Someone you love has died, and there is a house. You do not have to decide anything about it this week.
I'm Sarah Ingles, a Des Moines REALTOR®, and this is the work I focus on. Here is the order things happen in:
The court names who can sign. Nothing lists before that. Your attorney handles this part.
If the house is empty, someone calls the insurance company. Most policies limit coverage after 30 to 60 days vacant. If there is no agent to call, I give you three names.
The house sells while the estate runs. Usually around month two of six to nine.
The one thing to do this week is number 2. Everything else can wait.
Within 1 business day, in writing: what the house would sell for, what the estate would likely net, and what it costs each month while it sits. No call needed.
Sarah Ingles, REALTOR®, SRES®, CPCU® · Smart Move Des Moines (563) 513-8771 · 5.0★ across 40+ Google reviews
Updated September 2026
Get your numbers in writing.
Tell me where things stand, and within 1 business day you'll have it in writing: the order things happen in for your estate, and the numbers on the house. What it would sell for today, what it would net after Iowa closing costs, and what it costs to carry each month while the estate is open. Nothing here is legal advice; your attorney runs the case, and I stay on the property side.
When you're ready for more
● Market data updated · Des Moines Metro, Iowa · Updated monthly
Everything below is here for when you want it. None of it is homework this week.
Two clocks run at once. The house only waits on one event.
Two clocks, not one. The estate takes six to nine months, but the house only waits on a single event — Letters issuing, usually around month two. Everything after that runs in parallel, which is why a sale can close while the creditor period is still open. Ranges are typical; your estate’s attorney sets the actual dates.
Week one: secure the house and call the insurance company. Change the locks, stop the mail, winterize if it is empty. Most homeowner policies limit coverage after 30 or 60 days vacant. If there is no agent to call, I give you three names.
Weeks 1 to 4: the court names who can sign. Your attorney files the will, the court appoints the executor or administrator, and the Letters issue. Nothing lists before that.
Months 1 to 2: inventory and appraisal. The appraisal sets the estate's value and the heirs' new tax basis. This is also when I put the house numbers in writing: likely price, what the estate would pocket, what it costs each month while it sits.
Months 2 to 4: decide and list. As-is to a cash buyer, or clean out and list. Either way the house can go under contract while the four-month creditor period is still running.
Offer to closing: 14 to 45 days. Cash closes in 14 to 30. Financed buyers take 30 to 45. If the estate is supervised or there is no will, court approval adds 2 to 4 weeks, and I ask about it before we list rather than after we have a buyer. The proceeds go to the estate account, and the attorney handles the final report and distribution.
Three ways to sell, and what each one nets.
Path
Timeline
Typical price
Cash buyer, as-is
14 to 30 days
80 to 90 percent of market value. No repairs, no cleanout, no financing to fall through. I represent the estate, not the buyer, and the buyers I bring have verified funds.
Listed as-is
21 to 45 days on market
85 to 95 percent. The house is cleaned out but not fixed. Investors and handy owner-occupants both look.
Cleaned out and prepared
90 to 120 days
95 to 100 percent. Conventional buyers qualify and photos show well.
The difference is smaller than the headline suggests. On a house worth $215,000 prepared, the as-is cash number is about $180,000. Preparing it costs roughly $12,000 in repairs, $3,000 in cleanout, $2,000 in staging, and three more months of carrying costs, about $4,500. The estate nets about $193,500 prepared against $180,000 as-is: $13,500 more, four months later, with someone managing the work. For a local executor with time that is usually worth it. For heirs in three states with a vacant house, often not. Your written answer runs both numbers for your house.
Keeping or renting the house are also choices, and both need every heir to agree and one of them to carry it. Most families sell.
The two things that surprise heirs: taxes and insurance.
Iowa's inheritance tax is gone for deaths on or after January 1, 2025. There is no Iowa estate tax. The federal estate tax starts at $15 million in 2026, so it touches almost no one.
The basis steps up to the value at the date of death. A house bought for $80,000 and worth $250,000 at death has a $250,000 basis. Sell it soon for about that and there is no capital gain. Hold it for years and the gain since the death is taxed, at the federal rate and Iowa's flat 3.8 percent. Your CPA confirms the numbers for your estate.
A vacant house loses coverage. Most homeowner policies drop vandalism, theft, glass, and water damage after 30 or 60 days empty. A vacant-property endorsement or a dwelling-fire rewrite fixes it. I flag it in week one and hand you three licensed producers. I don't write insurance.
Three questions executors ask first.
Do I need to go through probate to sell an inherited house in Iowa?
If the person who died was the sole owner, usually yes: the court has to name who can sign before clear title can pass, whatever the estate's size. Property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship or in a living trust passes without probate, and an estate made up only of personal property under $100,000 can use the small-estate affidavit. Your attorney can tell you which path applies in one conversation.
Do I need court approval to sell estate property?
It depends on the type of probate. In unsupervised probate with a will that grants the executor authority to sell, usually not. Supervised probate and estates with no will generally need a court order, which adds 2 to 4 weeks. I ask your attorney which one applies before the house is listed, so it never delays a closing.
What if the heirs disagree about selling?
It is common, and it is expensive: every month the house sits costs the estate $1,000 to $3,000 in taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep. The usual resolutions are one heir buying the others out at the appraised value, selling and dividing the proceeds, or, when nothing else works, the attorney petitioning for a partition. My part is one written set of numbers every heir sees at the same time, so the argument is about the decision and not about the facts.
One family's account
“Sarah Ingles was an outstanding REALTOR® for our family. We needed to sell my mother’s home in a hurry. She really came through.”
Tell me where the estate is in the process. Within 1 business day you'll have what has to happen first, in order, what the house would sell for, and what the estate would pocket, in writing.
Legal & Tax Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, or financial advice. Probate laws, tax regulations, and real estate practices vary by situation and are subject to change. Always consult a qualified estate attorney for legal advice and a licensed CPA or tax professional for tax guidance specific to your circumstances. Sarah Ingles is a licensed REALTOR® and is not an attorney, CPA, or tax advisor.
Sarah Ingles, REALTOR® SRES® · Smart Move Des Moines · Brokered by Fathom Realty · Equal Housing Opportunity · Member of Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS® · MLS Participant
In short
Sarah Ingles is a Des Moines, Iowa REALTOR® whose practice centers on probate and inherited-property sales for executors and adult children — estate sales can run entirely remotely for out-of-state heirs — alongside senior downsizing and 55+ community transitions. Every client gets a private client portal — live timeline, documents, and scheduled events, accessible from anywhere — plus weekly written updates. Clients rate her 5.0 stars across 40+ Google reviews. Vendor referrals always come in threes. She holds two professional designations — SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist, National Association of REALTORS®) and CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, The Institutes) — so senior real estate training and an insurance credential come with the same agent. Through Smart Move Des Moines (brokered by Fathom Realty) she serves Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties — including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Clive, Johnston, Waukee, Grimes, Altoona, and Beaverdale. She can be reached at (563) 513-8771 or sarah@smartmovedsm.com (Iowa Real Estate License #S73007000). On this page: How long does it take to sell an inherited house in Iowa? The timeline depends on probate type and property condition. Cash sales can close in 14–30 days once you have legal authority. Traditional sales typically take 30–60 days on market. The full probate process — from filing to final distribution — usually takes 6–18 months in Iowa, with a minimum 4-month creditor claim period. Simple estates with clear wills and cooperative heirs move faster.
