Inheriting a house in Cordova is a different problem than inheriting one closer to the core. These are mostly 1990s and 2000s two-story homes in platted subdivisions, which brings one bill national probate articles never warn you about: the HOA keeps invoicing the estate every month the house sits empty. Add vacant-home insurance, the MLGW minimum, and Shelby County property tax that does not pause for the court, and a Cordova estate can bleed $400–$700 a month while you wait on Letters. We are a Memphis-based cash buyer that closes inherited Cordova houses in 7–14 days and pays the HOA arrears at closing. Call (901) 531-9917 and we will tell you honestly whether selling now or finishing probate first nets the family more.
Why Cordova families call us about inherited property
Cordova — the 38016 and 38018 ZIPs out past Germantown Parkway — is one of the pricier neighborhoods in our matrix, which changes the math. Redfin puts the 38016 median sale price near $298,000 in mid-2026 with homes moving in about 50 days. That equity is worth protecting, but it also means most Cordova estates blow past Tennessee’s $50,000 small-estate affidavit ceiling and require full probate. HOAs in subdivisions like Countrywood, Berryhill, and the streets off Walnut Grove Lake enforce lawn and exterior covenants, and unpaid dues become a lien on the very title you are trying to clear.
How an inherited cash sale works in Cordova
- Tell us where you are in probate. Once Shelby County Probate Court (clerk’s office, 140 Adams Avenue, third floor) issues Letters Testamentary or of Administration, we close immediately. If probate has not started, we still write the offer now and lock the price while the court qualifies the personal representative.
- We look at the house — usually within 24 hours. Most inherited Cordova homes we buy are 1,800–2,800 sq ft two-stories built between 1988 and 2006. We know the subdivisions; we do not need a drawn-out inspection.
- Written, no-obligation offer within 24 hours. No repair list, no re-trade after inspection, no appraisal contingency.
- We reconcile the HOA account. Before closing, our title company pulls the HOA ledger, confirms any accrued dues or covenant fines, and pays them from the proceeds so the lien clears. Retail buyers often discover these balances at the eleventh hour; we handle it up front.
- We close at a local title company and wire each heir’s share. Three siblings in three states means three separate wires. Nobody has to fly to Memphis.
A real Cordova inherited-house scenario
A family we worked with owned a 1997 two-story on a cul-de-sac off Dexter Road, near the Cordova branch library. Their mother had passed in early 2026, leaving the four-bedroom to two adult children — one in Cordova, one in Dallas. The house showed fine, but the HOA had already sent two violation notices over an overgrown backyard plus about $840 in unpaid dues and late fees, and the Dallas son was flying in monthly to keep the lawn from triggering more. We offered $256,000 cash, paid the $840 HOA balance at closing, and closed in twelve days through a title company on Germantown Parkway once Letters cleared. Each sibling netted about $121,000 after the small mortgage payoff.
What Cordova heirs need to know about Shelby County probate
You cannot pass marketable title in Tennessee until the court appoints a personal representative. A few points the national sites gloss over, and that matter more at Cordova price points:
- Most Cordova estates are too large for the shortcut. Tennessee’s small-estate affidavit caps out at $50,000 and does not clear real estate you intend to sell on the open market. A $298,000 house means full probate — plan on 90–120 days minimum even uncontested.
- HOA dues keep running during probate, and they can lien the house. Under Tennessee’s common-interest community rules, unpaid assessments attach to the property. If nobody pays them while the estate is open, the balance — plus fines and attorney fees — comes off the top when you sell.
- You get a stepped-up basis on the date of death. If Mom bought the house in 1998 for $140,000 and it is worth $298,000 the day she died, your taxable basis is $298,000 — so selling within a few months usually means near-zero capital gains, and “hold and rent it” rarely wins.
- No will means intestate succession under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 31. Spouse and children split by statute; with no spouse, children share equally.
Why a local end-buyer beats Opendoor or a wholesaler in Cordova
Opendoor does make offers in 38016 because the price point fits its model — but its number bakes in a resale margin plus service fees, and its contract lets it re-trade after inspection. Wholesalers are worse: the “we buy houses” texts hitting your Cordova address are not buyers. They tie up your house for $X and shop it to out-of-state investors, hoping to assign for $X plus a markup. If no end-buyer bites, they walk and the estate starts over. We do not assign your contract. Our funds sit in escrow at signing. Tennessee’s SB909 wholesaler-disclosure law exists precisely because of that bait-and-switch.
FAQ
Q: Can you buy the house before probate is finished?
A: We can write the offer and lock the price now, but closing waits on Letters Testamentary or of Administration. In most Shelby County cases that is 6–12 weeks from filing.
Q: Who pays the back HOA dues and fines?
A: We do, out of the purchase price at closing. You do not need to settle the HOA account first.
Q: What if one heir wants to sell and the other does not?
A: As long as the personal representative has court authority — most wills grant it — the sale can proceed, and each heir receives their proportional share.
Q: Do we have to clean out the house or make repairs?
A: No. Take what is sentimental, leave the rest. We buy as-is and handle haul-away.
Q: Are there any fees or commissions?
A: None. No agent commission, no closing costs to the seller. The number we quote is the number wired to the heirs.
Get your no-obligation cash offer
If you are managing a Cordova estate from out of town while the HOA notices pile up, the cheapest hour you can spend is a phone call. Call (901) 531-9917 or visit our cash offer page for a written number within 24 hours. Our office is at 5100 Poplar Ave Suite 2705, Memphis TN 38137. For more, see our probate FAQ, or read about selling an inherited house in Bartlett and selling before foreclosure in Cordova. Every month the house sits empty, the HOA and the tax bill keep charging — (901) 531-9917 stops the meter.