In 2010 and once again in 2011 we lost family members tragically and unexpectedly.  Both of them lived out of town and both owned real estate.  Both times we were named as the personal representative and tasked with settling the estate.  We thought it would be easy because we are real estate professionals.  We work with attorneys, real estate agents, and contractors on a daily basis.  But we were wrong.  We didn’t know which attorney to call to probate the will.  We weren’t even sure if the will needed to be probated or if we could just do a simple affidavit of heir-ship. 

 

We needed to make a few improvements and repairs on the property but didn’t know any reputable contractors in the area.  We needed a lawn service to keep up with the yard.  We also needed to find the right company to hold an estate sale.  We needed to find an aggressive Realtor who could help us sell the property. We knew from experience how important it would be to choose the right one. 

 

The worst part was that all of this was coming at a time that was extremely difficult for us mentally and emotionally.  Because we know first-hand how difficult it can be to settle an estate, we created this page to offer help.