happening financially over those 30 years. 

You're paying for a place to live, gradually paying down debt, building equity, and potentially benefiting from decades of appreciation. And with a fixed-rate mortgage, inflation can actually work in your favor over time since your monthly principal and interest payment do not change over that 30 years. 

So let’s do the math using a $500,000 home purchase, which is a realistic example for a buyer in the Sacramento real estate market today. 

Suppose you purchase that $500,000 home with 5% down and finance the remaining $475,000 with a 30-year fixed mortgage at 7.25%. Your principal and interest payment would be approximately $3,240 per month. If you kept that same mortgage for the entire 30 years, never refinancing or paying it off early, you would make approximately $1.17 million in principal and interest payments, including about $692,000 in interest. At first glance, someone might say: “Wait. I paid almost $1.2 million for a $500,000 house. How is that a good investment?” But that’s not really the right way to look at the math.

Your initial down payment was $25,000. That $25,000 allowed you to purchase a $500,000 asset. That’s leverage. Now assume, strictly for illustration, that the home appreciates at an average of 4% per year over the next 30 years. Some years will be less, some years will be more. But that is approximately the historic average over the last 100 years. At that rate, the $500,000 home would be worth approximately $1.62 million after 30 years. And at the end of those 30 years, the mortgage would be gone. You would own the property free and clear. 

Those mortgage payments provided you with a place to live for 30 years. That’s an important distinction because the alternative isn't usually living somewhere for free. It's usually paying rent. 

A mortgage payment has two primary components: principal and interest. Interest is the cost of borrowing money. Principal is different. Every dollar of principal you repay increases your ownership in the property. Over time, you gradually replace the bank's interest in the property with your own equity. Meanwhile, if the property appreciates, that appreciation applies to the entire value of the home, not merely the amount you originally put down. That’s one of the powerful financial characteristics of homeownership. 

You might have started with only $25,000 of your own money in a $500,000 property, but you receive the benefit and accept the risk of changes in value on the entire $500,000 asset. 

What you invested the $25,000 in the stock market instead? That's another fair question. Historically, the stock market has produced strong long-term returns. If someone invested that same $25,000 in a broad stock-market index and hypothetically earned an average 10% annual return for 30 years, it would grow to approximately $436,000. That's an excellent return. But it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. 

In the homeownership scenario, the $25,000 is leveraging the purchase of a $500,000 asset. If that asset appreciated at our hypothetical 4% annual rate, it would grow to approximately $1.62 million over the same 30 years. And throughout those 30 years, the homeowner also had somewhere to live. 

The renter who invested the $25,000 would still need to pay for housing during those same three decades. That doesn't automatically make buying superior to renting and investing. But it does mean that comparing the future value of $25,000 invested in stocks with the future value of the house leaves out a very important part of the equation: both people still have to pay for housing. 

There's another benefit that's easy to overlook. With a traditional fixed-rate mortgage, your principal and interest payment doesn't increase as everything else becomes more expensive. That $3,240 principal-and-interest payment in Year 1 is still approximately $3,240 in Year 20. Property taxes, insurance, maintenance and other ownership costs can and probably will increase. But the principal and interest portion of a fixed-rate mortgage stays fixed. 

Think about what inflation does to that payment over several decades. If wages, rents and the general cost of living increase over time, a fixed mortgage payment can represent a progressively smaller portion of a homeowner's income. Rent generally doesn't work that way. A homeowner with a fixed-rate mortgage has effectively locked in a major portion of their housing expense while gradually increasing their ownership of the property. 

And eventually, the mortgage ends...Perhaps the simplest difference between renting and owning is what happens after decades of making payments. After 30 years of mortgage payments, you own the home outright. After 30 years of rent payments, you received 30 years of housing, which absolutely has value, but you generally don't own the property. For many homeowners, that paid-off home eventually becomes one of their largest assets and an important part of their retirement picture. And once the mortgage is gone, their housing expenses can look dramatically different than those of someone still paying market rent. 

None of this means buying a home is always the right financial decision for you. Homes have transaction costs. They require maintenance and repairs. Property taxes and insurance matter. With 5% down, mortgage insurance may also be part of the equation. Home values aren't guaranteed to increase, much less at 4% every year. There are also times when renting makes perfect sense, particularly if you expect to move soon, value flexibility, or aren't financially prepared for the responsibilities of homeownership. And stocks and real estate aren't mutually exclusive. A healthy long-term financial strategy can include both homeownership and investments in the financial markets. 

But over-simplifying our hypothetical home purchase to “I paid $1.17 million over 30 years for a house that eventually became worth $1.62 million, so I only made $450,000” fundamentally misunderstands the economics. You weren't writing a $1.17 million check to purchase a $1.62 million investment. You started with $25,000. Then, month by month, you were paying for housing, paying down debt, building equity, benefiting from leverage, potentially participating in decades of appreciation and moving closer to owning your home outright. 

A home is both a place to live and an asset...That's what makes the rent-versus-buy conversation different from comparing two stocks or two investment funds. A home has two jobs. It provides shelter today while potentially building wealth for tomorrow. Homeownership gives ordinary households access to something that is difficult to replicate with many other investments: the ability to use a relatively small amount of their own money to control a much larger asset, live in that asset while they own it, gradually pay down the debt with money that would otherwise partly go toward housing anyway, and potentially benefit from decades of appreciation. The math won't work for every person, every property or every point in the market. But if you're planning to stay for the long term, can comfortably afford the payment and purchase the right property, homeownership can make a great deal of financial sense, even when mortgage rates aren't at historic lows. Sometimes the biggest mistake in evaluating the investment is looking only at what you pay, without considering what you're building along the way.

New Listing - 8833 Water Song Circle, Roseville, CA 95747

Welcome to Sienna Woods, a serene gated Roseville community by JMC Homes! Beautifully renovated from top to bottom in 2021-2022, this 4-5 bedroom, 3 bathroom 2773sf home offers stylish and functional living spaces throughout. The remodeled kitchen is the perfect place to refine your culinary skills and features marble counters, stainless steel appliances, a center island, abundant counter space, and a large pantry. Enjoy separate living and family rooms, a formal dining room, plus an upstairs loft ideal for a home office, gaming, additional living space, or a large 5th bedroom! One bedroom and full bath are conveniently located downstairs, with the remodeled bath featuring a tiled floor and shower and marble counters. Upstairs, the spacious primary suite includes a luxurious ensuite bath with a jetted tub, stall shower, dual sinks, marble counters, and a walk-in closet. Generously sized secondary bedrooms share an updated hall bath with dual sinks and a tiled tub/shower surround. Step outside to a beautifully landscaped backyard designed for relaxing and entertaining. The newly added covered patio with ceiling fan creates the perfect spot for outdoor dining or unwinding at the end of the day. The backyard also offers a lovely retaining wall, Tuff Shed, and plenty of lush grass for gardening or play. The HUGE approximately 20x30 three-car tandem garage offers plenty of room, with additional potentially usable loft/attic space above. Permanent programmable exterior lighting adds customizable year-round curb appeal. Conveniently located near Roseville schools, shopping, dining, and more. Don't wait! Offered at $789,000. For more photos, information, and a 3D virtual tour, please visit 8833 Water Song Circle, Roseville, CA 95747.

Can a New Duplex Owner Terminate Month-to-Month Tenants in the City of Sacramento?

I recently spoke with an aspiring real estate investor who was considering purchasing a duplex in Midtown Sacramento. Both units were occupied by long-term tenants (long term = occupied the unit for more than one year) on month-to-month rental agreements. His plan sounded pretty straightforward: purchase the property, give the existing tenants notice, furnish the units and operate them as short-term rentals. Interesting idea. But there was an important wrinkle: Just because a tenant is month-to-month doesn't necessarily mean a new owner can simply give them notice and ask them to leave.

Buying the property doesn't eliminate or void the existing tenancy. And this is an especially important consideration when purchasing an occupied multi-family duplex, triplex or fourplex within the City of Sacramento due to their Tenant Protection Program. 

Buyers naturally spend a lot of time analyzing the real estate itself. What is the condition of the roof? How old is the HVAC? What are the operating expenses? Does the property need updating? But with an occupied investment property, the tenants and their tenure in the unit are every bit as important. I sometimes put it this way: you're not just buying the building. You're also buying the existing tenancies. And those tenancies can directly affect what you're able to do with the property after closing. 

But what if the tenants are month-to-month? This is where investors can get tripped up. It's easy to hear "month-to-month" and assume that means the tenancy can simply be terminated with appropriate notice. But rental units covered by the City of Sacramento's Tenant Protection Program can have just-cause eviction protections once a tenant has occupied the property for more than 12 months. In other words, the expiration of an original lease and conversion to a month-to-month rental agreement doesn't necessarily eliminate the tenant's protections. 

A landlord generally needs a legally recognized "just cause" to terminate a protected tenancy. Some qualifying "just cause" reasons involve actions by the tenant, such as failure to pay rent, certain breaches of the rental agreement, nuisance or criminal activity, or failure to provide lawful access. 

There are also certain circumstances that don't necessarily involve wrongdoing by the tenant. These are sometimes referred to as "no fault evictions" and can include an owner move-in, withdrawal of the unit from the rental market, or necessary and substantial repairs requiring temporary vacancy. But simply purchasing a property and preferring to have it vacant is not, by itself, the same thing as having a qualifying just cause. 

Why this matters to your investment strategy? Go back to the duplex this potential buyer was considering. His entire investment plan depended on terminating the existing tenancies and taking possession of both units after closing. That makes the status of those tenancies more than a minor due-diligence question. It's fundamental to whether his proposed investment strategy will work at all.

Maybe you want to buy a duplex and live in one side. Maybe you plan a significant renovation. Maybe you're buying a property for another family member to occupy. Or maybe, like this investor, your plans for the property are completely different from the current owner's use. Whatever the goal, if your plan requires an existing tenant to leave, you should understand whether you can legally accomplish that before you purchase the property.

This is also an area where I encourage clients to consult a qualified landlord-tenant attorney. As a Realtor, I can help identify the real estate issues we should investigate and obtain information about the existing tenancies, but determining whether a particular tenancy can legally be terminated is a legal question. 

And we're specifically talking about the City of Sacramento. Here's another detail that can easily cause confusion. The City of Sacramento's Tenant Protection Program applies within Sacramento city limits. That is a specific governmental jurisdiction. A property having "Sacramento, CA" in its mailing address does not necessarily mean it's located within the incorporated City of Sacramento. There are large areas around Sacramento that people commonly refer to as Sacramento, and that may even use Sacramento as their mailing city, that are actually located in unincorporated Sacramento County. That distinction matters because local ordinances can be different depending on which jurisdiction the property is actually located in. Some areas that are NOT in the city limits with a Sacramento mailing address include the Arden-Arcade area, Foothill Farms area, South Sacramento area, Rosemont area, most of the College Greens area, most of the Sierra Oaks area, etc.

So if you're considering purchasing an occupied rental property, don't make assumptions based solely on the mailing address or ZIP code. Verify the property's jurisdiction. And remember that properties outside Sacramento city limits may still be subject to California state landlord-tenant laws and other applicable protections. Being outside the City simply means that this particular City of Sacramento ordinance may not apply. 

But the moral of the story is to understand and be familiar with the basics before you buy. When evaluating an occupied multifamily property, I want to know more than the number of units and what the building looks like. How long has each tenant lived there? Are there written leases? Are they month-to-month? What documentation has the seller maintained? Are there agreements or notices that a buyer needs to know about? Is the property within Sacramento city limits? Is it subject to the City's Tenant Protection Program? Do other protections apply? And perhaps most importantly: Does your plan for the property depend on one or more of the existing tenants leaving? If the answer is yes, that's something to investigate early. There can be tremendous opportunities in Sacramento duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. But with an occupied property, understanding exactly what you're buying means understanding both the real estate *and* the ramifications of the tenancies that come with it.

It is worth noting that this post is intended to provide general real estate information and is not legal or tax advice. California landlord-tenant law and local tenant protections are complex and can change. Buyers, sellers and property owners should consult a qualified landlord-tenant attorney regarding a particular property or tenancy.

New Listing - 621 Jones Way, Sacramento, CA 95818

Lovingly maintained by the same family for over 3 decades, this special 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1100sf home is ready for it's next chapter. You will love this absolutely adorable Land Park property that has all the charm you hope to find in this neighborhood, along with plenty of appealing and practical updates. From the moment you arrive, the covered front porch, mature landscaping will catch your eye. Step inside and you'll love the newly refinished hardwood floors, freshly painted interior, a large picture window and living room skylights filling the space with abundant natural light, and a spacious floor plan. The generous living room features a cozy fireplace and flows into a separate dining room which has a custom built-in hutch and desk which is the perfect spot for a home office setup, homework station, or simply some really great extra storage. The remodeled kitchen is bright and inviting with white cabinets, granite countertops, subway tile backsplash, pantry storage, and plenty of room to show off your culinary expertise. The updated bathroom is equally charming, with tile floors and the rare luxury of both a separate tub and tiled stall shower. Both bedrooms are nicely sized, and out back you'll find a flagstone patio along with plenty of sunny space to garden, play, entertain, or just relax at the end of the day. Central heat and air, a composition roof, attached garage, dual pane windows, pest clearance, and a new sewer clean-out mean a lot of the hard work is done for you. And then there's the location! You're just blocks from Crocker/Riverside Elementary and close to beautiful William Land Park, with neighborhood restaurants, shopping, the Zoo, golf course, and don't forget that Downtown Sacramento, the Capitol, and Golden 1 Center all just minutes away. Cute, updated, and wonderfully located...this is one of those homes that just feels good the moment you walk through the door. Don't wait! Trust Estate. Offered at $650,000. For more photos, information, and a 3D virtual walkthrough please visit 621 Jones Way, Sacramento, CA 95818.

New Listing - 1914 6th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811

Want the convenience of downtown living without sacrificing space, luxury, or outdoor living? Then you will love this special 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 2,109sf attached home because it offers something for everyone, just one block from Southside Park. Built in 2008 and being sold by the original owner, the three-story floorplan provides plenty of room to spread out, two large covered balconies and a large attached garage accessed from Solons Alley all without a yard to maintain. Step inside and you'll love the flexible floor plan, with two bedrooms on the entry level and an expansive main living level upstairs on the second level featuring beautiful flooring, abundant natural light and an open kitchen, dining and living area. The spacious kitchen offers granite countertops, extensive cabinetry, a huge pantry, a large center island with seating and plenty of room to cook and entertain, while the adjacent living room features a fireplace and access to one of two large covered balconies. A built-in wet bar with wine refrigerator adds another fun touch for entertaining. Upstairs, the generously sized primary suite feels like its own private retreat, complete with a dramatic tray ceiling, large walk-in closet with built-in organizers and spa-like ensuite bathroom. New interior paint and carpet make this home move-in ready, while central heat and air, a composition roof and pest clearance mean the house is move-in ready. Large attached garage with access from Solons Alley. With no yard to maintain, being a hop-skip-jump from Southside Park, and two spacious balconies for outdoor living, this is an easy-care home in an incredible central location close to Downtown, the State Capitol, Golden 1 Center, restaurants, entertainment and everything Sacramento's urban core has to offer. Don't wait! Offered at $775,000. For more photos, 3D virtual tour, and information please visit 1914 6th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811.

A Loved One Has Passed Away. What Practical Steps Should You Take Next?

When someone close to you passes away, there is obviously a lot to process emotionally. Unfortunately, there can also be a surprisingly long list of things that suddenly need attention. One of the questions I frequently get is: “Where do I even start?” If you are the successor trustee, executor, administrator of the estate, or simply the person trying to help get things organized, you don't necessarily need to tackle everything at once. But there are a few important steps that are worth addressing early, particularly when your loved one owned a home or other real estate. Here are some practical places to start. 

1. Locate the Will, Trust, and Other Important Documents. One of the first practical steps I recommend after a loved one has passed away is trying to locate any documents relating to their final wishes. Look for a Will, Trust, amendments to the Trust, property deeds, insurance policies, bank and investment statements, tax returns, and other financial records. If there is a Trust, determine who has been named as the successor trustee. That is generally the person who assumes responsibility for managing the Trust and its assets after the original trustee passes away. If you're unsure what a document means or what authority you have, this is a good time to speak with an estate or probate attorney. 
2. Obtain Multiple Copies of the Death Certificate. You'll likely need certified copies of the death certificate for a variety of purposes, including dealing with financial institutions, insurance companies, government agencies, and potentially real estate. Rather than requesting a single copy and discovering later that you need several more, it can be helpful to obtain multiple certified copies at the outset. Trying to obtain more certified copies of the death certificate later can be difficult and more expensive than just getting multiple copies up front. And a color copy of a certified copy is not going to be an acceptable substitute. 
3. Make Sure the Home Is Insured. If your loved one owned real estate, this is one item I would not put off. I cannot emphasize enough how critically important this is. Confirm that there is an active homeowners insurance policy and determine what the insurance company requires now that the owner has passed away or the property may be vacant. Why is this so important? A house may be one of the estate's most valuable assets. If a pipe breaks, someone breaks into the property, a fire occurs, or there is another major loss while the property is uninsured, the financial consequences to the estate could be enormous. And unfortunately, you generally can't buy insurance retroactively after something has already happened. 
4. Secure and Check on the Property. If no one is living in the home, make sure someone is regularly checking on it. Collect keys, secure doors and windows, retrieve mail, deal with landscaping, and pay attention to anything that could make the property appear obviously vacant. You may also need to address utilities, alarm systems, vehicles, pets, and other practical matters. Chat with neighbors and ensure they know how to reach you if something looks amiss at the property. 
5. Identify the Assets and the Bills. Begin putting together a list of what your loved one owned. That might include real estate, bank accounts, investments, vehicles, business interests, personal property, and other assets. At the same time, start identifying recurring expenses and obligations such as the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities, HOA dues, credit cards, and other bills. Often, these bills need to be continued to be paid. You may discover that some assets were held in the Trust while others were not. If that happens, consult an attorney before assuming how those assets should be handled. Personal property may need to be inventoried, distributed among beneficiaries, sold, donated, or otherwise handled according to the estate plan and advice from the appropriate professionals...so while you may be tempted to start giving things away, don't do that without consulting an attorney. 
6. Get a Date-of-Death Appraisal for Real Estate. This is one of the steps people sometimes overlook. If your loved one owned a home, rental property, or other real estate, talk with your CPA and attorney about obtaining a date-of-death appraisal. This is literally a value of the property at the date of the owner's death, which could be months or years before the property actually gets sold. The property's value as of the date the owner passed away can be important for tax and accounting purposes. This is different than “What could the house sell for today?” Even if you don't intend to sell the property immediately, establishing its value at the appropriate date will be important later. 
7. Talk With the Right Professionals. You don't have to figure all of this out by yourself. Depending on the estate, you may need an estate or probate attorney, CPA, financial advisor, appraiser, and real estate professional experienced with probate and trust sales. Each has a different role. As a real estate broker, for example, I can help evaluate the real estate, discuss its current market value and condition, determine what preparation may make sense before selling, and coordinate many of the practical details involved in getting a property ready for market. But I don't provide legal or tax advice, which is why having the right team can be so important. 
8. Decide What Needs to Happen With the Home. Eventually, there is usually a decision to make: Will the property be kept, transferred to a beneficiary, or sold? I've worked with many estate properties over the years, and the right preparation can vary tremendously. One home may benefit from paint, flooring, landscaping, and staging. Another may make more sense to sell largely in its current condition. Before spending significant estate funds, it can be helpful to have an experienced real estate professional look at the property and help determine which improvements are likely to matter to buyers, and which probably aren't worth the expense. There may also be a lot of logistical work involved: removing personal belongings, hauling away unwanted items, coordinating an estate sale, cleaning, landscaping, inspections, repairs, contractors, staging, and ultimately preparing the home for sale. A good real estate agent experienced with estates should be able to help coordinate much of that process. 
9. Establish the Appropriate Estate or Trust Bank Account. Depending on how the estate is structured, you may need to obtain a taxpayer identification number and establish a separate bank account for the Trust or estate. That account may be used to pay expenses, receive income, and ultimately receive proceeds from the sale of estate assets such as real estate. Your attorney and CPA can advise you on exactly what is required for your situation. 
10. Keep Good Records. Finally, document everything. Keep records of expenses, repairs, professional fees, distributions, property-related costs, deposits, and other transactions involving the estate. When you're juggling dozens of responsibilities, it can be tempting to tell yourself, “I'll organize all of this later.” Later has a way of becoming much more complicated. Good recordkeeping from the beginning can make life much easier for you, your attorney, your CPA, and ultimately the beneficiaries. 

Settling someone's affairs can feel overwhelming because there may be legal, financial, emotional, and practical decisions happening simultaneously. Start with the things that are most urgent: find the estate documents, identify who has authority to act, obtain death certificates, protect and insure the real estate, and begin assembling the appropriate professional team. Then you can work through the remaining pieces one at a time. During my 20+ years as a Sacramento-area Realtor, I've helped numerous clients sell homes and other real estate through Trusts and probate estates. I also served as the personal representative and administrator of my own mother's estate, so I've experienced this process from the other side as well. 

If you've inherited property in Greater Sacramento, or you're a successor trustee, executor, or probate administrator trying to figure out what to do with a home, I'm happy to help you understand the real estate side of the process and connect you with attorneys, CPAs, appraisers, estate liquidators, contractors, junk-hauling services, landscapers, inspectors, stagers, and other professionals when needed. 

Important: This article is intended to provide general information about some of the practical steps that may arise after a loved one passes away. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Every estate is different, so consult qualified legal and tax professionals regarding your particular circumstances.