Inheriting property can be a gift or a problem, depending on the circumstances. This is especially relevant if you are dealing with loss. Your best course of action may be to sell the property if you feel the responsibility of inheriting it is just too much for you.
Before selling an inherited property in Hawaii, you must think about a number of factors, including its market worth, any debts or mortgages still owing, the transfer of ownership process, and as well as any potential tax repercussions, such as capital gains taxes. If everything is in place, plan how to sell the house. For sale by owner, real estate investor, or agent transactions can be made with an iBuyer.
The things we have already discussed are simply the tip of the iceberg. Before you can actually sell your inherited house in Hawaii, there is a lot to learn and to be frank, it can be pretty complicated.
For your convenience, we’ve simplified the method in this useful guide. So read and save this website if you need assistance selling your inherited house fast.
Factors to Consider Before Selling Your Inherited House in Hawaii
Selling an inherited property in Hawaii is more difficult than selling a foreclosed property or an outdated house. You have to take a few different factors into account throughout the process, which can be quite complicated.
To give an example, consider the following factors before deciding to sell an inherited property.
Property Current Value
You must first determine the fair market value of your house before searching for an agent in Hawaii. You can do this by comparing it with other properties in the area or by using online tools designed for estimation.
However, keep in mind that the estimate does not guarantee that you will be paid exactly that much, so keep your expectations low.
The state of the house or the regional housing market are just two examples of situations and circumstances that have an instant impact on the market value of the property you inherited.
Unsettled Mortgage
The is a possibility that the Hawaii property you inherited still has an unsettled mortgage. The mortgage business that handles the loan can verify this for you.
You can start estimating how much money you’ll make from selling the house once you learn how much is still unpaid.
Outstanding Debts
Check for debts in addition to the due mortgage. Are there any outstanding bills? All property taxes have been paid, right? Does the property have a clear title, or is it subject to a lien?
You can verify if the proceeds from the sale of the house would only be used to settle the debts by responding to these questions. If so, you might want to wait to sell it until you have settled everything.
Number of People Inheriting the Property
The quantity of family members who will inherit the property is another important factor that you should take into account. Naturally, each of these parties must approve the property being sold.
It should be stated clearly who will be responsible for the sales process and other important tasks, such as getting rid of household items.
Home Transfer Status
Only if the inherited property is already registered in your name you would be able to sell it. There are three ways that you can legitimately own the inherited property, to be clear.
Go Through Probate Process
In Hawaii, inheriting a property through probate can be difficult, and frequently, the inheritors only receive a part of the property after settling off any remaining bills and taxes.
State laws on probate differ, but generally speaking, it is initiated when a loved one dies and there is an inheritance that needs to be transferred. Various paperwork is needed for probate, depending on where the deceased loved one had property.
If there is no will, the probate process can be very time-consuming and costly. Prior to giving the property to the inheritors during probate, the court ensures that all of your loved one’s creditors have been paid.
Living Trust
A living trust is the best way to inherit property. This document specifies who will take after the property so that the inheritors or heirs might profit afterwards.
For example, the parents (trustors) choose a trustee to sell inherited property so that the proceeds can be distributed equally among the children.
Transfer On Death Deed
This is sometimes referred to as a beneficiary deed and indicates that you received the property through a death deed or another document created by the homeowner before they passed away. You have the right to sell the property if you obtain ownership of it, thanks to this paperwork.
Factors to Consider Before Selling Your Inherited House in Hawaii
You can be financially affected if you inherit a Hawaii home. You and your family may be subject to inheritance tax as soon as you are listed as the owner, or you may be taxed after receiving the profits from the sale (capital gains tax).
State laws on this subject vary, but generally speaking, if you haven’t lived in the house for two of the previous five years, you won’t be eligible for the home sale tax deduction.
You are also required to pay taxes for any improvement in property value if you do not immediately plan to sell the property.
You should speak with a lawyer or an accountant to further understand the tax consequences of your specific situation. The details of tax laws are immensely complicated, particularly those relating to capital gains tax, sales taxes, federal estate tax, property taxes, etc.
You cannot, however, avoid paying Hawaii state sales tax, that is certain.
Where To Submit A Report On An Inherited Property Sale
If you choose to sell your inherited property, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) requires that the proceeds of the sale be declared as taxable income. The IRS offers guidance on reporting a sold property and selecting the appropriate documents.
In Hawaii, What To Do Before Selling An Inherited Property
Both the planning and execution of the selling of your inherited Hawaii property are important. Here is a complete list of things you should do to serve as your guide.
Clean And Organize Personal Possessions
It can be extremely difficult to look through and choose which possessions to keep and toss away if you have inherited property as a result of a loved one’s death. But eventually, you just need to make this decision.
You should seek assistance because you will be working with years worth of accumulated items.
Host A Yard Sale
It’s time to host a yard sale to dispose of the remaining assets once the heirs have been given their fair share of the valued items inside the home. The property will be more appealing if it is vacant, despite how absurd it may sound.
Speak with an estate sale specialist if you discover that selling the items on your own can be stressful. The house can begin to be repaired or upgraded once everything has been removed in order to sell it for a much higher price.
Wait For The Probate Period
Unless you received the property in Hawaii through a trust, as was previously mentioned, your inherited property will certainly go through probate. Due to the complex nature of the probate process, bring some patience.
Consult a probate lawyer or an estate planner in Hawaii to help the entire process go even more smoothly.
Identify The Appropriate Individual To Manage The Real Estate Transaction
It is not required to select an executor if your loved one had a valid will that specified a beneficiary and stated who would be in charge of distributing assets. This resembles the situation when the property has a trustee in some ways.
The siblings should come together and choose a person who will have the final say in ownership in situations where they received property from their parent but the parent did not specify who should handle sales and other transactions.
Hire A Lawyer
When many people inherit one property, conflicts over whether to sell it or not frequently occur. These disagreements may even lead to significant physical confrontations.
Hire a lawyer to avoid this. They can assist in resolving family issues so you can decide whether to sell the property.
Decide How To Sell The Inherited Property In Hawaii
You are now prepared to sell your Hawaii property after complying with the previous advice. Choosing a method of sale would be your next move. You have four options for selling an inherited home: using a real estate agent, doing it yourself, selling to an investor, or selling to an iBuyer.
All of this is outlined in the next section…
Hawaii’s 4 Ways of Selling a Property From Inheritance
1.) Real Estate Broker
Selling your inherited house with the assistance of a real estate agent will help you achieve the highest price. As your personal representative, they will assist you in choosing a sale price, promoting your property, and negotiating offers.
Here are some advantages of using a realtor to sell a property in Hawaii:
- Realtors can assist you in choosing a price that will attract buyers while also maximizing your profit from the transaction. They can assist you in keeping your inherited property from being overpriced or undervalued.
- Through smart advertising, they can highlight your property.
- They are skilled at addressing the psychological and financial concerns of prospective clients.
2.) Property Investor
Property investors can be contacted through home-buying businesses that make you a cash offer for your house in just a few days.
The advantages of selling in Hawaii to a property investor are as follows:
- You don’t have to worry about making renovations or the sale procedure because they buy property as-is.
- Because you don’t need to organize or clean the house, you can sell while you’re out of state.
- You might receive the cash payment at closing in as little as 7 days after the investor has viewed your home and determined that it passed the inspection.
- Since you will be dealing with the investor directly, there is very little paperwork.
3.) Owner Personally Selling The Property
You can sell your inherited home on your own if you have a lot of time. This means that you won’t need realtors to assist you.
The advantages of handling the sale of your Hawaii property yourself include the following:
- As a result of not having to pay the agent’s commissions, you may be able to earn more money. Note: If you truly are an industry expert, you can do this.
- Compared to selling to a real estate investor, you will receive a higher price.
4.) iBuyer
Real estate investors and iBuyers are alike, although iBuyers usually demand a fee. iBuyers operate only in large real estate markets (major cities).
The benefits of selling to an iBuyer in Hawaii include as follows:
- A cash offer will be made to you in under 48 hours.
- Real estate deals are typically conducted online, so you don’t need to visit any offices.
- You will be in charge of the sale schedule.
- You are not required to make any repairs or enhancements to the property. They’ll take it out of the money you’ll get.
Some Tips On How To Assess An Inherited Property And Negotiate Offers
If you decide to sell your inherited home on your own, you will need to choose the price. You’ll have control over the pricing, which makes this seem amusing, but it’s not.
The value of your inherited property in Hawaii will depend on a variety of factors, including any outstanding debts and mortgages, current expenses, the local housing market, etc.
The following advice will assist you in deciding on a price and negotiating offers for the inherited property:
Manage Your Expectations
Don’t depend on your listing price to sell your inherited property. Because of the market conditions, there’s a good chance that the bids would just be thousands of dollars below your asking price.
Also, the final price would be decided by the negotiations for the house you inherited. Hire a real estate agent if you want someone to negotiate on your behalf.
The Listing Price Shouldn’t Be Excessive
High listing prices discourage buyers from purchasing a property. You ought to pick a price that is “a little” greater than what you plan to accept.
More buyers would be interested and they would probably start a bid if the listed price is fair. As the seller, you will benefit from bid wars because you may achieve a higher sale price.
Avoid Selling The Property For An Insanely Low Amount
It’s natural to desire to sell an inherited home for the highest possible price when it contains many priceless memories. Buyers naturally want to get the best deal possible, though.
Many inheritors accept for less than the home is worth in order to make the sale, even while some inheritors lower their listing price to keep it more affordable for the buyers. Please do not do this.
The inherited home’s final selling price needs to fall somewhere between the minimum and maximum asking price. It ought to be based on fair market value.
Consider Your Options Before Selling Your Inherited House
If you are selling your inheritance, a buyer with strong negotiating skills may make a lower offer and then ask you to pay the closing fees or repairs. Speak with a Hawaii real estate expert before deciding to accept these negotiations.
Don’t Make Hasty Decisions
We know that selling your inherited property quickly could be your first goal, but you shouldn’t accept the first offer unless it is exactly what you asked for. Consider the consequences of quickly selling the inherited property.
Most buyers make their first offer below your asking price. Watch for a buyer who is ready to haggle over a fair price.
Study On Negotiation Techniques
They will be able to persuade you to accept their offers and compromises if you are unaware of the strategies used by prospective buyers. You could tell if you’re being low-balled by learning about buyer tactics.
As the seller, you should also study negotiating tactics so you’ll be aware of when to counteroffer, make a concession, or end the deal.
Expectation When Selling An Inherited Property In Hawaii
Selling inherited property involves a number of steps. Depending on a number of variables, it may last for weeks or months. However, in general, you should anticipate a few things to occur during that time.
A Showing Or An Open House
When dealing with a real estate agent, open houses and showings are important to gaining recognition in your home from potential buyers. This means that you should try your best to maintain the house and make sure that it is in excellent condition during the period that you are marketing it and making it available for visits. A cash buyer can be a better choice if you wish to keep people away from your inherited home.
Financial Commitments
Even though you’ve put your inherited home on the market, you still have to cover the costs of its utilities, including electricity, water, cable, and trash collection. You still have to make on-time mortgage payments if there is one due because you are the new owner of the property.
Maintenance costs for the home are another expense that can decrease your profit.
Your best option for getting rid of all of these costs, including the mortgage, is to sell the property as soon as possible.
Home Inspection
Before the inherited home is sold when selling with a realtor, a qualified home inspector will examine the property to check for any possible concerns, such as rotting constructions, fractured foundations, leaky roofs, broken pipes, etc.
Pre-listing inspections are an alternative if you want to make repairs prior to the property being on the market.
This is strongly advised as opposed to allowing the buyer to hire an inspector just to learn that the house needs several repairs. They can be discouraged by this or try to purchase your inherited Hawaii property for a lower price.
Conflicts
There may be some conflicts regarding ownership and financial responsibility when more than one person is identified as the owner of the property.
Personal disagreements can make the entire sale process take longer, especially if there are additional assets involved. While some heirs would prefer to keep the deceased’s assets, others may wish to sell the house and get rid of everything else.
The deal might be slowed down even more by potential concerns with tax and legal issues.
Problems You Might Face When Trying to Sell an Inherited Property in Hawaii
It would be smart to open a bottle of champagne after the closing because selling an inherited property in Hawaii won’t be a simple process. Before the house sells, your patience will be put to the test a few times.
The following is a list of difficulties you could run into when selling inherited property:
Property Still In Probate
Even though you are anxious to get rid of the property, if it is still in probate and there are ownership problems, you would not be able to do so. Before the court can make a decision regarding the property, years may pass.
Although the legal transfer won’t occur while the house is going through the probate procedure, this can be advantageous if the administrator or a family member needs to enjoy the house in the meantime.
Assets And Estate Value Are Distributed Equally
Conflicts may occur if the will does not indicate how the house’s worth should be divided among the heirs.
For example, if five siblings inherit a house and one of them cared for the parents until they passed away, that sibling would demand a larger share, which could create conflicts.
Getting Rid Of Some Stuff
It might be emotionally draining to receive property from a deceased family member, especially if it is your parent. You’ll find yourself filled with sorrow as you look through their possessions and decide which to keep and which to throw
Due to your guilt over not keeping their belongings and property, this task may even prove to be more difficult.
The Property Inherited Is “Underwater”
If a family member leaves you a property that is “underwater,” it might become a nightmare. In the context of real estate, this indicates that the property’s value is lower than the mortgage or loan that was obtained for it.
Another possibility is that the property has a debt, which would provide legal difficulties if sold straight away.
Numerous Repairs
A skilled house inspector would examine the property, as was already said, to identify any repairs that are needed. When selling to a retail buyer, you would be responsible for covering the cost of repairs if the previous owner ignored the property for any reason. You could easily spend several hundred dollars on this.
Consider a cash offer from a reliable We Buy Houses firm if you wish to postpone paying significant repair fees. Cash buyers purchase houses “as-is,” thus the seller is not required to touch a paintbrush.
Conclusions Regarding Hawaii’s Inheritance Property Sale
Because of the many procedures, you must go through before the actual sale, selling an inherited home in Hawaii can be extremely stressful.
After reading this guide, we hope you no longer feel as lost and are ready to start the process of selling your home.
We Buy Your House Hawaii is the company to contact if you need assistance selling an inherited property in Hawaii. Give us a call at (808) 515-8355 for a fast cash offer!
