San Antonio · Inherited
Inherited a house
in San Antonio?
Someone with legal authority has to sign. Texas does not charge an inheritance tax. You can sell it as it sits.
Bexar probate
100 Dolorosa
Where the court issues the letters that let an executor, administrator, or trustee sign a deed.
Texas Estates Code · Bexar County probate
Who can sign, in Texas
A title company will not close on a dead owner's name. It needs a living person, or a set of heirs, who can convey. That is usually one of these:
| Will, with probate | The court issues Letters Testamentary to the executor, or Letters of Administration if there is no executor. That person signs. |
|---|---|
| Muniment of title | The court admits the will to prove who owns the house, without a full administration. Used when there is a will, little or no debt, and no need to appoint an executor to run an estate. |
| Independent administration | Texas lets many estates run without the court approving every step. The executor still needs the letters before a deed is signed. |
| Trust | The trustee signs, under the trust instrument. |
| No will, or probate not opened | Heirs sometimes convey with an affidavit of heirship. A title company decides whether it will insure that. It is not automatic. |
Bexar County probate is downtown at 100 Dolorosa, the same courthouse block as the foreclosure sales. If heirs live out of state, Texas allows a remote online notary. The homestead exemption often drops when the person who qualified for it dies, until a new owner files and qualifies. Texas has no inheritance tax. This page is not legal advice. A probate lawyer or the clerk can tell you which path fits the file.
Check it yourself
- How to probate a will in Bexar County bexar.org
LotLine · what happens next
How a sale works here
| The call | About ten minutes. You describe the house and what is going on. That is enough for a number. |
|---|---|
| The number | A real number on the call or shortly after, from your description, recent sales on your street, and repair cost. It holds if the house is as described. |
| The walkthrough | About fifteen minutes, in person or remote. If the house matches, the number stands. If something material was left out, the number moves. You hear it before you are bound. |
| Title | A title company moves the money. Taxes, liens, and payoffs come off the proceeds. Who pays what is in the contract. |
| Assignment | LotLine may close or assign the contract to a cash buyer. If assignment is part of your deal, you see it in writing before you sign. |
| Your cost | Nothing to LotLine. No fee to get an offer. |
If the house is in decent shape and you have sixty or ninety days, a listing agent usually nets you more. This path is for when time, condition, or hassle is the actual problem. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Questions people ask
Can I sell an inherited house in San Antonio before probate is finished?
A title company needs someone with authority to sign. That is usually an executor or administrator with letters from the Bexar probate court, a trustee, or, in some files, heirs with an affidavit of heirship the title company will insure. You can start the conversation before the letters issue. Closing waits on the paper.
Is there a Texas inheritance tax on a Bexar County house?
No. Texas does not levy an inheritance tax or a state estate tax. Federal estate tax is a separate, high-threshold tax. The house can still owe property taxes, and the homestead exemption often drops until a new owner qualifies.
What is a muniment of title?
It is a Texas probate path where the court admits the will to prove ownership without opening a full administration. It is used when the will is valid, debts are limited, and there is no need for an executor to administer the estate. Whether it fits is a question for the probate court and your lawyer, not for a buyer.
Do all the heirs have to agree to sell?
If one person holds letters, that person can usually sign. If title is in several heirs, the people who own it have to convey. A title company will say who must sign on your file.
Tell LotLine about the house. You get a real number on the call or shortly after. No fee to get one, and no obligation to take it.