Can I sell an Ohio house without traveling there?
Yes. A neighbor, relative, property manager or lockbox can let me in for the walkthrough. Contracts are signed electronically, and the closing documents can be signed in front of a notary where you live or through an online notarization. Many out-of-state heirs never come back until it is done, or at all.
Ohio allows online notarization by live two-way video with an authorized online notary (ORC 147.60). Mail-away closings, where the title company overnights the papers to you and you sign with a local notary, are just as common. Ask the title company which works for your closing.
Can I be the executor if I live in another state?
It depends on the role. In Ohio, an executor named in the will can live out of state if they are related to the deceased by blood or marriage. An administrator, appointed when there is no will, has to be an Ohio resident, so an out-of-state family member may need a local person or attorney to serve.
The rule is ORC 2109.21, and the court may also ask a nonresident executor to keep the estate's assets in the county until they are distributed. Your probate attorney will sort out who should serve. For how authority to sell works once someone is appointed, see selling an inherited house in Cincinnati.
How do I keep the house safe while it's empty?
Change or secure the locks, keep the heat on low in winter so pipes do not freeze, stop mail and deliveries, ask a neighbor to watch it, and check the insurance. Many homeowner's policies limit coverage once a house sits empty, so call the insurer and ask.
Every month the house sits, the costs add up: taxes, insurance, utilities, mowing and repairs. My page on selling a vacant house covers the risks, and Cincinnati's rules if the city gets involved.
Who sorts through the belongings if I can't be there?
Tell me what you want kept, such as photographs, papers, jewelry or specific furniture, and I set aside anything like it. A family member nearby can also walk through and take things before closing. Everything else stays, and I handle the cleanout after closing.
If the house is very full, see selling a house full of belongings.
How do the heirs get paid if they live in different states?
The title company pays off any mortgage and debts, then pays the estate or the owners as the paperwork directs, usually by wire or check. Heirs do not need to be in the same place, or even sign on the same day.
If the house passed by a transfer-on-death affidavit or a survivorship deed, the named person sells it directly once the death is recorded at the county. Your attorney or the title company will confirm what has to be recorded first.
How long does it take?
Once the person with authority to sign is in place, I usually close in 14 to 30 days, and in as little as 10 business days. If the estate needs more time, we set a later date. You get a written offer within 24 hours of the walkthrough.
The slow part is usually probate itself, not the sale. We can agree on a price early and set the closing for when the estate is ready.
"Twelve days later we closed and the estate was settled. Could not have asked for a smoother transaction from worrying to finally putting this issue to rest."
This page is general information, not legal advice. For your situation, talk to an Ohio attorney.
Greg Carpenter is a licensed real estate agent in Ohio. When Deforest Solutions makes you an offer, Greg is buying the house for himself, not as your agent.