California is the largest inherited-home market in the country by dollar volume, with roughly 280,000 deaths a year, a median home value of $765,000, and a median equity-per-home that is multiples of any other state's. Prop 19 (effective February 2021) fundamentally changed the math by stripping the parent-child exclusion for non-primary-residence transfers, which dramatically increased the rate at which inherited California homes are sold rather than held.
California is a community property state (California Probate Code section 100), which simplifies surviving-spouse cases significantly. The Spousal Property Petition (Probate Code section 13650) allows a surviving spouse to clear title in a single hearing — often within 60 days — without full probate.
Proposition 19 (passed November 2020, effective February 16, 2021) eliminated the parent-child reassessment exclusion for inherited homes that are NOT used as the heir's primary residence within one year. The practical effect: inherited California homes that previously stayed in the family at decades-old tax bases are now reassessed to current market value if not occupied by the heir, generating tax bills that often exceed $20,000-$50,000 per year. This is the single biggest driver of inherited-home listings in California since 2021.
California has tiered probate procedures rather than a single threshold: very small estates can clear real property with a simplified affidavit, mid-sized estates may qualify for a streamlined petition to determine succession to real property, and larger estates go through full formal probate — and the dollar limits separating these tiers are adjusted periodically, so confirm which one fits your situation before assuming you face full probate. Full probate runs 9 to 18 months in most counties — far slower than community-property peers like Texas or Arizona, and Los Angeles Superior Court probate typically runs 12 to 18 months. The Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA, Probate Code section 10400) lets the personal representative sell real property without a separate court confirmation in most cases, which can save the family months.
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Not every estate goes through it — it depends on how the home was titled, whether there's a will or trust, and California rules. We'll help you find out.
Start with probate →Selling isn't the only option. Talk through whether it makes sense for you and what you'd actually walk away with after costs and the stepped-up basis.
Explore selling →Renting, holding, or renovating could be worth it. See what the numbers look like in your specific market before deciding.
Look at keeping it →Before you sell, rent, or move in, understand the home's real condition — and what fixing it up would actually take locally.
Check repairs →Most California probates run 9 to 18 months. Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties trend toward 12 to 18 months because of court calendars. The 4-month creditor period (Probate Code section 9100) is the floor.
Yes, but with a sunset. The Revocable Transfer on Death Deed (Probate Code section 5642) was reauthorized through January 1, 2032 with significant new restrictions added in 2022 (witnesses required, notice to heirs). TOD use is less common than in Arizona or Nevada.
Prop 19 (effective February 16, 2021) removed the parent-child reassessment exclusion for inherited homes not used as the heir's primary residence within one year. Inherited investment/rental properties get reassessed to current value, creating dramatically higher property tax bills and pushing heirs to sell.
Equity positions are still meaningful — Riverside median home values exceed $550,000.
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