Whether you are a newly appointed executor or personal representative or an attorney that has been retained by the estate or appointed by the court, it’s an absolute certainty that there will be difficult moments ahead.
First, there are usually the obvious emotional aspects of the situation. Often, the person chosen as the executor or personal representative to deal with the deceased person’s probate issues is also someone who is still grieving over the loss of that loved one or friend. Then, that same person is faced with the added challenge of having to make many decisions in areas in which they have no previous experience.
These decisions must also be made with the added pressure of knowing that whatever the results of these decisions are, they will likely be very closely scrutinized and (all too frequently) second-guessed by family and/or friends. Couple this with the legitimate concern that everything must be handled “legally and properly” as well as all the horror stories about probates that have gone badly and the pressure and stress really begins to multiply.
Even if there is no real estate in the matters to be disposed of by the personal representative or executor, this is a big undertaking and when Real Estate is involved, the load is compounded.
Be aware that no one should ever tell you that being an executor or personal representative can truly be stress-free because decisions will indeed have to be made. As an experienced Real Estate Professional, we will make sure that you are always well-informed in regard to these decisions – especially as they pertain to real estate. We will also help you with some of the difficult conversations you may have to have with family members and other heirs. If you haven’t yet secured the services of a competent probate attorney, we can help you choose one whose good work we know and are comfortable recommending.
We’ll help you at every step along the way and do everything possible to steer you clear of the minefields. Of course, you’ll still have to make some interesting choices, but having us as an advisor by your side makes the task significantly less lonely.
Here’s where we really shine. First, we will help you determine specifically what the most critical objective or objectives are in regard to the real estate that’s involved in the probate.
The Most important question is, “What is most important to the estate, Time or Maximizing the Value?”
When maximum revenue is the focus, we’ll make certain the property is not only listed properly but marketed aggressively and intelligently to assure maximum exposure. We’ll make sure you know exactly what the property is worth and we’ll help you determine any possible repairs (if any) that might add more to the final selling price than their cost – in other words, the greatest bang for the buck. Be aware that all too often, ill-informed sellers spend far too much on repairs that do not even cover their cost in the final sale price. This is where our experience, preparation, and savvy marketing skills come into play.
If so, we can provide immediate cash buyers from our list of qualified investors. Often, this is vital to allow a surviving spouse to move into a more suitable location, handle medical or other bills or simply get asset funds into the hands of the heirs quickly. Our investors can often make offers within 24 hours on almost any property and can close really quickly. Sometimes, funds can even be advanced prior to closing. Of course, timelines are frequently subject to the courts and filing timelines which are beyond our control, but our efforts minimize these delays whenever possible.
We work especially well in these situations since we have done this 100’s of times. Typically the attorney of record has one of two roles. They are either appointed to the task by the court or selected by the family or executor / personal advisor. If you’ve been court-appointed, then your role is usually focused strictly on the legal issues regarding any transactions and dispersal of assets. However, if you are retained by the family or the executor / personal representative, your role usually extends to include a more advisory capacity as well. In either case, we will at all times keep you well-informed about any aspect of the process in which we are involved – especially when it comes to fielding offers on the real estate.
In some cases, the family or executor / personal advisor will want ALL aspects of the probate to be handled completely by the attorney. In these cases, we’ll work with you as “the client” regarding the real estate, just as we would with the executor / personal advisor.
We have focused our efforts on working in this unique area of Real Estate because we feel it allows us to not only perform a much-needed service to people in times of great stress, but also because it is a place where we can differentiate our level of expertise from others who are not as focused in this niche. We’ve taken the time to and made the investment to properly prepare to assist you. If you’d like some general information, please review our list of Frequently Asked Probate Questions. We are ready to start working with you today and ease any unnecessary burdens quickly.
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Navigating the task of an estate liquation or decluttering your home to prepare it for sale can be a very stressful and emotional task. Fortunately, and unfortunately, Winning Edge Real Estate, and their time-tested vendors, specialize in helping their client(s) from beginning-to-end with a very hands-on approach to take the stress off their client’s shoulders.
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We can serve all of your real estate needs in and around the Baltimore-Washington Corridor. As real estate specialists, we are experts in representing both home sellers and home buyers.