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Possibly, and the jump can be steep. Under Proposition 19, an inherited California home is reassessed to market value unless the heir makes it their primary residence, and even then the exclusion is capped at $1,044,586 above the parent’s factored base value (in effect Feb 2025–Feb 2027). A modest home with a low Prop 13 base can jump from a few thousand dollars a year to many times that. If you plan to sell, selling promptly often avoids the bill.
Often, yes. If the home was held in a living trust, in joint tenancy, or passes by a transfer-on-death deed, you can sell without probate. If it was in the decedent’s sole name you generally need probate authority first, but you can sell DURING probate once the court grants the executor authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act (Cal. Probate Code §10400 et seq.). We close in 7 days or less once authority is in place.
Usually very little. Inherited property gets a stepped-up cost basis to its fair-market value on the date of death (IRC §1014), so you owe capital-gains tax only on appreciation between the date of death and the sale. Selling soon after inheriting typically means little or no gain, which is one of the biggest reasons selling an inherited home is often tax-efficient. Confirm with a CPA.
By Steven Williams, Founder & CEO, Rapid Home Solutions, buying Bay Area homes since 2014.
By Steven Williams, Founder & CEO · Updated November 2026
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Hear from families who inherited a house through probate, a trust, or a parent’s passing, and chose to sell as-is, settle the estate, and skip the repairs, the cleanout, and the Prop 19 tax surprise.
Just want to know what it’s worth and what you’d net? Request a no-obligation cash offer above. There’s no pressure to sell, but knowing the number is the first step to deciding between keeping, renting, and selling.
Inheriting a home is rarely simple. There’s grief, there’s an estate to settle, and there are three real choices, move in, rent it out, or sell, each with very different tax consequences in California. The single biggest surprise heirs hit is property tax: thanks to Proposition 19, the low tax bill your parents paid for decades does not automatically pass to you.
Rapid Home Solutions, founded by CEO Steven Williams in 2014, with Dawson Criddle as Head of Acquisitions, walks you through the Prop 19 reassessment trap, the federal stepped-up-basis advantage that makes selling cheap, and how a cash sale settles an estate fast: contents, repairs, and all. If you’re dealing with the court process itself, see our probate sale guide.
Each path has a different tax and cash reality. Here’s the honest version:
Usually, unless you move in. Under Proposition 19, an inherited home keeps your parent’s Prop 13 tax base only if it becomes your principal residence and you file the homeowners’ exemption within one year. Even then, market value above the parent’s factored base plus $1,044,586 is added to the base. A home you rent out or leave vacant is reassessed to market value as of the date of inheritance.
This is the part that blindsides heirs. Proposition 19 (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §63.2, effective Feb 16, 2021) replaced the old unlimited parent-child exclusion. To keep your parents’ low Prop 13 base-year value, the home has to become your primary residence, and you file two forms with the county assessor. The homeowners’ exemption (Form BOE-266) is due within one year of the date of death or transfer. If you file it later, the exclusion is applied only going forward, not back to the date of death. The exclusion claim itself (Form BOE-19-P) is due within three years of the transfer, or before the home is transferred to a third party, whichever comes first. For a home held in a living trust, the transfer date is usually the date of death, when the trust becomes irrevocable, so a long probate or trust administration can use up the first year before you realize it. See the Board of Equalization’s Prop 19 filing checklist.
You also have to keep living there. At least one eligible child must continue to live in the home as a principal residence. If several children inherit it together, only one of them has to move in and claim the exemption. If the last one moves out, the home gets a new taxable value as of the next lien date: its market value on the date you inherited it, adjusted each year for inflation. (Source: BOE Prop 19 FAQs, parent-child questions 2 and 3.)
If you don’t move in, the county reassesses the home to today’s market value, and the low base year is erased entirely. In the Bay Area that’s brutal: a home a parent bought in the 1980s for ~$150,000 (property tax ~$1,800/yr) reassessed at a $1.5M market value jumps to roughly $18,000/yr, and on higher-value homes, $30,000+/yr. The new value is set as of the date of death, which is the date of the change in ownership.
| What you do with it | Prop 19 result | Est. annual property tax* |
|---|---|---|
| Move in within 1 year (primary residence) | Keep parents’ base + a $1,044,586 buffer | ~$1,800 (largely preserved) |
| Don’t move in (keep as a 2nd home or vacant) | Full reassessment to market value | ~$18,000–$36,000 |
| Inherit as a RENTAL / investment | NO exclusion at all: reassessed regardless | ~$18,000–$36,000 |
Even if you do move in, the protection is capped. The limit is the parent’s factored base year value plus $1,044,586, the figure for transfers from February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027. The Board of Equalization adjusts that amount every two years, so a new figure applies to transfers on or after February 16, 2027. Any market value above the limit is added to the base. BOE’s own example, scaled to today’s figure: a home with a $300,000 factored base and a $1,500,000 market value has a limit of $1,344,586, so $155,414 is added and the new taxable base is $455,414. (Source: BOE Proposition 19.) Your county assessor sets the exact number; find yours in the BOE county assessor directory, or go straight to Contra Costa, Alameda or Santa Clara. *Illustrative figures; your county assessor and a tax advisor have the exact numbers.
Here’s the flip side that makes selling attractive. Property tax (Prop 19) and capital gains (federal) are two completely separate systems. Under federal law (IRC §1014), when you inherit a home you receive a stepped-up basis equal to its fair-market value on the date of death. If you sell at or near that value soon after, your taxable capital gain is close to zero. So the same inherited home can hand you a 10x property-tax problem for keeping it and almost no capital-gains tax for selling it, which is exactly why selling promptly is, for many heirs, the financially rational move. (Confirm specifics with your tax advisor.)
Leave it all. We buy inherited homes as-is, contents included. You don’t have to clear out a lifetime of belongings, make a single repair, or pass an inspection. Decades of deferred maintenance, a hoarder situation, fire or water damage, an unpermitted in-law unit: none of it stops us. Take the keepsakes that matter and leave the rest; we handle the cleanout and repairs after closing. (More on selling in poor condition: selling a house as-is.)
| Factor | Keep / rent it | Sell to us |
|---|---|---|
| Property tax (if you don’t move in) | Reassessed, often $18k–$36k/yr | N/A, it’s sold |
| Capital gains on sale | Grows as the home appreciates past the step-up | ~$0 if sold near the date-of-death value |
| Repairs / cleanout | On you | None: as-is, contents included |
| Landlord duties (if rented) | Costa-Hawkins / AB 1482 apply | None |
| Time & effort | Ongoing carrying costs + management | Closed in 7 days or less |
| Estate settled | Drags on | Funds distributed at closing |
Working with Steven was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. Not only did they provide a competitive cash offer and close in just 10 days, but they also honored my full commission as the listing agent — something that truly speaks to their professionalism and integrity. The property was sold completely as-is and required multiple dumpsters worth of clean-out and hauling, yet they never questioned a thing or made the process difficult. The transaction was smooth, straightforward, and one of the easiest deals I’ve ever been a part of. If you’re looking for a reliable buyer for a quick and hassle-free sale opportunity, I highly recommend Steven and his team.
We were about to retire and move out of state, so we needed to sell our home of 16 years. Our home needed some TLC but we just wanted to move on and retire! We looked at all the options and decided to sell off-market with Rapid Home Solutions and we couldn’t have made a better decision. Super fast closing, no real estate agents or commissions, and they took the house as-is, no questions asked. Dawson and his team were super friendly and flexible and we couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Stay away from the lowballing sharks and work with someone who is all about a win-win for both parties!
If you are in need of quick and trouble-free as-is sale for a reasonable offer and no contract loopholes like most as-is buyers, choose Rapid Home Solutions. Dawson is honest and upfront about everything. The offer was fair and quick closing. A big help to my family when we needed it.
Fast and smooth transaction with Steve and his crew. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy team, rapidhomesolutions gets the job done!
I recently used Rapid Solutions to sell my house, and I’m thrilled with the experience. From start to finish, their process was seamless, efficient, and stress-free, making them a standout choice for homeowners looking to sell quickly. Pros: • Speedy Process: True to their name, Rapid Home Solutions lived up to their promise of a fast sale. After reaching out, they provided a fair cash offer within 48 hours, and we closed the deal in just 16 days. This was a lifesaver as we needed to close as soon as possible. • Hassle-Free Experience: No need for repairs, staging, or endless showings. They bought the house as-is, which saved us time and money. The team handled all the paperwork, making it incredibly convenient. • Transparent and Fair: The offer was competitive, and there were no hidden fees or commissions. Their team clearly explained the process, so we felt confident every step of the way. • Professional Team: Dawson was courteous, responsive, and genuinely cared about our needs. He answered all our questions promptly and tailored the timeline to fit our schedule.
Super easy, super fast. 10 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ not to mention really nice people. No hard sell whatsoever. It was a huge relief.
Great experience!! Super fast funding and wonderful people to work with. Highly recommend!!
Rapid Home solutions will help you sell fast and no hassle. They won’t waste your time at all, but will come with a personalized solution for you! If you are lucky enough to work with Dawson, that guy is not playing games. I’ve worked personally with him and he cares about the sellers he talks to and he enjoys helping people. I know no one with better work ethics! If you happen to meet these guys and think they could possibly help, don’t hesitate, just call them!!!
I worked with Dawson for my mother’s condo that was in bad shape. Dawson was incredibly fair on price and very compassionate about her situation and made the process very easy to complete. Everything went smoothly and she received her funds quicker than we expected. I did check with other companies and there was no comparison in my mind.
Yes. If the home is held in a revocable trust, the successor trustee can sell it directly with no probate, often the fastest path. We close in 7 days or less.
None. No agent commissions, no repair costs, no cleanout bill, and no closing-cost surprises. The cash offer you accept is what the estate receives.
No repairs, no cleanout, no commissions, and no pressure. We buy the home as-is, coordinate with your estate attorney, and close on your timeline, before the Prop 19 clock costs you. Curious how the sale itself works? Here is what happens after you accept our cash offer, step by step. Dawson Criddle, Head of Acquisitions, personally reviews every inquiry.
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DISCLAIMER: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. California property-tax, estate, and inheritance law is complex and your situation may require advice from a licensed California attorney or tax professional. Rapid Home Solutions is a real estate operation, not a law firm; Dawson Criddle is a Licensed California Real Estate Agent, not an attorney or tax advisor. Statutory references (Prop 19 / Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §63.2; IRC §1014; the $1,044,586 amount for transfers Feb 16, 2025 to Feb 15, 2027 per the BOE Proposition 19 page) reflect our understanding as of the last-updated date. Always verify current figures with your county assessor and a tax advisor before deciding. Property-tax figures shown are illustrative.
