Sell an Inherited House in Malibu, CA

Inheriting a house in Malibu often means inheriting a property worth far more than the estate’s other assets, which shapes the entire process of settling it. Cash Home Buyers CA works with heirs, executors, and trustees to sell inherited Malibu properties directly, without requiring the home to be repaired or staged first.

Trust, Probate, or Small Estate?

How you sell depends on how the property was held. If it was in a living trust, the successor trustee generally can sell it without court involvement.

If it wasn’t in a trust, California’s simplified process helps: for real property, an estate can often use the simplified succession procedure when the decedent’s property in California is valued at $750,000 or less, a threshold that applies through roughly March 2028; above that, formal probate through the Los Angeles County Superior Court is typically required.

For personal property only, not real estate, a small-estate affidavit can be used when the total is $208,850 or less.

Multiple Heirs, One Decision

When a Malibu property passes to siblings or several heirs jointly, disagreement about whether to sell, rent, or keep the home is common, especially with a property valuable enough that the numbers involved raise the stakes.

A cash sale simplifies this: once all heirs or the estate’s representative agree, proceeds are typically split according to the will, trust terms, or intestate succession rules, without the delay of listing, showings, and repairs that a traditional sale would require.

Prop 19 and Property Taxes

If a parent-child transfer is part of the picture, for example a parent’s Malibu home passing to a child who wants to move in, California’s Proposition 19 allows a limited property tax reassessment exclusion, generally up to about $1 million in additional assessed value, but only if the child moves into the home as their primary residence within one year of the transfer.

If the home is being sold to a third party rather than kept by a family member, this exclusion typically isn’t relevant, but it’s worth understanding if keeping the property is even being considered before deciding to sell.

Why Heirs Often Choose a Cash Sale

• Distance. Out-of-area heirs don’t want to manage repairs, fire-zone insurance, or coastal maintenance on a property they’ve never lived in.
• Condition. Inherited homes, especially older ones, often need work most heirs would rather not fund out of pocket before selling.
• Speed of settling the estate. A faster sale means faster distribution of proceeds among heirs.
• Avoiding shared carrying costs. Property taxes, insurance, and upkeep on a high-value Malibu home add up quickly while heirs decide what to do.

How the Sale Works

We evaluate the property, provide a written cash offer usually within 24 to 48 hours, and close through a licensed Los Angeles County title company once you or the estate’s representative are ready. If probate is still open, we can often still move forward with the appropriate court approval as part of escrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to finish probate before selling?
Not necessarily. Depending on the estate’s structure, a sale can sometimes proceed with proper court authorization as part of an open probate.

What if my siblings and I don’t agree on selling?
That’s a common situation. We’re happy to work with all heirs or their representative once a decision is reached.

Does the small-estate affidavit cover the house itself?
No, the $208,850 small-estate affidavit applies to personal property; real estate above $750,000 generally requires formal probate or another qualifying transfer method.

Can you buy the house before probate closes?
Often yes, with the proper court approval as part of the transaction; we can walk through what that looks like for your specific situation.

Get a free, no-obligation cash offer from Cash Home Buyers CA today.