Mathew, I’m going to back up some and make sure you have all the details in place. You said in your initial question that you found a “probate” lead . . . by definition “probate” is: the legal process where a probate court supervises the marshaling of the deceased person’s debts and taxes and orders the property distributed according to the decedent’s will, or if there is no will, to the deceased person’s heirs.
So, the courts (usually a specific attorney) run this process. They are usually known as the “Administrator” and their job is to ensure that all debts are paid from the deceased and that assets are given to heirs and taxes are paid (their primary goal. 🙂 )
Here is a legal article on the process, depending on the state: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-probate-process-works-information-32438.html
If you have a probate lead from a mailing list source, that list should give the Executor/Administrator’s information with the lead. If not, the heirs should have received a letter, or they can call and ask who is handling the process. They can then let the Administrator know that they have someone who wants to buy the house. They will then either send you paperwork or call you.
If the heirs really don’t know much or who is handling it, then put a contract in place with the heirs so you have something to send to the title company. The title company would then do a title search and could fill you in on the liens and who the lien holder is and also, likely the Executor handling the probate.
Hope this helps clarity a little. Sorry, I know it’s a lot, but not a quick answer.
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