The paths families usually consider

There's rarely one right answer — it depends on your family, your timeline, and what you want the property to do for you. Here are the directions most people weigh. I can walk you through how each one would apply to your situation.

• Move in as your primary residence

  Prop 19 has a carve-out when an heir makes the home their own primary residence within a year of the transfer — it can preserve much of the original tax basis. The timing and paperwork matter, so it's worth understanding the window before it closes.

• Keep it and rent it out

  The reassessment applies, but rental income may offset some or all of the higher tax. This path comes with being a landlord — tenants, upkeep, management — so it's a question of whether the numbers and the responsibility fit your life.

• Sort out shared ownership among heirs

  When several people inherit together, the decision is often about aligning everyone — staying co-owners, one sibling buying out the others, or selling and splitting. Getting the structure right early prevents friction later.

• Sell on your own timeline

  Selling ends the ongoing tax question and frees up the value — but the timing, the condition of the home, and how you sell all shape the outcome. There's no rush; the point is to do it on terms that work for you.