{"id":18410,"date":"2023-10-31T04:00:59","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T11:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=18410"},"modified":"2026-04-08T01:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:07:13","slug":"can-an-executor-sell-property-to-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/can-an-executor-sell-property-to-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes, It\u2019s Possible for an Executor to Sell Property To Themselves \u2014 Here’s How"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been named the executor of an estate<\/a>, you\u2019re responsible for making sure all of the estate\u2019s assets are accounted for and kept safe, paying any outstanding taxes or debts out of the estate\u2019s funds, and divvying up the remaining assets among any beneficiaries according to the stipulations outlined in the will.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a good chance a house is one of those assets \u2014 and perhaps the largest. In most cases, the executor takes care of putting the house on the market and selling it, so the proceeds can be distributed to any heirs. But what if you\u2019re one of the beneficiaries \u2014 or perhaps the only beneficiary \u2014 and you\u2019re interested in buying the house instead of selling it? Is it legal for the executor to sell a house<\/a> to himself or herself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Connect with a Top Agent<\/h3>\n

Selling a home can be a difficult process under the best of circumstances. Partnering with a top agent experienced in probate can help when selling a home after the death of a loved one.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To help answer this question and prevent any missteps, we spoke with some probate attorneys<\/a> and a top real estate agent<\/a> to gather the information you need to make a smart and legally sound decision.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Can the executor purchase a home from the estate?<\/h2>\n

According to estate planning attorney Adam Ansari<\/a>, it is legal for an executor to purchase the home instead of selling it, as long as the executor purchases the property for fair market value<\/a> and all of the beneficiaries agree with the terms of the sale. Sometimes, that requires jumping through a few hoops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s possible and legal for an executor to purchase a home from the estate, so long as the deal remains at an arm\u2019s length and everyone agrees on a plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":38856,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[326,319],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inheritance","category-selling-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCan an Executor Sell Property to Themselves At an Arm\u2019s Length?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s possible and legal for an executor to purchase a home from the estate, so long as the deal remains at an arm\u2019s length and everyone agrees on a plan.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/can-an-executor-sell-property-to-himself\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yes, It\u2019s Possible for an Executor to Sell Property To Themselves \u2014 Here's How\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s possible and legal for an executor to purchase a home from the estate, so long as the deal remains at an arm\u2019s length and everyone agrees on a plan.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/can-an-executor-sell-property-to-himself\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HomeLight Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-31T11:00:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta 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