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Start Here: What to Do With a Texas Home After an Owner Dies

You do not need to understand every Texas probate procedure before taking the first sensible step. Choose the situation that most closely matches yours. Each pathway explains what to address now, what documents to gather, which decisions may need to wait, and which professional should confirm the legal or title issues. More than one pathway may apply.

Important Note:

Bill Ross is a Texas real estate agent, not an attorney, CPA, or title professional. The guidance on this page and within each pathway is educational in nature and reflects general information about the Texas probate process. It does not constitute legal, tax, or title advice. Before taking action on any estate matter, consult a qualified Texas probate attorney for legal authority questions, a title company for insurability and record-title questions, and a CPA or tax attorney for tax and filing questions. The pathways below will help you identify what to address and which professional to call, but they do not determine whether probate is required, who has legal authority, or whether a transaction can close.

Important: Act promptly if the property is uninsured, unsecured, damaged, receiving foreclosure notices, occupied by someone whose rights are unclear, or accumulating unpaid taxes or HOA charges.

Contact the appropriate attorney, insurer, mortgage servicer, emergency service, or property professional. This website cannot determine legal authority or provide emergency assistance.

Where Are You in the Process?

The Homeowner Just Died

Protect the property and gather information without assuming anyone already has authority to act.

Probate Has Not Been Filed

Understand what can be done before appointment and which decisions should wait for counsel.

I Have Letters Testamentary or Administration

Shift from legal appointment to property assessment, sale planning, and organized execution.

There Is No Will

Understand heirship, administration, title, and why family agreement alone may not resolve authority.

The Home May Pass Outside Probate

Identify documents that an attorney and title company should examine before assuming probate is unnecessary.

Property Issues That Need Attention

The House Has a Mortgage or Reverse Mortgage

Protect payment status, communicate with the servicer, and understand what happens to the loan after death.

The Heirs Disagree

Separate legal authority from ownership, manage conflict, and identify when professional intervention is necessary.

The House Is Vacant or at Risk

Address insurance, access, utilities, security, maintenance, and loss prevention before damage or coverage gaps occur.

Someone Is Living in the Home

Identify occupancy rights, homestead protections, lease obligations, and access questions before taking action.

I Am Managing From Outside Texas

Build a local operating system for inspections, maintenance, signatures, and sale preparation without unnecessary travel.

What This Resource Can and Cannot Do

These Pathways Provide

  • Practical education about estate-property work in Texas
  • Guidance on what questions to ask and which professional to call
  • A framework for organizing the work ahead

These Pathways Cannot

  • Determine whether probate is required
  • Identify the lawful heirs or interpret a will or deed
  • Establish authority to sell or guarantee title insurance

Confirm those matters with a qualified Texas probate attorney and the title company involved in the proposed sale. Bill Ross is a real estate professional who helps families assess, prepare, and market estate homes. Legal, tax, and title decisions belong to the professionals licensed to make them.

Helpful Next Steps

Download the Executor Estate Home Sale Checklist

Full 15-section checklist for Texas estate home sales

View the Full Probate Guide

Detailed process, selling, and FAQ content

Find the Probate Court for Your County

Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Medina, Bandera, Kerr, Gillespie

Request a Confidential Real-Estate Consultation

Speak directly with Bill Ross about your situation

Author: Bill Ross, Hill Country Homesteads Group. Bill Ross is a licensed Texas real estate agent, not an attorney, CPA, or title professional. This content is educational and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, or title guidance. Readers are encouraged to consult with a qualified Texas probate attorney, a licensed title company, and a CPA or enrolled agent before making decisions about estate property. Information is current as of July 19, 2026 and may not reflect subsequent changes in law or practice.

Bill is a Certified Probate Expert serving Boerne, Fair Oaks Ranch, San Antonio, and the surrounding Hill Country communities. Hill Country Homesteads Group, brokered by KW Boerne.