You inherited a house. Here's what to know — before you decide anything.

Most heirs we work with feel two things at once: grief, and a quiet panic about what they're now responsible for. Mortgages don't pause for funerals. Property taxes are still due. Insurance lapses if no one updates the policy. The first thing to do is nothing irreversible. Don't sign anything, don't sell anything inside the house, don't accept a verbal offer from a neighbor. Get a copy of the death certificate, find the will if there is one, and figure out whether probate is required in the state where the property sits.

From there your real decisions are: keep the house, rent it, or sell it. Each has tax consequences and timeline implications. The guides below walk through every common situation we see.