Your request goes to her phone, not a call center.
Probate, trust and Prop 19 questions answered in plain English
List it or take a cash offer, with both numbers either way
No obligation, and nothing to decide on the call
“She stepped in and took care of everything for us.”
silesfamily, on Zillow · Sold a Single Family home in 2025 in Apple Valley, CA
How it works
How the call works
01
A 15-minute call, no forms first
Tell her where things stand: who is handling the estate, whether it is in probate or a trust, and whether anyone is living in the house.
02
The timeline for your situation
She walks you through what has to happen before the house can sell in your case, roughly how long each step takes, and what can start now.
03
List it or take a cash offer
When the estate is ready she lists the house or brings a cash offer from an investor she works with, and you see both numbers before choosing.
Who you'll be working with
Alysha Santa Cruz is a REALTOR® with Realty One Group Empire (DRE #02215540) working with sellers across Riverside and San Bernardino County. You get her directly, not a coordinator: the person who reads your request is the person who calls you back.
Executors and trustees usually want someone who knows how a probate or trust sale differs from an ordinary one and can bring either outcome. Alysha can list the house or bring a cash offer from an investor she works with, on the court's calendar and the family's.
Every cash offer she brings comes with a list-price estimate for the same house, so you decide with both numbers in front of you. If the buyer is an investor she works with, she tells you in writing whom she represents before you sign anything.
homes closed since 2023
41
on Zillow, 15 reviews
5.0★
Most recently closed in Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Norco, Perris and Hemet.
Alysha Santa Cruz, REALTOR®Realty One Group Empire
Four things come up on nearly every inherited-home call, in plain English.
Prop 19 and the property tax
Under Prop 19, an inherited family home (the parent's own residence) keeps its old assessed value only if a child moves in as their principal residence and files for the homeowners' exemption within a year. Even then, if the home's market value is more than $1,044,586 above the old assessed value, the amount above that is added to the assessment. That figure applies to transfers (for an inheritance, the date of death) from February 16, 2025 to February 15, 2027 (California State Board of Equalization). Otherwise the home is reassessed to market value, which is why many heirs sell.
Full or limited authority
The court grants a personal representative full or limited authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. With full authority the representative can sell after mailing the heirs a Notice of Proposed Action and waiting out the objection period, with no hearing. With limited authority the sale has to be confirmed in court, where other bidders can overbid the accepted offer and the timeline stretches.
Held in a trust
A house held in a living trust skips probate. Once the successor trustee has the trust documents and a death certificate, the house can be listed or sold for cash on the trust's timeline rather than the court's. Most of the delay in a trust sale is the cleanout and the heirs agreeing on a price.
A vacant house and the cleanout
An empty house still needs insurance, which many policies limit once it is vacant, and someone checking on it. The cleanout is the job families dread most: take what matters, and the rest goes to an estate-sale company or a hauler, or, on a cash sale, stays for the investor to clear as part of the price.
This is not legal or tax advice. A probate attorney confirms where your estate stands and what it can do next.
Not sure where the estate stands?
No obligation. Alysha calls to confirm the time, usually the same business day, and nothing has to be decided on the call.
I can not thank her enough for all that she has done for us she kept me updated daily and assisted with few things that we the sellers needed to do. She stepped in and took care of everything for us treated us like family. Was sad once escrow closed as I will miss her If your looking to sell your home PLEASE contact her you will not be dissapointed
silesfamily · Sold a Single Family home in 2025 in Apple Valley, CA
★★★★★
Alysha was absolutely amazing to work with! She was incredibly patient throughout the entire process and always took her time explaining every step to me, never making me feel rushed or pressured. She listened to what I wanted, advocated for me, and made the whole experience so much less stressful. I truly felt supported and taken care of from beginning to end. I highly recommend Alysha to anyone looking for a realtor who is kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about her clients!
Brittney Giddens · Bought a Single Family home in 2024 in Helendale, CA
★★★★★
Alysha was awesome! She always answered her phone and I always felt she was going above and beyond for us. She answered all of our questions big or small. She was patient showing us the houses we looked at and any information on the neighborhoods. During the entire process she was extremely informative and on top of every check list item that needed to be handled. She was also able to contribute to help us close escrow early. I would definitely recommend Alysha to anyone I know. Whenever we are ready to buy another house she is the only one I would want to use.
Camber Czuczka · Bought a home in 2025
Questions about inherited homes and probate
Can we sell before probate closes?
Often, yes. With full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act the personal representative can accept an offer and close after the Notice of Proposed Action period, without waiting for the estate to settle. With limited authority the sale needs court confirmation first.
What is Prop 19 going to do to the taxes?
For most heirs who do not move in, the house is reassessed to market value as of the date of death, and the new tax bill arrives whether you keep it or sell. The exclusion for a child who moves in is explained above.
Do we have to clear the house out first?
Not to get started, and not at all for a cash sale: take what matters and the investor typically clears the rest as part of the price. If the estate lists the house, the cleanout comes before the photographs.
What if the heirs disagree?
It happens, usually over price or timing. Two numbers help: a written cash offer and a list-price estimate for the same house give everyone the same facts. A disagreement about the estate itself, rather than the sale, is one for the probate attorney.
