PROBATE & ESTATE REAL ESTATE · COLUMBUS METRO
An estate home deserves someone who knows how it’s built.
From clean-out to close, I help executors, administrators, and attorneys sell probate and estate real estate across the metro.
10 Years
Licensed Ohio Real Estate
20+ Years
General Contracting
Franklin Co.
Probate Focus
FROM CLEAN-OUT TO CLOSE
The goal is simple: make this the easy part
You’re carrying enough. From securing to clearing, preparing and closing—I take the stress out.
UNDERSTANDING THE OHIO PROBATE PROCESS
How settling an estate works in Franklin County
Ohio's rules differ from neighboring states in ways that matter. Franklin County has its’ own procedures, deadlines and even its’ own paper for legal notices. That’s where I come in—I coordinate the real estate side and keep it moving in step with the attorney and the court.
The Process - 15 Steps
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01
Open the Estate
The named executor (or next of kin if there's no will) files the opening application with the Franklin County Probate Court. Filing is electronic — mandatory since May 2025 — but the original will must still be deposited in person at 373 S. High St.
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02
Appointment & Letters of Authority
The court appoints the fiduciary — executor (with a will) or administrator (without) — and issues Letters of Authority, which prove their power to act. Order several certified copies.
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03
List the Property
If the estate includes a home, I step in — starting with a no-cost market analysis that also helps confirm which estate track applies.
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04
Inventory & Appraisal
In a full administration, the fiduciary files a complete inventory within three months of appointment. An accurate home valuation matters here and for the estate's track.
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05
Notify Heirs & Creditors (Columbus Dispatch)
Heirs and known creditors are notified directly; unknown creditors by publication in the Columbus Dispatch (Franklin County's legal-notice paper since December 2025). The six-month creditor window runs from the date of death.
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06
Confirm Authority to Sell (Ohio's 3 Paths)
Three Ohio paths: power of sale in the will; written consent of all heirs (ORC §2127.011); or a court-supervised land-sale action under ORC Chapter 2127. On a court-supervised sale, commission is approved by the court before the sale (ORC §2127.28).
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07
Clean Out & Personal Property
I coordinate junk removal and estate-sale partners, gather competitive quotes, and oversee the work — lifting the burden of emptying a lifetime of belongings.
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08
Contractors & Repairs
With 20+ years of construction experience, I scope what's worth doing at the first walkthrough, get competitive bids, and manage the work — spending only where it raises the sale price.
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09
Professional Cleaning
A thorough pre-listing clean — I cover up to the first $500. A spotless home photographs and shows better.
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10
Pre-MLS Marketing
When it makes sense, I generate early or off-market interest before the home formally hits the market.
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11
List & Negotiate
Full marketing — MLS, syndication, professional media, digital ads — and careful, documented negotiation with the estate's interests first.
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12
Sale Approval & Closing
Any required court approval is confirmed and the sale closes — including remote closings for out-of-state fiduciaries who never set foot in the property.
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13
Pay Debts & Taxes
Valid debts and taxes are settled before distribution. Good news for Ohio estates: no state estate tax since 2013. (Handled by the attorney and tax professional.)
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14
Distribution of Proceeds
Once debts, taxes, and the creditor period clear, remaining proceeds go to heirs per the will or Ohio intestacy law.
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15
Final Accounting & Closing
The fiduciary files a final accounting; the court approves it and issues the certificate that closes the estate.
THE DIFFERENCE
Who I Am
I’m Andrew Howell, a licensed Ohio real estate agent with eXp Realty focused on the real estate side of settling estates across Franklin County and the Columbus metro.
I bring more than 20 years of hands-on general contracting experience—spanning residential remodels to ground-up commercial and industrial work—into every estate property I evaluate. That background lets me read a home’s condition the way a builder does and give executors a clear, realistic picture of what repairs will actually cost and whether they’re worth making before listing.
I don’t perform the repair work myself—that would create a conflict of interest. Instead, I provide the judgment to know what’s necessary, the local contacts to get quality work done efficiently, and the discipline to keep an estate from overspending on a property it’s about to sell.
Testimonials
NO COST · NO OBLIGATION
Request a Free Property Review
I'll tell you what the home is likely worth, which estate track you're probably on, and what the path ahead looks like.
NO COST · NO OBLIGATION
Get the Free Ohio Probate & Estate Guide
A plain-English walkthrough of settling an estate in Franklin County — the three tracks, the full process, and the deadlines that matter.