If you’ve inherited a house in Kalamazoo, Portage or anywhere else in Kalamazoo County, the first few weeks bring a pile of questions about the court, the paperwork and the house itself. Below is the order most families work through, with the official sources to check along the way.
General information only, not legal advice. Every estate is different, and a Michigan probate attorney or the court can tell you what applies to yours.
1. Figure out how the house was titled
Who can sell the house depends on whose name is on the deed, and how:
- Held in a trust: the successor trustee named in the trust can usually sell it without opening probate.
- Owned jointly with survivorship rights, or under a Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deed: the house may already belong to the surviving owner or the named beneficiary. A title company can tell you what needs to be recorded.
- In the deceased owner’s name only: plan on probate. The court appoints a personal representative and issues Letters of Authority, which is the document a title company asks for before anyone can sign to sell.
2. Check Michigan’s small-estate rules
Michigan has shortcuts for small estates, but they’re narrow when a house is involved. According to Michigan Legal Help:
- For deaths in 2026, the small-estate limit is $53,000, and it’s adjusted every year.
- Up to $264,000 of mortgage or lien debt on real estate can be subtracted when you figure the estate’s value.
- The 28-day Transfer by Affidavit can’t be used to transfer a house.
- When a house is part of a small estate, the route is a Petition and Order for Assignment through the probate court.
If the estate is over the limit, relatives disagree, or there’s a will to carry out, expect a full probate case.
3. Open the estate at the Kalamazoo County Probate Court
Kalamazoo County estates are handled by the probate court at the Gull Road Justice Complex:
Kalamazoo County Probate Court
Gull Road Justice Complex
1536 Gull Rd.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
(269) 383-8666, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Visit the court website
After the court issues Letters of Authority, the personal representative can usually sign a listing or a purchase agreement. Some estates need the court to approve the sale, so ask your attorney before you sign. Creditors get a window to file claims, and any mortgage or liens are paid off from the sale at closing.
4. Keep the house safe and the bills current
- Tell the homeowner’s insurance company the house is empty. Many policies cut back coverage after a vacancy, and you may need a vacant-home policy.
- Keep the heat on through a Michigan winter, or have a plumber winterize the house.
- Keep paying the property taxes. Unpaid taxes start a clock that can end in foreclosure; our guide to stopping a tax foreclosure in Kalamazoo County explains it.
- Stay current on any mortgage, lock the house, and check on it every week or ask a neighbor to.
5. Decide what to do with the house
Once someone has authority to sign, the family can choose. Some heirs keep the house or rent it out; inside the City of Kalamazoo, every rental has to be registered and certified first. Others list it, which usually brings the most money for a house in good shape but means repairs, a cleanout and months of showings. Others sell it as-is so the estate can close and divide the money. Our article on selling a Kalamazoo house that needs repairs compares the options.
Two disclosure rules to know about:
- Michigan’s Seller Disclosure Act usually requires a seller disclosure statement for homes with one to four units, but it exempts a personal representative or other fiduciary who doesn’t live in the house and is settling an estate (MCL 565.953).
- For homes built before 1978, the federal lead-based paint disclosure rule still applies to an estate sale (EPA).
How Grayline Real Estate helps Kalamazoo families
We buy inherited houses across Kalamazoo County as-is, whether they’re full of belongings, need major work or are behind on taxes. We can:
- Put a written cash offer in front of the family within 24 hours.
- Work with your probate attorney and the title company, and close in as little as 10 days once the personal representative can sign, or wait until the estate is ready.
- Clean out the house, so you only take what you want to keep.
- Buy with no commissions, and cover the closing costs.
Ernesto Rodriguez is a licensed Michigan real estate broker, so we can show the family how a cash sale compares with listing. Call 616-816-5111 or request your cash offer.