Question 1

I'm executor for my mom's 1950s bungalow in Altadore, and it needs a lot of work. Can I list before probate is granted, and should we sell as-is to a builder or fix it up?

Accepted Answer

You can get everything ready now, but the sale can't close until you have the grant and Land Titles has registered you as owner. In Alberta, the land vests in the personal representative, who must apply to be registered before dealing with it (Land Titles manual TRA-1). If you sign a deal before then, your estate lawyer should write the closing around the grant. On as-is versus fixing it up, I run both numbers for you. In Altadore, a 1950s bungalow often appeals to two different buyers. Some price the lot for a rebuild. Others price the house for renovation. I pull recent sales of each kind and show the estate the likely net after repair costs and the extra months of carrying costs. Sometimes the work pays off, and sometimes it only adds risk. While you wait, protecting a vacant building is part of an executor's core job (Estate Administration Act, Schedule). So call the insurer about vacancy. The grant fee tops out at $525 for estates over $250,000 (alberta.ca court fees). My team has at least 16 recorded sales in Altadore. You can check community price trends too.

Question 2

I'm in Vancouver, executor of my dad's Evergreen condo, and I can't keep flying back. How do I sell it remotely, who clears out the unit, and how long does it take?

Accepted Answer

You can do almost all of this from Vancouver. Usually only the legal signing needs a lawyer or notary, and that can be on your end. Past sellers describe my team lining up cleaners and a handyman before listing, and clients who were out of province describe regular email updates the whole way through, so you're not guessing. The order matters. First comes the grant of probate. Then a transmission application registers you as owner, and Land Titles charges $25 per title (fee schedule, October 2026). Next, I request the condo documents. The corporation has 10 days to provide the fee and arrears certificate, and the fee is capped at $200 (Condominium Property Act s. 43.2). Then we list. How long it takes depends mainly on the court and on the market. Calgary apartments averaged 55 days on market in September 2026, with a benchmark of $291,400, down 8.28% in a year (CREB). So realistic pricing matters more than usual. My team has at least 11 recorded sales in Evergreen, and I'm ranked #2 of 36 Evergreen agents on Rate-My-Agent (October 2026). See how we sell condos.

Question 3

My brother and I are co-executors for Dad's Chaparral house. He lives in Ontario, and we disagree on selling now or in spring. What happens when executors can't agree?

Accepted Answer

In Alberta, two or more personal representatives must act unanimously, unless the will or a court says otherwise (Estate Administration Act s. 37). So neither of you can list it alone. If you truly deadlock, either of you can ask the court for advice or directions (s. 49), but most families settle it with better information instead. That's my part. I give you both the same written comparison: list now versus list in spring. It shows recent Chaparral sales, current competition and the estate's carrying costs for a vacant house over winter, including taxes, utilities, insurance and snow clearing. For context, Calgary detached homes sat at 3.31 months of supply in September 2026 and sold for 97.90% of list price on average (CREB). If the house is inside Lake Chaparral, also check its residents association membership. It's mandatory and registered on title (Lake Chaparral Residents Association), and buyers' lawyers will want it in good standing. Your brother can sign everything with a lawyer in Ontario, and I'll copy him on every update. My team has at least 20 recorded sales in Chaparral.

Question 4

My aunt left me her Beltline condo, and probate should finish soon. Will I pay tax when I sell, does the condo board need to know, and who pays the fees meanwhile?

Accepted Answer

Tax is usually smaller than people fear. When someone dies, the CRA treats their property as sold at fair market value just before death. Any gain up to then is reported on your aunt's final return. If you sell after it's transferred to you, your gain is generally the sale price minus that value, plus selling costs (CRA). Confirm the details with the estate's accountant. The condo fees don't pause. The estate owns the unit until it's transferred, so the executor should keep paying them and give the management company a contact name. Before listing, I request the corporation's certificate of fees and arrears. It's due within 10 days, and the fee is capped at $200 (Condominium Property Act s. 43.2). That way any arrears are settled before a buyer finds them. Then comes pricing. Calgary's apartment benchmark was $291,400 in September 2026, with 5.29 months of supply (CREB), so buyers have choice. Floor plan, parking and the reserve fund will decide your price. My team has at least 61 recorded sales in the Beltline, and I'm ranked #2 of 39 Beltline agents on Rate-My-Agent (October 2026). More on the Beltline market.

Question 5

Grandma's McKenzie Towne house holds 30 years of belongings, and our family is spread across Canada. Can someone in Calgary coordinate the clear-out, small repairs and sale by phone and email?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That's the kind of sale where having someone on the ground makes the biggest difference. Past sellers describe my team lining up cleaners, a handyman for small fixes and the photographer. The family's job is to make decisions, not to haul boxes. Here's the order I suggest. First, the executor confirms that the will's specific gifts and any family keepsakes are set aside. I walk the house on video so everyone sees what's there, and nothing leaves until the executor signs off in writing. Next, removal and donation, then a short repair list I price out before anyone spends money. Each trade's quote goes to the executor for approval. Keep the legal side straight. Only the personal representative can sell, and all named personal representatives must agree (Estate Administration Act s. 37). Beneficiaries also must receive notice of the estate's administration (s. 10). I send one group update per stage so nobody hears news second-hand. My team has at least 25 recorded sales in McKenzie Towne, 14 of them selling homes.

Question 6

I'm executor for Dad's Okotoks bungalow, and a basement tenant is on a month-to-month lease. Can I sell with the tenant there, how much notice is required, and will it hurt the price?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can sell with the tenant in place. As executor, you step into the landlord's shoes, and the tenancy carries on. For showings, you need to give written notice at least 24 hours ahead to enter (Residential Tenancies Act, alberta.ca). Ending the tenancy is stricter. For a month-to-month tenancy, the landlord must give three full tenancy months' notice, and only for allowed reasons. A sale counts once all conditions are met and the buyer asks in writing to have the notice given (alberta.ca, ending a tenancy). So a buyer who wants the whole house empty may need a later possession date. Will it hurt the price? It changes who's buying. Owner-occupiers like a vacant suite and flexible timing. Investors may value the rent. I price it both ways and suggest the one that nets the estate more. A tidy suite and a tenant who's on side make a big difference, so I talk to them early. Okotoks had just over two months of supply in September 2026, with a $606,800 benchmark (CREB). My team has at least 19 recorded sales there. How we handle tenanted sales.

Question 7

Dad died without a will. He owned a house in northwest Calgary, and I'm the oldest of four kids. How do we get authority to sell, and how long does it take?

Accepted Answer

A court grant of administration comes first; nobody can sell the house without it. A surviving spouse or adult interdependent partner has first right to apply, then a child (Estate Administration Act s. 13), so if your mother has died or steps aside, you or a sibling can apply, with notice to the others. The court fee is $525 for an estate over $250,000 (alberta.ca). The administrator then registers on title ($25) and signs the sale. How long: Alberta publishes no standard processing time. With applications now filed online, an estate law firm reports that simple estates can be granted in as little as 10 days (BDP); disputes add time. After the grant, dependants have 6 months to start a family maintenance claim (Wills and Succession Act s. 89), so ask your lawyer about holding back funds until then. The law sets who inherits: a surviving spouse who is the mother of all four of you takes everything; with no spouse, his descendants share (ss. 61, 65–66). We handle estate sales; two estate clients' reviews appear on this page. I'll value the house free for the application. General information, not legal advice.

Question 8

Mom passed in August. Her house in Haysboro is in her name only, there are three of us kids, I'm the executor, and my brother lives in Ontario. Can I list it before probate comes through?

Accepted Answer

Whether to sign a listing before the grant is a question for the estate lawyer, and I'd want their view before we put a sign up. What's certain is this: under Land Titles rules, a personal representative has to apply to be registered as owner before dealing with the land, and that application needs the grant of probate (or administration). So the sale itself can't be registered until the grant is in hand and the title is moved into your name as executor. If an offer is accepted before the grant, your lawyer will want the contract's terms and possession date to allow for it. In the meantime I can value the house, walk through it with you, and plan the listing so we're ready the day your lawyer gives the go-ahead.

Question 9

Dad left the house in Lake Bonavista to my sister and me as co-executors. We get along, but we don't always agree. Do we both have to sign everything?

Accepted Answer

For the land transfer, yes. Land Titles procedures say that when there's more than one personal representative, all of them have to sign any document dealing with the land, unless one has died. In practice I treat co-executors the way I treat any two owners: the same pricing report, the same updates and every offer to both of you at once, so neither of you is relaying information to the other. If you disagree on price, we go through the comparable sales together. It's worth deciding early, with your lawyer, how the two of you will make decisions, so an offer with a short deadline doesn't stall.

Question 10

My husband died in the spring. The house in Bridgeland was in his name only, and I'm still living there. His kids from his first marriage are the beneficiaries and they want it sold. Do I have to move out right away?

Accepted Answer

Please talk to a lawyer about this one first. Some general points: Alberta's Wills and Succession Act gives a surviving spouse or adult interdependent partner who isn't on title, but was living in the family home when their partner died, the right to stay in it for 90 days from the date of death, and that right applies against the estate and against anyone who agrees to buy the home during that period. A court can extend it. Your rights under the Dower Act may also matter. I don't list a home in this situation until the lawyers have sorted out who has which rights.

Question 11

Our grandmother's will leaves her Montgomery bungalow to all her grandchildren, and two of them are still under 18. Does that change how the sale works?

Accepted Answer

It can. When a personal representative signs a transfer, Land Titles needs one of a few things with it: a Public Trustee certificate that it knows of no minors interested in the estate, the Public Trustee's consent where minors are interested, a court order authorizing the sale, or an affidavit that no minors are interested. With two grandchildren under 18, your lawyer will likely need to involve Alberta's Public Trustee. It's paperwork the lawyer handles, but it can add time, so I'd rather know about it at our first meeting than at the offer stage.

Question 12

Mom and Dad owned their Silver Springs house together. Dad passed last year and now Mom wants to sell and move closer to us. Is this an estate sale?

Accepted Answer

Probably not, but check how title was held. If your parents were joint tenants, Alberta's Land Titles information says the deceased owner's share passes automatically to the surviving owner, so your mom would typically deal with Land Titles (your lawyer will confirm what's needed) and then sell as the owner, without a grant of probate for the house. If they were tenants in common, your dad's share goes to his estate and the will must be probated. If your mom is moving to something smaller, my downsizing service is set up for exactly that.

While you wait for the grant	Once the grant is issued
I walk through the home and prepare a market evaluation from recent comparable sales.	Your lawyer applies to transmit the title into the personal representative's name (Land Titles fee: $25 per title).
We decide together: sell as-is, or tidy, repair or update first.	The listing goes live on MLS® with photos and marketing.
You and your lawyer confirm who has to sign, and whether minors or a surviving spouse are involved.	I handle showings, offers and negotiation; every personal representative signs the transfer.
The vacant home is protected and checked on (insurance, utilities, visits), which the law lists as an executor duty.	Conditions, closing, and sale proceeds go to the estate through the lawyer.

Estate and Probate Home Sales in Calgary: Help for Executors and Families

Can an executor sell a house in Alberta before probate is granted?

How does a realtor work with an executor on an estate sale?

What changes an estate home sale's paperwork in Alberta?

What happens if the house was owned as joint tenants?

What if a minor inherits the house?

Can a surviving spouse keep living in the home?

What have families said about selling an estate home with Ben?

What are executors and families asking about estate homes, and what would we do?