Selling a House You Inherited
Inheriting a house is not the simple windfall it sounds like. There is grief attached to it, there may be siblings involved, and depending on how the property was held, a legal process may stand between the heirs and any decision about it. Here is how that process works in Nevada, what it does to your timeline, and where a cash buyer does and does not help.
One thing before anything else: we are not attorneys, we do not give legal advice, and we cannot shortcut probate. Nobody can. What follows is general information about Nevada's process so you can ask better questions of someone who is qualified to answer them.
How probate works in Nevada
- 1
Work out how the property was actually held
This decides everything that follows. A house held in a living trust, or owned jointly with a right of survivorship, generally passes outside probate. A house titled in the deceased person's name alone usually has to go through the court before anyone can sell it — and being the only surviving relative does not by itself put your name on the title.
- 2
Find out which probate track the estate falls into
Nevada scales the process to the size of the estate. An estate can be set aside without administration when it does not exceed $150,000 (NRS 146.070). Summary administration is available when the gross value, after deducting encumbrances, does not exceed $500,000 (NRS 145.040). Above that, the estate goes through general administration (NRS 145.110). A probate attorney works this out quickly; it is the first question worth paying one to answer.
- 3
The court appoints someone to act for the estate
In an administered estate, authority to sign a listing agreement, accept an offer, or convey the property sits with the appointed personal representative (NRS 148.050) — so until someone is appointed, there is nobody who can do those things, whatever the family has agreed among themselves. A smaller estate set aside without administration (NRS 146.070) is a different route with a different answer, which is one more reason to have an attorney tell you which one you are in. This is the step people underestimate, and it is why a house can sit empty for a long stretch while insurance, utilities, and yard upkeep keep running.
- 4
Creditors get their window
Once notice to creditors goes out, they generally have 90 days to file claims against the estate, reduced to 60 days when summary administration has been granted (NRS 147.040). Debts of the deceased are settled from the estate, which is often what a sale is ultimately for.
- 5
Where confirmation applies, the sale goes through the court
When a sale is subject to NRS 148.060, it is reported to the court and confirmed before title passes — and this catches people out: even when the will expressly grants a power of sale, confirmation is still required, the will only removing the need to prove the sale was necessary (NRS 148.080). NRS 148.060 does not reach everything, though. By its own terms it does not apply to sales under summary administration, or in the circumstances described in NRS 148.170 and 148.180. Which rules govern your estate depends on how it is being administered, and that is a question for your attorney. Where confirmation does apply, publication beforehand is ordinarily required too, though the statute allows it to be waived in specific circumstances (NRS 148.220).
What you can do with the house
There are usually four honest options, and which one fits depends far more on the estate than on the property.
Keep it
If the mortgage is manageable and the house means something to you, keeping it is a real answer. Be honest about the carrying costs during probate, though — insurance on a vacant house, utilities, and upkeep all continue while the court process runs.
Rent it out
Turning it into a rental works for some families, particularly when several heirs want to hold. It also makes you a landlord, sometimes at a distance and sometimes with people who are still grieving as your co-owners.
List it with an agent
If the house shows well and the estate is not under time pressure, a traditional listing will usually net the most. We will tell you when that is the case and which agents we have had good experiences with, and we take no referral fee for it.
Sell it as-is for cash
This tends to fit when the house needs work nobody wants to fund, when heirs live elsewhere, or when the estate needs to settle debts and move on. No repairs, no clean-out, no showings during a hard season.
Where we come in
Our part is the fourth option, and only when it genuinely fits. We can look at the house as it stands, make a no-obligation cash offer, and be ready to close as soon as the estate is in a position to sell — subject to whatever the court requires of your estate, the signed agreement, and the title and escrow timelines like any other sale. If we have worked with a probate attorney who suits your situation, we will introduce you, as we did for the family below. If the answer is that you should list it, or simply wait until the estate is further along, we will say that instead.
A probate sale we worked through
A family home of several generations that had to clear probate first
Las Vegas Valley
A client was the last remaining member of a family that had owned their home for generations, and a series of events left them needing to sell it. Because they were not on the mortgage or the title, the property had to go through probate before it could be sold at all.
We connected them with a probate attorney we have used and trusted for years, and worked out a process with them so they could get moving and take the next steps. Once the probate process was complete, they sold the property to us, left the property debt behind, and started a new chapter with the funds from the sale.
As told by Alex Wentland, CEO — July 2026
Want the full process? Read our guide: How probate works when you inherit a house in Clark County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inherited property questions we hear a lot
Can I sell an inherited house before probate is finished?
Not in the way people tend to mean. Where NRS 148.060 applies, the sale is reported to the court and confirmed before title passes, and that holds even when the will grants a power of sale (NRS 148.080). NRS 148.060 has exceptions written into it — it does not apply to sales under summary administration or in the circumstances in NRS 148.170 and 148.180 — so which rules govern your estate is a question for your attorney. What matters first is authority: before anyone signs a sale contract on behalf of an estate, a Nevada attorney should confirm that the signer actually has it. In an administered estate that is generally the appointed personal representative (NRS 148.050); a smaller estate may instead be set aside without administration (NRS 146.070), which is a different route entirely. Once whoever is acting for the estate has authority, the property may be able to go under contract while the remaining process runs, so the sale can close as soon as the estate is able rather than starting from scratch afterward.
The estate is small. Is there a shortcut?
There are two, and one of them does not apply to houses. The small-estate affidavit (NRS 146.080) covers estates of $25,000 or less for claimants other than a surviving spouse, and $150,000 or less for a surviving spouse, 40 days after death — but it cannot be used when the estate includes an interest in Nevada real property, so it is not a route for selling a home. Setting an estate aside without administration (NRS 146.070) applies when the estate does not exceed $150,000, and that is the shorter path that can involve a house.
I am the only surviving family member. Does the house pass to me automatically?
Not automatically. If you are not on the title and the property did not pass through a trust or a survivorship deed, the estate generally has to go through the court before anyone can sell. We have worked with sellers in exactly that position, and the first move is a probate attorney, not a buyer.
Do you give legal advice about probate?
No. We are not attorneys and we do not give legal advice. What we can do is tell you plainly what we see, introduce you to a probate attorney we have worked with, and be ready to buy when the estate is in a position to sell. Anything about your specific estate belongs with a Nevada attorney.
Can you make probate go faster?
No, and be careful of anyone who says they can. The timelines are set by statute and by the court, not by the buyer. What a cash purchase can avoid is a second delay after the court is finished — no buyer financing to arrange, no repair negotiation, no appraisal contingency.
The house is full of belongings and needs work. Does that matter?
Not to us. We buy as-is, and you are welcome to take what matters to you and leave the rest. Clearing out a family home is one of the harder parts of this, and it is not something you need to finish before talking to us.
There are several heirs and we do not all agree. Can you still buy?
Sometimes, but everyone with an interest generally has to be on the same page for a sale to close, and the court will look for that. We would rather tell you early that a disagreement needs resolving than start a process that stalls at confirmation.
What does it cost to talk to you?
Nothing. Looking at the property and giving you an offer is free and carries no obligation, and when we buy we cover the standard closing costs. If the right answer is a listing or simply waiting for the estate to be ready, we say so and take no referral fee for pointing you elsewhere.
About this guide
Written by the team at Alex Buys Vegas Houses, a Henderson-based property solutions company that buys houses across the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City. We work with Las Vegas Valley families selling inherited homes, including the appointments where the right answer is to speak to a probate attorney first and call us later — or not at all.
Last reviewed July 2026. This is general information about Nevada's process, not legal advice — for advice about your specific situation, talk to a Nevada attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor.
When we do buy, here is what that means
As-is, any condition
No repairs, no cleaning, no staging. Leave behind what you do not want.
No agent fees or commissions
You are selling directly to us, so there is no listing side to pay for.
We cover standard closing costs
The usual closing costs come out of our side of the table, not yours.
Close on your timeline
Days or months — you pick the date that actually works for you.
A local buyer, based in Henderson
We work across the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City, and we come to the house. Not a national iBuyer, not an out-of-state fund.
No pressure, either way
The offer is free and carries no obligation. Decline it and we do not chase you.
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Tell us about the property
Give us the address and roughly where the estate stands — even "I have no idea yet" is a fine place to start. We will tell you what we see, and if you would rather just talk it through, call (702) 793-2582.