A quiet, no-pressure resource for what to do with the home — from someone who's helped families through this with calm hands and honest answers.
If you're reading this, you've lost someone. And somewhere in the middle of all the grief and paperwork, you've been handed a house — with its own questions, its own bills, and its own weight.
I'm Lola Animashaun — a Realtor in Tennessee and Kentucky, and a retired Marine and Army veteran. I'm not your estate attorney, your tax advisor, or your therapist. I'm the person who can stand beside you with the housing piece — quietly handle whatever needs handling — so your family can focus on each other.
Below: where you probably are right now, what the probate timeline actually looks like, the paths most families consider with the house, and a checklist of what to do in the first 30 days. Take your time. There's no rush.
If any of this sounds like you, you're in the right place. We can start anywhere.
Every state and every estate is different — but most probate cases move through these stages. Knowing where you are helps the rest make sense.
Someone — usually the executor named in the will, or a family member if there's no will — files with the probate court to open the estate. This is the official start.
The court formally authorizes someone to act on behalf of the estate. They receive "Letters Testamentary" (with a will) or "Letters of Administration" (without one) — the legal authority to handle assets.
Notice is published; creditors have a window to file claims against the estate. In Tennessee, this is typically four months. In Kentucky, six months. The house can usually be sold during this period if needed.
Assets are inventoried, including the house. This is when getting a current market valuation matters — for the court, for any heirs, and for tax purposes (the step-up in basis).
Valid debts and taxes are paid from the estate. Remaining assets — including proceeds from the home if it was sold — are distributed to heirs according to the will or state law.
The executor files a final accounting. The court approves. The estate is officially closed. From start to finish, this typically takes 6–18 months — sometimes longer for complex estates.
A house is rarely just a house. It holds the people who lived there.
There's no universal right answer. The right path depends on your timeline, your family, the condition of the home, and what each heir actually wants.
Often the right answer when there's still a mortgage, the house needs significant work, or the heirs need the proceeds. Your probate attorney coordinates the legal piece; I handle the listing, marketing, and closing. Proceeds go to the estate and get distributed once probate concludes.
Once probate is fully concluded and title is in the heirs' names, you can list and sell like any normal property. Slightly cleaner from a paperwork standpoint, but you're carrying the home's costs (and the emotional weight) through the entire probate period.
One of you wants to live in it, hold onto it for sentimental reasons, or take it over as your primary residence. They buy out the other heirs' shares — either with cash or by refinancing the property into their name. A fair, neutral valuation is essential so the buyout number isn't a point of conflict.
The heirs decide to keep the property as a long-term rental — together or with one designated owner who pays the others periodically. This works for families who want to preserve the home and can manage the responsibility, but it's a long-term commitment with ongoing logistics.
You don't have to do everything at once. But these are the things worth getting in motion early.
A printable PDF with everything in this list plus more — what to do in week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4. Bring it to the attorney. Hand it to the family. Save it for whenever you're ready.
When you're further along and ready to think about the house specifically — I have a separate decision worksheet for that. No rush.
No commitment, no taking sides among heirs, no rush. Just calm conversation and steady help.
Phone, video, in person — whichever feels easier. We talk about where you are in probate, what the house looks like, who else is involved, and what you actually need help with first.
I'll walk through it (with you or for you if you're out of state), tell you what it would likely sell for as-is, what it could sell for with minor work, and what it's not worth fixing.
The legal side stays with your probate attorney. I work alongside them, keep all the heirs equally informed if there are multiple, and handle the day-to-day so you don't have to.
If you need to move fast, I'll move fast. If you need to take six months, I'll be here in six months. Whatever helps you most, in the right order.
As a Marine Corps and Army veteran, I understand what military families navigate when a service member dies — and how the standard probate playbook often doesn't fit. Here's what's worth knowing.
Losing someone reshapes everything. I've watched families hold each other up through some of the hardest seasons life delivers. The house can wait. The decisions can wait.
When you're ready to talk about the housing piece — privately, calmly, without anyone rushing you — that's what I'm here for. You don't have to have it figured out. You just have to be ready to start.
A confidential conversation costs you nothing — and could lift something off your shoulders. Pick a time that works, or reach me directly.
Every conversation is confidential. Nothing gets shared — with anyone.
Quiet answers to what most people ask first.
I'll send it straight to your inbox — and I'll never spam you or share your information. Just the checklist, and maybe a check-in if you want one.
Your info stays with me. Never shared. Never sold.
Your checklist is downloading now, and a copy is on its way to your inbox. If you want to talk something through, you can schedule a conversation anytime.
