Missouri has 114 counties plus the independent St. Louis City for 115 separate probate jurisdictions. The state pioneered the Beneficiary Deed (Transfer on Death) in 1989, making it one of the oldest TOD jurisdictions in the country. Kansas City (Jackson, Clay, Platte counties) and St. Louis dominate inherited-home volume; the Springfield/Greene County and Columbia/Boone County metros provide strong secondary volume.
Missouri was the first state in the country to authorize Beneficiary Deeds (Missouri Revised Statutes section 461.025, enacted 1989). TOD beneficiary deeds are deeply embedded in Missouri estate planning practice, and a large percentage of paid-off Missouri homes transfer outside probate.
Missouri offers Independent Administration (Missouri Revised Statutes section 473.780) when authorized by the will or by petition with all heirs agreeing. Independent administration is the dominant path for uncontested estates and clears in 9 to 12 months. Supervised administration runs 12 to 18 months. The 6-month claim period (section 473.360) is the floor.
Missouri has no state estate tax. Median home values around $235,000 keep most inherited Missouri homes in the modest-equity range, but the Kansas City Northland suburbs, Brentwood/Clayton (St. Louis), and the Lake of the Ozarks resort areas (Camden County) have significantly higher equity positions.
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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 Missouri 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 →Independent administration typically clears in 9 to 12 months. Supervised administration runs 12 to 18 months. The 6-month claim period under section 473.360 is the floor.
Yes — and Missouri pioneered them. Section 461.025 (Beneficiary Deeds, enacted 1989). TOD beneficiary deeds are extremely common.
Camden, Miller, and Morgan counties (Lake of the Ozarks) see strong second-home inherited turnover with high equity. The Springfield (Greene), Columbia (Boone), and Joplin (Jasper) metros round out the state's major markets.
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