Sacramento Home Seller Questions, Answered

A California sale closes through escrow. Once you sign a purchase agreement, an escrow officer opens a file, collects the buyer's funds, orders the payoff on any mortgage, prepares the deed and the settlement statement, and records the deed with the county recorder. You get paid only when everything required is in place. For a sale to us, a title company handles escrow and the title insurance, and you are paid at closing.

California does not require an attorney at closing the way some eastern states do. The escrow officer and the title company handle the documents. That said, you are always welcome to have an attorney read the purchase agreement before you sign, and we encourage it if the house is part of an estate, a divorce, a trust or a dispute between owners.

Often, yes. California is a community property state, so a spouse can have an interest in a house even when the deed shows one name, especially if mortgage payments came from shared income. The title company will look at how title is held and tell you who needs to sign. Ask a family law attorney if you are separated or in the middle of a divorce.

You pick the closing date. A cash purchase does not wait on a lender's appraisal or loan approval, so the timeline mostly depends on the title work: clearing liens, getting a payoff statement, and, if the owner has died, confirming who has authority to sell. If you need more time to move, we can set a later date instead.

Secured property taxes are paid in two installments. The first becomes delinquent after December 10 and the second after April 10, and each late installment picks up a 10 percent penalty. If a weekend or holiday lands on the deadline, the next business day counts. At closing, escrow prorates the current year's taxes between you and the buyer.

Yes. Unpaid taxes are paid from the sale proceeds at closing. Under California law, property that is still unpaid at the end of June becomes tax defaulted, and after five years in default a residential property becomes subject to the county's power to sell. Penalties and interest keep growing the whole time, so selling sooner usually leaves you more money.

Only in limited cases. Since Prop 19 took effect in February 2021, a child keeps a parent's assessed value only on the family home, only if the child makes it their own primary residence within one year, and only up to a value cap. If you do not plan to live there, the house is usually reassessed to market value, and a higher tax bill is one reason heirs decide to sell. The assessor's office can confirm your case.

They can deed it to you for any price, but a $1 sale is treated mostly as a gift. That can mean a federal gift tax return for your parents, a lower tax basis for you than an inheritance would give, and a property tax reassessment unless the Prop 19 parent and child rules apply. Because the tax trade offs are real, talk to a California estate attorney or CPA before anyone signs a deed.

A supplemental bill is issued when a property changes hands and the assessor resets its value. It goes to the new owner, not the seller, because it covers the period after the sale. What you do pay is your share of the regular bill up to the closing date, which escrow handles through the proration.

Yes. Many newer neighborhoods in places like Elk Grove and Folsom carry special tax lines on the county bill, and some houses have a solar or energy efficiency loan collected the same way. Those are disclosed to the buyer, and some must be paid off at closing. Send us your latest tax bill and we will factor it into the offer.

Not always. A house held in a living trust is usually sold by the successor trustee without court probate. Joint tenancy property usually passes to the survivor. For estates that are small enough, California has simpler procedures. If the house was only in the person who died's name and none of those apply, a probate case is normally needed before anyone can sign a deed.

For deaths on or after April 1, 2025, the small estate affidavit covers estates up to $208,850, not counting certain assets. A separate court petition can transfer a primary residence worth up to $750,000 without full probate. These figures change every few years and have conditions, so confirm them with a probate attorney or the court's self help center before relying on them.

Often. If the court grants full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, the personal representative can usually sell after giving the heirs a Notice of Proposed Action and waiting the required period, without a court confirmation hearing. With limited authority, the sale needs court confirmation, and other buyers can show up at the hearing and overbid. Your probate attorney will know which applies.

A full probate commonly takes many months and can run longer than a year, depending on the court calendar, creditor claims and whether heirs agree. The house does not have to sit empty and unsold that whole time. Once the personal representative has authority, the sale can happen while the rest of the estate is wrapped up.

Everyone who holds an interest has to agree, or the personal representative or trustee signs on behalf of the estate or trust. We put one written offer in front of all of you so everyone sees the same number. If you disagree about selling at all, talk to a probate or real estate attorney before signing anything.

Yes. A sale does not end a lease or a tenancy. The buyer steps into your shoes as landlord and takes over the lease and the security deposit. We buy occupied houses regularly, so you do not need the tenant gone before you sell to us.

Usually not by itself. Under California's Tenant Protection Act, a tenant who has lived in the unit for 12 months generally can only be removed for a just cause listed in the law, and a sale is not on that list. Some single family homes owned by individuals are exempt, but only if the lease contained a specific written notice. Talk to a landlord tenant attorney before serving any notice.

For no fault just cause terminations under the state law, such as withdrawing the unit from the rental market, the landlord generally owes relocation assistance equal to one month's rent or a rent waiver. The City of Sacramento also runs its own tenant protection program with local rules. Check both before you decide whether to sell occupied or vacant.

California requires reasonable written notice before a landlord enters, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable. We usually need one walk through, and we work around the tenant's schedule. A cooperative tenant makes everything easier, so we keep it short and respectful.

We start with what similar houses nearby have actually sold for, then subtract what it would cost to bring yours to that condition: roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, kitchens, baths, foundation, and anything the city or county has flagged. Our offer is in writing, and if you ask, we will walk you through how we got to the number.

Ask for proof of funds, and make sure the sale closes through a real escrow or title company that you can call yourself. Never pay a buyer an upfront fee, and be wary of anyone who pressures you to sign the same day. We put offers in writing, provide proof of funds on request, and are happy for your attorney to review the contract.

No. Take what you want and leave the rest. Furniture, garage contents, a shed full of tools: we handle the cleanout after closing. That matters most with inherited houses, where sorting decades of belongings can take longer than the sale itself.

No. If your house is in good shape and you have time, listing with a good agent may net you more, even after commission. Our article on what a realtor makes on a $300,000 house shows the math, so run your own numbers. We will tell you plainly if we think a listing makes more sense.