You've inherited a home in Sacramento, Fresno, Stockton, Bakersfield, or somewhere in between. Maybe you already knew probate was part of the process. Maybe this is the first time you've heard the word. Either way, you're probably asking the same question most heirs ask first: how long is this going to take?
The honest answer is longer than most people expect — and every month it takes has a real dollar cost attached to it. Property taxes keep accruing. Insurance needs to stay current. Utilities run. And in Sacramento and the Central Valley, where home values are meaningful but not Bay Area stratospheric, those carrying costs eat into your proceeds faster than most heirs anticipate.
This guide walks through what the California probate process actually looks like from the inside, what the timeline means for your specific situation in this market, and what your options are — whether you want to sell quickly or take your time.
How Long Does Probate Actually Take in California?
The short answer: most California probate cases take between 9 and 18 months from the date of filing to final distribution. Some straightforward estates close in under a year. Complex estates — especially those with disputed assets, outstanding debts, or multiple beneficiaries — can take two years or longer.
California has some of the most structured probate requirements in the country, which is part of why it takes longer than many other states. Here's a rough month-by-month picture of how it typically unfolds:
- Months 1–2: Filing the petition for probate with the Superior Court in the county where the deceased lived. In Sacramento County, this means the Sacramento Superior Court. In Fresno County, the Fresno Superior Court — and so on. The court sets a hearing date, usually 4–6 weeks out.
- Months 2–3: The probate hearing. The executor is formally appointed and Letters Testamentary are issued — the document that gives the executor legal authority to act on behalf of the estate, including managing or selling real property.
- Months 3–6: Inventory and appraisal of estate assets. California requires a Probate Referee — a state-appointed appraiser — to value real property. This step can take several months depending on the Referee's workload in your county.
- Months 4–9: Creditor notification period. California law requires creditors to be given at least 4 months to file claims against the estate. This waiting period cannot be shortened.
- Months 6–12: Payment of debts, filing of estate tax returns if required, and preparation for final distribution.
- Months 9–18+: Petition for final distribution, court hearing, and transfer of assets to heirs.
One thing many heirs don't realize: you can often list and contract a sale of the property during probate — you just can't close until Letters Testamentary are issued and, in some cases, until the court approves the sale. An experienced cash buyer who has worked through California probate sales before can help navigate this timing so you're not starting from zero the day probate closes.
What the Sacramento and Central Valley Probate Process Looks Like Locally
Probate timelines vary not just by estate complexity but by county — specifically by how backed up the local Superior Court is. In Sacramento County, the probate division has historically run close to statewide averages, meaning a 12–15 month timeline is realistic for most estates.
In the Central Valley, timelines can vary more widely. Fresno County Superior Court and San Joaquin County Superior Court (which handles Stockton-area estates) both process significant probate caseloads. Kern County (Bakersfield) tends to move a little faster due to lower overall court volume, though this can change year to year.
What this means practically: if you inherited a home in Stockton or Modesto and filed for probate this month, you're realistically looking at closing the estate sometime next year at the earliest — and that's if everything goes smoothly.
A few local factors that can affect your timeline:
- Whether the property has a clear title or any outstanding liens or encumbrances that need to be resolved
- Whether all heirs are in agreement about what to do with the property — disputes between beneficiaries are one of the most common causes of extended probate timelines
- Whether simplified succession procedures might apply — though for most inherited homes, full probate is required regardless of value. It may be worth asking an estate attorney whether any exceptions apply to your situation
- The current workload of the Probate Referee assigned to your county
Is There a Time Limit on Selling an Inherited Property in California?
This is one of the most common questions heirs ask — and the answer is both yes and no.
There is no hard legal deadline by which you must sell an inherited home in California. You can hold it indefinitely if you choose — renting it out, using it as a second home, or simply leaving it until the right moment.
However, there are several time-sensitive factors that create economic pressure to act sooner rather than later:
The first is Proposition 19 — California's 2021 law that significantly changed how inherited property is taxed. Our full guide to Prop 19 covers what changed and what it means for heirs across the state.
The second is the step-up in basis clock — a tax concept explained in detail in our inherited home glossary. When you inherit a home, your cost basis for capital gains purposes is stepped up to the fair market value at the date of death. If you sell soon after inheriting, you likely owe little or no capital gains tax. If you hold the property for years and it appreciates significantly, you'll owe capital gains on that appreciation when you eventually sell.
The third is the simple math of carrying costs — which brings us to the next section.
What Prop 19 Means for Your Property Tax Bill in Sacramento and the Central Valley
Before Prop 19 took effect in February 2021, California heirs could inherit a parent's home and keep the parent's low property tax assessment — sometimes a bill based on a value from decades ago — regardless of whether they moved in.
That exclusion is now largely gone. Under Prop 19, if you inherit a home and don't establish it as your primary residence within 12 months, it gets reassessed to current market value. In Sacramento, where the median home value has increased substantially over the past decade, that reassessment can represent a meaningful jump in annual property taxes.
As a practical example: if your parent bought a home in Citrus Heights in 1995 for $180,000 and was paying property taxes on an assessed value of around $250,000, and that home is now worth $520,000 — you're looking at property taxes roughly doubling if the home is reassessed to current market value.
For heirs who were already planning to sell, Prop 19 adds urgency. For heirs who were considering keeping the property as a rental, it changes the financial math significantly. It's worth asking a tax advisor to run the numbers for your specific property before deciding.
Important: Prop 19 has narrow exceptions for heirs who move into the inherited home as a primary residence within 12 months and claim the homeowner's exemption. If you're considering this path, timing matters. Consult a California estate attorney or tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
How Is an Inherited Home Taxed When You Sell It in California?
California heirs often worry about a large tax bill when selling an inherited home. In most cases — especially if you sell relatively soon after inheriting — the tax picture is better than expected.
Here's why: when you inherit a home, your cost basis for capital gains purposes is stepped up to the fair market value of the property on the date of the original owner's death. This means if your parent bought the home for $120,000 in 1988 and it was worth $480,000 when they passed, your basis is $480,000 — not $120,000.
If you sell the property for $495,000 shortly after inheriting, your taxable gain is only $15,000 — not the $375,000 gain your parent would have faced. And unlike gains on property you've owned yourself, inherited property is automatically treated as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you've held it, meaning it's taxed at the lower long-term rate.
A few things to keep in mind:
- California does not have a separate inheritance tax. You won't owe a state tax simply for inheriting the property.
- California does tax capital gains as ordinary income — meaning the state rate can be significant for higher-income heirs. This is worth factoring into your proceeds calculation.
- If you hold the property for a period of time before selling and it appreciates further, you'll owe capital gains on that appreciation above your stepped-up basis.
- The longer you wait, the more exposure you may have — both to market fluctuation and to capital gains on appreciation above your basis.
Wedgewood's free Net Proceeds Calculator can help you model what a sale nets you today versus six months from now, factoring in carrying costs, potential capital gains, and the difference between a direct cash sale and listing through an agent.
What Every Month of Waiting Actually Costs You in Sacramento
This is the section most inherited home guides skip — and it's often the most important one for Sacramento and Central Valley heirs specifically.
When a home sits vacant during probate, it's not just sitting there. It's generating costs. In the Sacramento market, a typical inherited home might carry:
- Property taxes: Sacramento County's effective property tax rate runs around 1.1% of assessed value. On a $450,000 home, that's roughly $4,950 per year — or about $413 per month.
- Homeowners insurance / vacant property insurance: Standard policies often lapse or exclude coverage once a home sits vacant for 30–60 days. A vacant property policy can run 25–50% more than a standard policy. See our guide to the insurance problem nobody warns heirs about.
- Utilities: Even a vacant home typically needs minimal utilities maintained — water, gas pilot, electricity — to prevent damage. Budget $100–$200 per month depending on the property.
- Maintenance and security: Landscaping, pest control, periodic walkthroughs, and security measures for a vacant property. Variable, but rarely zero.
Add it up for a $450,000 Sacramento or Central Valley home and you're looking at $800–$1,200 per month in carrying costs during probate. Over a 12-month probate timeline, that's $9,600–$14,400 leaving the estate before a single repair is made or an agent is hired.
In Fresno or Bakersfield, where median home values are lower, this matters even more proportionally — $1,000 per month in carrying costs on a $320,000 home represents a larger percentage of the net proceeds than it would on a $1.5M Bay Area property.
Your Options for Selling an Inherited Home in Sacramento or the Central Valley
Once probate is underway or complete, you generally have three paths for selling the property:
List through a real estate agent. The traditional route. You'll typically net the highest gross sale price, but factor in agent commissions (5–6%), closing costs, time on market (Sacramento metro homes averaged 42 days on market as of May 2026, per Reventure — and that's before inspection, appraisal, and escrow add several more weeks), and any repairs or staging costs. If the home needs work, this path can be expensive upfront.
Sell at auction. Probate auctions exist but are typically used when there's a dispute among heirs or the court orders a sale. This is rarely the optimal path for heirs who have a choice.
Sell directly to a cash buyer. A reputable direct buyer purchases the home as-is, with no repairs, no commissions, and no months of showings. You control the timeline. For inherited homes that need work, homes where heirs are out of state, or estates where speed matters more than achieving top-of-market price, this is often the most practical option — and the one that eliminates carrying costs fastest.
Wedgewood Homes has been buying inherited properties directly from heirs and estates across Sacramento and the Central Valley — including Stockton, Fresno, Modesto, and Bakersfield — for over 40 years. We encourage every seller to review our offer with an attorney before signing, and there's no obligation to move forward until you're ready.
If you'd like to understand what a cash offer looks like for your specific property, request one here — or use our Net Proceeds Calculator to compare what different sale paths net you after costs. Schedule a call with a local market specialist if you'd like to talk through your situation first.
"The entire process was so much quicker than anything we thought possible — yet Wedgewood Homes went out of its way to accommodate our time frame, our need to coordinate with other family members, and to make sure we were on the right path."
— Art S., probate property sale in California
Wedgewood Homes buys inherited properties directly from heirs and estates across our markets — with no repairs required, no agent commissions, and no fees. We serve sellers throughout Southern California, the Inland Empire, Orange County, San Diego, the Bay Area, Sacramento, the Central Coast (Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo), the Central Valley (Stockton to Bakersfield), Las Vegas, Reno, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Colorado Springs. View all Wedgewood Homes locations or browse our homes for sale.