Selling a California Home With Complications or Special Circumstances

Tax Liens and Other Liens

A lien doesn't automatically mean you can't sell your property.

Depending upon the type of lien and the amount of equity available, certain obligations may be paid through escrow from the proceeds of the sale.

Other situations require additional work.

The first step is identifying what is actually recorded against the property, obtaining appropriate payoff information and determining whether there is enough money in the transaction to satisfy everything that needs to be addressed.

Learn more:

Selling a California House With Tax Liens

I Have a Tax Lien on My House — Can I Still Sell It?

What If I Don't Have Enough Equity to Pay the Tax Liens When I Sell?

I Didn't Know There Was a Lien on My House Until I Tried to Sell It

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Divorce and Selling the Family Home

Selling a house during a divorce can involve much more than deciding on a listing price.

One spouse may still live in the property.

One may have moved away.

The parties may disagree about selling.

There may be mortgage payments, tax liens, equity questions or deferred repairs.

And sometimes the two people who own the house would prefer not to communicate with each other at all.

My role isn't to decide who's right.

My role is to keep the real estate transaction as neutral, organized and manageable as possible.

Resources

Selling a House During Divorce in California — Where Do We Start?

Can We Sell the House Before the Divorce Is Final?

What If One Spouse Wants to Sell and the Other Doesn't?

How Do We Sell the House If We Aren't Speaking to Each Other?

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Probate and Inherited Property

Inheriting a house can create an entirely different set of questions.

Who has authority to sell it?

Does it need to go through probate?

What if several heirs are involved?

What if nobody wants the property?

What if you live outside California?

And what if the house itself needs significant work?

I've handled probate and inherited-property transactions throughout Southern California and understand that sometimes the real estate is only one part of a much larger estate situation.

Learn more:

California Probate Real Estate

I Just Inherited a House in California — Where Do I Start?

I Inherited a House I Don't Want — Can I Just Sell It?

What to Expect When Selling Property From Another State

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Hoarder Houses

Sometimes an inherited or owner-occupied property contains far more than ordinary clutter.

There may be rooms packed with belongings, inaccessible areas, years of accumulated possessions or serious sanitation concerns.

If you're dealing with a hoarder property, please don't be embarrassed.

And don't automatically spend thousands of dollars cleaning everything out before determining what makes sense for the real estate.

The condition of the property is the problem we're trying to solve. It isn't a prerequisite you have to solve before asking for help.

Learn more:

Inherited a Hoarder House in California — How Can You Sell It?

Do I Have to Clean Out a Hoarder House Before Selling It?

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Biohazards and Unsafe Property Conditions

Some properties aren't merely dirty or outdated.

They may contain animal or human waste, severe pest contamination, mold, sewage, needles, fire damage, structural problems or other potentially dangerous conditions.

You shouldn't put yourself at risk trying to make a property presentable before selling it.

Certain situations may require qualified remediation, environmental, building or other professionals.

Other properties may potentially be sold substantially as-is to an appropriate buyer.

Learn more:

Selling an Inherited House With Biohazards or Unsafe Conditions

I Inherited a Hoarder House in California — How Can I Sell It?

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Red-Tagged, Yellow-Tagged and Code Enforcement Properties

A city or other governmental agency may have restricted occupancy or access, identified unsafe conditions, issued correction notices or become involved because of code violations.

Don't assume that means the property can never be sold.

And don't automatically start making repairs without understanding exactly what the applicable agency requires.

The terminology and requirements can vary by jurisdiction and circumstances.

Learn more:

Selling a Red-Tagged or Yellow-Tagged Inherited Property in California

Selling an Inherited House With Biohazards or Unsafe Conditions

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Little or No Equity

A property can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and still have little or no usable equity.

The mortgage is only part of the calculation.

There may also be:

Second mortgages.

Home equity lines.

Partial claims.

Tax liens.

Judgments.

HOA obligations.

Delinquent property taxes.

And selling expenses.

That's why I prefer to look at the complete financial picture before assuming a homeowner has — or doesn't have — equity.

Learn more:

California Short Sale Center

What If I Don't Have Enough Equity to Pay the Tax Liens When I Sell?

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Previous Loan Modifications and Partial Claims

This one surprises homeowners.

You may have completed a loan modification years ago and remember only the new monthly payment.

Then you decide to sell and discover another recorded obligation associated with the previous mortgage assistance.

A partial claim or subordinate deed of trust can materially change the amount of equity you actually have.

Learn more:

Partial Claim Deed of Trust Explained

Before You Sign a Loan Modification, Understand Every Document

Loan Modification Help and Information

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Behind on Mortgage Payments or Facing Foreclosure

Financial hardship doesn't automatically mean foreclosure is inevitable.

Depending upon your circumstances and timing, there may be several possible paths.

The important thing is not waiting until the last minute to find out what they are.

If selling is the appropriate choice, we need to understand the mortgage, property value, equity and foreclosure timeline as early as possible.

Learn more:

California Short Sale Center

Selling After a Loan Modification

Need to List Your Property for Sale Quickly?

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Short Sales

Sometimes the expected proceeds from selling aren't enough to satisfy the mortgage and other obligations required to complete a conventional sale.

That's where a short sale may potentially become an option.

Short sales aren't ordinary transactions.

They require lender approval and can involve additional lienholders, mortgage insurers, governmental entities and other parties.

I've handled distressed-property and short-sale transactions for many years and understand the importance of identifying the financial and title issues early.

Learn more:

California Short Sale Center

How Does a California Short Sale Work?

What Documents Are Required for a Short Sale?

Short Selling a Second Home

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Selling a House That Needs Major Repairs

Maybe there's nothing legally or financially complicated about the property.

It's just in terrible condition.

The roof leaks.

The HVAC doesn't work.

The kitchen hasn't been touched since 1974.

There's water damage.

The plumbing needs work.

Or you've inherited years of deferred maintenance.

Don't automatically renovate.

Sometimes repairs substantially improve the seller's net proceeds.

Sometimes they don't.

The question isn't simply:

“How much more could I sell it for if I fixed it?”

It's:

“After the cost, time and risk of fixing it, how much more would I actually keep?”

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Selling From Outside California

You don't necessarily need to travel back and forth to California every time something needs to happen at the property.

Many aspects of a sale can be handled remotely, including documents, communication and transaction coordination.

This is particularly helpful for heirs, absentee owners, second-home owners and people who have already relocated.

Learn more:

Selliing California Property from a Distance

I Just Inherited a House in California — Where Do I Start?

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Multiple Owners or Complicated Ownership

Sometimes the property isn't the problem.

The people are.

A house may have:

Multiple heirs.

Former spouses.

Family members.

Trustees.

Co-owners.

One person on the mortgage and two people on title.

Owners living in different states.

Or people who don't agree about what should happen next.

The authority to sell and the documentation required depend upon how title is held and the particular circumstances.

When legal questions arise, the appropriate attorney may need to become involved.

From the real estate side, we identify the ownership issue early so it doesn't become a surprise immediately before closing.

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I Don't See My Situation Here

Good.

Call me anyway.

After more than 26 years in real estate, I've learned that complicated property situations don't always fit neatly into categories.

You may have three of the problems on this page at the same time.

Maybe you're going through a divorce and have a tax lien.

Perhaps you inherited a hoarder house and the city red-tagged it.

Maybe you completed a loan modification, later discovered a partial claim and now don't have enough equity to sell conventionally.

Real life doesn't care about website categories.

That's okay.

You don't need to diagnose your own transaction before contacting me.

Tell me what's happening.

I'll ask questions.

We'll identify what we know, what we don't know and what needs to be investigated.

And if part of the problem belongs with an attorney, CPA, tax professional, contractor, governmental agency or another qualified professional, I'll tell you that too.

You Don't Have to Solve the Problem Before You Call Me

That's really what this entire page is about.

Homeowners sometimes wait because they think they need to:

Pay the lien.

Clean the house.

Finish the probate.

Resolve the divorce.

Repair everything.

Catch up on the mortgage.

Understand the partial claim.

Or somehow turn a complicated property into a normal property before calling a Realtor.

You don't.

Complicated is where we start.

I've been a California real estate broker for more than 26 years and work with unusual, distressed and complicated property sales throughout Southern California.

No judgment.

No obligation to have all the answers.

And no need to make your situation sound better than it is.

Tell me what's really going on.

That's usually the best place to begin.

Call or text 714-932-1746 Dawn Anderson, Broker — Midas Realty Group

Real estate transactions involving probate, divorce, liens, foreclosure, taxes, trusts, code enforcement, unsafe property conditions or other special circumstances may involve legal, tax, environmental, governmental or financial issues outside the scope of real estate brokerage. Appropriate qualified professionals should be consulted when necessary. Information on this page is general in nature and is not legal, tax, financial or environmental advice.