Options for house inherited by multiple siblings

Options for house inherited by multiple siblings

Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 0 votes

My mother-in-law passed away not long ago.  Her house, which is paid off, was left to her three children.  My wife is the only one of the three siblings who is able to buy out the others if she so desires.  My wife and I are exploring options for keeping the house.  Below are a few of the options we are looking at.  I am requesting suggestions and comments on these option, as well as, other options we may not have considered.  Any info is very much appreciated.

1.  Buy out the other two siblings.  Leave my wife's financial portion in the house and rent it out.  This is assuming we can get the house to cash flow.  

2.  Buy out one sibling and have the other move into the house.  This one is a bit tricky, but could be a good option if the details could be figured out.  The first sibling would bought out by my wife using a bank loan.  My wife and the second sibling would leave their portions in the house, thus keeping the payments as low as possible.  The second sibling would move into the house and make payments on the loan my wife used to buy out the first sibling.  This seems great since the second sibling has been renting all her life and is not financially able to buy a home.  She is also on Section 8.  My wife and the second sibling would be partners on the home.  This is where it gets tricky in my mind.

          A.  What happens if the second sibling moves out?  What portion of what she has paid to date would she be entitled too?

          B.  Who pays for maintenance costs since the second sibling is essentially renting a property she owns?

          C.  How is the profit sharing established and to which amounts?

3.  Sell the house and use the money to invest in a different market than Salt Lake City, Utah.

Thank you for your thoughts

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Investor · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2019 · 339 posts · 126 votes
3y

Sorry to hear about the mother in law, I'm sure that is hard on your wife. I live in Utah and I'm a real estate broker and mortgage broker here! I wouldn't touch option 2 with a 10 foot pole personally since I won't rent to anyone that I personally know. I would buy them all out and keep it(depending on cash flow, how they are determining value, specific property details, etc.) OR sell and take the cash to buy 2-4 properties instead of everything being in one since you most likely have a step up in basis taxwise(chat with an accountant).

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  • Investor · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2019 · 339 posts · 126 votes
    3y

    Sorry to hear about the mother in law, I'm sure that is hard on your wife. I live in Utah and I'm a real estate broker and mortgage broker here! I wouldn't touch option 2 with a 10 foot pole personally since I won't rent to anyone that I personally know. I would buy them all out and keep it(depending on cash flow, how they are determining value, specific property details, etc.) OR sell and take the cash to buy 2-4 properties instead of everything being in one since you most likely have a step up in basis taxwise(chat with an accountant).

  • Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    3y

    Hello Ryan,

    Thanks for the reply, sorry for the slow response.

    I completely understand the difficulties with renting to people you know can be difficult.  The thought was that with the additional third of the value left in the house then the payment will be considerably less.  Also, it is a way to help out a family member, so we are willing to take the risk.

    In regards to selling to by 2-4 properties.  Is this possible in Utah to buy a property and get the necessary rent income to make the investment feasible?  I am having a hard time getting a property to pencil out monthly without a very large sum invested.  


    You comments are appreciated. 


    Thank you

  • Investor · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2019 · 339 posts · 126 votes
    3y

    It really just depends on your overall investing strategy. I personally hold cash and buy a rental as they come up if it makes sense. Yes, it's possible in Utah, but much harder. Most likely have to buy off market. You may be in the negative for a bit until you can refinance, but there are a lot of good tax strategies with real estate that can sometimes make it worth it. If you don't have a lot of experience in it, it might be best to place the money elsewhere for now until you know what you want to do with the next move.

  • Contractor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2010 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    3y

    I agree with Ryan, it's not a good plan to rent the house out to the sibling. I know you want to try to help out a family member. Sure you might help this family member in the short term but if things with the rental go south for any reason, it could completely destroy and end your relationship with them.

    How badly has your market been hit in the past ~18 months? Some markets are down 20% from the peak and others are holding strong. If prices are still up in your market I'd probably sell if I were in your shoes. The only thing that might change my mind would be tax implications but you'll need to talk to a CPA about that.

  • Investor · Provo, UT · Member since 2016 · 759 posts · 626 votes
    3y

    Never let someone/thing that may be a bad tenant be involved in your rentals.

    Your life will be so much better not messing with that.

    The real question I believe is what you do with the asset, weigh it against other options, and choose what gets you to financial freedom the fastest.

    Don't over complicate it.

  • Doug QuistPro Member
    Investor · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2015 · 56 posts · 25 votes
    3y

    Totally agree with everything said about not renting to family members.  The only exception might be to a child, but only if you are OK with the fact that you might end up subsidizing the situation, at some point.

    Even if not related, but you end up becoming friends with a tenant, it can get bad.  We moved just a couple blocks away and knew that there wasn't a good way to hide our ownership since we would be attending the same church and others in the congregation would say "Oh,  you are living in Quist's old house", etc.

    They have now moved out of state, but have been texting and emailing because they left that house in a poor state and were charged fixing expenses and didn't like that.  NIGHTMARE!

    The new tenants don't know us.  Yay!

    BTW, I have 27 doors in along the Wasatch Front and they are all cash flowing.  I've not looked recently since I've got 10 more doors under constructions (6 in Ogden and 4 in AZ), so hording cash, at the moment.

  • Lender · AZ · Member since 2022 · 148 posts · 95 votes
    3y

    I would echo the others. Losing someone close is a stressful event, and it isn't always about the money. Renting to family members or having partners may just complicate things. Make decisions that will also give you peace of mind.

  • Real Estate Agent · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

    I'm sorry for your loss, I'm going through a similar situation myself, so I can relate.

    My strong recommendation is to sell it. Whenever money is involved, it can almost always get complicated, create resentment, and hurt relationships. For example if you bought them out and then sold it a few years later for a large profit, siblings might get mad even though you technically did nothing wrong. If you are talking about a family member moving in, what happens if they stop paying? Are you going to evict them? 

    Family comes first, especially during these times. With the step up tax basis, the profits are tax free (consult a CPA) and go invest in whatever your heart desires.

  • Julio GonzalezPro Member
    Specialist · West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

    Do you have a CPA that specializes in real estate taxation? Real estate has so many tax benefits and credits available, that I always tell people it's crucial to have a CPA that's extremely knowledgeable in this area. This would be an excellent question for them. I have worked with a number of great CPAs over the years and would be more than happy to provide you with recommendations if you'd like?

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