When a parent passes or moves into care, selling the house isn't a normal sale. There are usually a few family members involved, more paperwork, a house full of belongings and a lot of emotion. This page covers what most families want to know first, whether or not we end up working together.
I can take as much off your plate as you want, from the first walk through to the closing table, and I'll keep everyone in the family and your attorney in the loop.
On this page: where I help · who I help · how it works · homes I've sold · guides · Washington basics · common questions · about me · contact
Everett to Tacoma: King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.
Many families I help live out of state, so the house can be here even if you're not. Check your city:
People don't understand how much of a responsibility being an executor is until they're in it.
You're handling the house, the paperwork, the family and your own grief, often all at once and often from out of town. My job is to take the house part off your plate and make it simple.
Where families usually are when they call
Personal representatives and executors who need the house sold well and on a clear timeline, with paperwork their attorney can follow.
Heirs and siblings who need one person keeping everyone updated, especially when not everyone lives nearby or agrees on the plan.
Families helping a parent move into assisted living or in with family, where the sale needs to line up with the move and the cost of care.
A house that needs real work, where the question is whether to put money in or sell it as it stands.
A family deciding whether to sell, rent or keep it, and wanting real numbers before anyone commits.
Estate attorneys, trustees and financial advisors who want a local agent they can hand a family to and trust to communicate.
How an estate sale works
1. Start with who can sign
Before anything else, we confirm with your attorney who has the authority to sell: a personal representative, a trustee, or a beneficiary on a transfer on death deed. Getting this right first keeps the sale from stalling later.
2. Protect the house
Vacant homes need attention. I'll help you check the insurance, keep the utilities on, secure the property and keep an eye on it so nothing goes wrong while the family sorts things out.
3. Sort the belongings
Family first, then an estate sale company, donations and a final clean out. I'll help you line up the right people and the order of operations so it doesn't drag on for months.
4. Decide: fix up or sell as is
I'll walk the house with you and give you two honest numbers: what it could sell for as is, and what it could sell for after a short list of fixes, with conservative costs for each. You choose what makes sense for the estate.
5. Price it off real sales
I build the price from what actually sold nearby, and I show every heir the comps behind it, so the number isn't something anyone has to take on faith.
6. Sell and close
Photos, marketing, showings and negotiation, then I manage inspection, escrow and signing, including remote signing for family out of the area, all the way to closing.
Estate homes I've sold
In 2026 I sold eight homes for one family's estate, from Everett down to Federal Way, about $6.95 million in all. Every house needed something different. Here's what I recommended on each one and how it turned out.
Priced right, two offers in days
A dated rambler we marketed honestly as a fixer. Two offers came in within days, both with no inspection contingency. I laid them side by side for the executor, and the stronger one escalated and covered part of any low appraisal.
Listed $695,000. Sold $750,000.
A straight answer on the numbers
A fixer with real siding concerns. I walked the executor through what a full renovation would cost against what the house could resell for, so we knew exactly what an investor could pay. Buyers competed for it.
Listed $399,000. Sold $454,500.
Sold as is, four days to an offer
No remodel, no long prep. We priced it for what it was, a solid house with two separate living areas, each with its own entrance, and let buyers decide how they'd use it. The first offer came in four days.
Listed $499,950. Sold $535,000.
One showing, one offer
The outside was working against it: wood chips instead of a lawn, tired paint, dirty windows. We put in a lawn and garden bed, added parking and painted it a color that sells in that price range. One showing, one full price offer the night it listed, with the inspection waived. Two days before closing, the buyer's lender couldn't allow a $6,000 credit, so that amount came off the price instead.
Listed $1,275,000. Full price offer the first night. Final sale price $1,269,000.
Fix the one big item, keep the receipts
The pre inspection found a gas leak at the water heater. We fixed it properly, kept the receipts for buyers to see, and cleaned up the rest of the report: deck ledger, railings, garage fire wall, outlets.
Listed $1,295,000. Sold $1,300,000.
Fix what scares buyers, skip the rest
I went through the pre inspection report and picked only what was likely to worry a buyer: electrical, small plumbing leaks and a capped vent. Each fix was keyed to the report so buyers could see it was handled.
Sold $1,325,000.
A handyman list, not a remodel
All nine items were things a handyman could fix in a couple of days, from a loose gutter to a water heater expansion tank the appraiser would have flagged. Every item was marked fixed on the report before we listed.
Listed $695,000. Sold $695,000.
Honest advice when the market slowed
We updated the house and showed buyers every improvement with a flyer and cards in each room. When the market slowed, with inventory in that price range up 120% from a year earlier, I laid out three options and the risk of each before the executor decided.
Sold $625,000.
Guides for families
Plain answers to the questions families ask me most, written for Washington.
Getting started
Making the big decisions
By county
Washington basics worth knowing
I'm not an attorney or a CPA, and every estate is different, so your attorney and CPA have the final word. These are the basics families ask me about most:
- Nonintervention powers. When the court grants them, the personal representative can sell estate property without a court order (RCW 11.68.090).
- Transfer on death deeds. If the owner recorded one, the home passes to the named beneficiary outside of probate.
- Excise tax. Inheriting a home is not subject to Washington's real estate excise tax, but a sale from an heir to an outside buyer is (WAC 458-61A-202).
- Tax basis. The IRS generally uses the home's fair market value on the date of death as the basis for inherited property.
Sources: RCW 11.68.090, WAC 458-61A-202, IRS: Gifts and inheritances, King County Law Library on transfer on death deeds. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Common questions
Who can sign to sell a home that is part of an estate?
Usually the personal representative named by the court, sometimes called the executor. If the home was in a trust, the trustee signs, and if the owner recorded a transfer on death deed, the home goes to the named beneficiary outside of probate. Your estate attorney will confirm who has the authority, and I'll work around that from day one.
Do we need a judge to approve the sale in Washington?
Often not. When the court grants the personal representative nonintervention powers, Washington law lets them sell estate property without a court order. Your attorney will know whether you have those powers.
Should we fix the house up or sell it as is?
It depends on the house and on what the family wants. I'll walk through it with you and price both options: a short list of fixes that usually pay for themselves, or selling as is. Some families want the fastest, simplest path, and that's a fine choice too.
What do we do with everything inside?
Start with what the family wants to keep, then decide on the rest. An estate sale company can sell furniture and belongings, and whatever is left can be donated or hauled away. I can connect you with people my clients have liked and help you line up the timing so the house is ready to list.
Can you help if we live out of state?
Yes. A lot of families I talk to don't live nearby. I can check on the house, meet contractors and vendors, send photos and video updates, and set up signing so everyone can sign from where they are.
What will the sale mean for taxes?
That is a question for your CPA, but here is the basic idea. The IRS generally sets the basis of inherited property at its fair market value on the date of death, and Washington's real estate excise tax does not apply to the inheritance itself. A sale from an heir to an outside buyer is taxable. I can pull what similar homes sold for around the date of death to help that conversation.
About me
I'm Jack Macdonald, a broker with the Macdonald Group of Compass. I'm a second generation broker, so I grew up around this business long before I got my license.
Estate sales are a big part of what I do. In 2026 alone I sold eight homes for one estate, each one with its own plan: some sold as is, some with a short list of repairs, one with a full curb appeal makeover. What they had in common was one point of contact for the executor and clear numbers before every decision.
I'm not an attorney or a CPA, and I don't give legal or tax advice. I handle the house, and I work alongside your attorney and CPA so nothing falls through the cracks.
Not sure what to do with an inherited home?
Tell me a little about the house and where things stand. I'm happy to walk you through your options and what the home might be worth, even if you're not ready to sell. Or call or text me at (425) 941-6998.
Selling or inheriting a home is also a money decision. For retirement, tax and estate planning on the Eastside, I recommend Gevers Wealth Management in Issaquah.