13 Heirs, Multiple Successions and One Closing

Some houses are difficult to sell because of their condition.

Others are difficult to sell because of everything surrounding the house.

This property in the Hollygrove area of New Orleans fell into the second category.

When we first walked the house, it appeared that the sale itself should be relatively straightforward. The owners had relocated to Mississippi, the property had previously been used as a rental, and they were simply ready to move on.

The house was in fairly good condition.

Getting everyone legally in a position to sell it turned out to be the complicated part.

By the time we reached the closing table, the transaction had required multiple successions and coordination between 13 different heirs.

It Started as a Straightforward Rental Property Sale

Our first visit to the property didn’t suggest that this would become one of our more complicated closings.

Dillon King from Home Buyer Louisiana walked the house after the owners contacted us about selling.

The owners had moved to Mississippi and the property had been rented to family members or people they knew. Once those tenants moved out, the owners didn’t want to find another tenant or continue dealing with the responsibilities that come with owning a rental property from another state.

They were ready to sell.

Unlike many of the houses we purchase, this wasn’t a property with major damage.

Dillon found some cracked bathroom tile, uneven flooring and cracks along some sheetrock tape lines, but overall described the property as largely turnkey.

For the sellers, this wasn’t really about the repairs.

It was about getting a property they no longer wanted to manage off their plate.

That’s a situation we see regularly. A homeowner doesn’t necessarily need to be facing foreclosure or sitting on a house requiring $100,000 in renovations to decide that selling as-is makes sense.

Sometimes people are simply ready to move on.

You can learn more about how we work with owners who are ready to [sell a rental property](https://homebuyerlouisiana.com/sell-house/selling-rental-property/) without taking on another round of tenants, repairs and property management.

Then the Title Work Became the Real Challenge

Once we started working through the transaction, it became clear that getting the property to closing would require considerably more work than the physical condition of the house suggested.

There were multiple successions involved. And ultimately, 13 heirs needed to be part of getting the transaction completed.

Anyone who has dealt with inherited real estate knows that the house itself can sometimes be the easiest part of the problem.

When multiple family members have an interest in a property, there can be a lot to coordinate.

People may live in different places. Some family members may understand the situation better than others. Everyone may have different questions, priorities and schedules.

Then there is the legal and title work required to determine exactly what needs to happen before a property can be transferred.

That’s why transactions like this require two things to happen at the same time:

The title professionals have to work through the legal side of the transaction, while someone keeps the people involved informed and moving in the same direction.

Keeping 13 Heirs Moving Toward the Same Closing

Our Acquisition Specialist, Shanon Williams, handled much of the communication with the family throughout the process.

With this many people involved, communication matters. You can’t simply get a contract signed and disappear until closing.

Questions come up. Documents are needed. People need updates. There may be family members who haven’t spoken directly with anyone else involved in the transaction.

Our role was to keep communicating with the sellers, help everyone understand where the transaction stood and keep the process moving while the title team handled the succession and title work.

The team at Title Stream played a major role on that side of the transaction, working through the legal and title requirements and ultimately organizing a closing involving all of the necessary parties.

It took patience and coordination, but eventually everything came together.

Thirteen heirs. Multiple successions. One closing.

What Did the Sellers Think?

After the closing, Shanon sat down with several members of the family and asked them about their experience working with Home Buyer Louisiana.

Their response probably explains the result better than we can.

They described the process as:

“Easy peasy, just like the Big Easy.”

They also specifically complimented Shanon and told us how much they enjoyed working with the TitleStream team.

That was particularly satisfying considering how much had to happen behind the scenes to get everyone to the closing table.

A complicated transaction doesn’t necessarily have to feel complicated to the seller.

That’s the goal.

Can You Sell an Inherited House With Multiple Heirs?

Having multiple heirs doesn’t automatically mean a property can’t be sold.

It does mean that determining ownership and getting the appropriate people involved can be an important part of the process.

Every succession and title situation is different, so we don’t try to give sellers legal advice. Instead, when title issues arise, we work alongside experienced title professionals and attorneys who can determine what legally needs to happen.

Our job is to work on the real estate side, communicate with the sellers and stay with the transaction while those issues are being resolved.

We’ve seen enough unusual title situations in South Louisiana to know that a problem discovered during title work doesn’t always mean the deal is dead.

Sometimes it simply means there is more work to do.

The House Doesn’t Have to Be in Bad Condition

There’s another important lesson from this particular Hollygrove sale.

The property wasn’t falling apart.

The sellers simply didn’t want it anymore.

They lived out of state, their previous rental arrangement had ended, and they didn’t want to become long-distance landlords for another tenant.

Selling a property is ultimately a financial and personal decision.

For some owners, listing with a real estate agent and waiting for a retail buyer makes the most sense.

For others, avoiding repairs, showings, tenant issues or a complicated traditional sale is more important.

Our job is to give homeowners another option.

Selling a House in Hollygrove or New Orleans With Multiple Heirs?

If you own a house in Hollygrove or elsewhere in New Orleans and there are multiple heirs, an unresolved succession or another title issue involved, don’t assume you need to figure everything out before contacting a buyer.

Start by finding out what you’re dealing with.

Home Buyer Louisiana purchases properties throughout New Orleans and South Louisiana, including houses involving inherited ownership, difficult title situations, out-of-state owners and properties with multiple family members involved.

We buy houses as-is, and we’re comfortable working through transactions that may take more communication and coordination than the average home sale.

If it turns out that selling to us isn’t the best solution, we’ll tell you that too.

Sometimes the house is the complicated part.

Sometimes it’s the paperwork.

And sometimes it’s getting 13 people to the same finish line.

This time, we got there.