After more than 20 years in the mortgage and real estate industry in Clark County, Washington, I'm fortunate to receive referrals from people who trust my experience. One came from a local bankruptcy attorney who was looking for a capable Realtor to handle a complex estate sale for a family in Ridgefield, Washington.

When I say complex, I mean layers upon layers of challenges—the kind that could stall a sale, waste precious time, and leave a family at risk of losing a home with nearly $200,000 in equity.

This family included five adult children and their widowed mother. Their home had been in foreclosure since 2020, and a Chapter 7 bankruptcy had been filed solely in the name of the now-deceased husband. The property needed work and a substantial cleanout. An adult son with a disability lived in the downstairs apartment and had nowhere else to go. Even the beehive needed a new home.

The clock was ticking.

About six months after my initial market analysis, I received a call that changed everything: Mom was on hospice, and the family believed she had only weeks left. Her sons were acting under powers of attorney that would end upon her death, potentially adding probate proceedings and further delays to an already complicated situation.

After that call, the bankruptcy attorney helped secure the approvals needed to lift the bankruptcy protection and move forward with the sale. That brought the foreclosure threat back to the forefront.

We were racing against time to keep foreclosure from taking away the family's opportunity to sell.

Most of the siblings lived out of town, and the family had decided the proceeds would all go to the youngest son. They didn't want to put money or work into the property — so we sold it as-is.

We put our plan together and coordinated the cleanout while her son continued living in the downstairs apartment. Mom moved out so we could prepare the home for showings. We brought in our partners who handle home staging and help estates get organized for sale. We have partners for every detail you could need — that's what keeps things smooth.

Pricing is the most important component of any sale, other than presentation. Here's how we priced it: we took what the home could have sold for fully remodeled, subtracted the $150,000 to $200,000 a remodel would have cost, and listed it at that number. We also asked our network of builders if they wanted it — the home sat on 10 acres, with 5 of them subdividable.

We listed at $1,295,000 and received two cash offers within two weeks. The home ultimately sold for approximately $1.244,000 million, preserving nearly $200,000 in equity for the family.

But getting to the closing table was anything but uneventful.

Her son was understandably reluctant to move. Then the title search revealed another obstacle: a small private second lien from 2008 that Mom did not recognize.

Before we could convey clear title to the buyers, that lien had to be resolved through the title company. Finding the people who held it became another race against the clock.

Using a contact-search tool, I located possible addresses and phone numbers and started working my way down the list. After receiving no response to certified letters sent to two possible addresses, I contacted a neighbor at one of the properties. He told me the owners had moved to Phoenix a few years earlier and that the house next door was now a rental.

I focused my efforts on Phoenix.

I called the numbers associated with that address and followed up by phone and text for about a week and a half. Finally, someone responded. It was the couple's adult daughter, who said she would open the certified letter and talk with her father.

The couple who held the private note from 2008 were now in their 90s. Their daughter explained that her mother was in assisted living with dementia and that her father did not remember the loan. She believed we had the wrong people.

The title company confirmed that the names and address matched its records, but we still needed their cooperation.

One of the siblings then spoke with the daughter and explained what the family was facing—and what they stood to lose if the sale could not close. That conversation helped her understand why this mattered so much.

She held power of attorney for her mother and could work with her father to sign the necessary documents. They agreed to release the lien, allowing us to close.

It had taken about two months of searching, following up, and reassuring strangers that this was legitimate. We explained that they could work with a title company near them and that no money was being requested from them or paid to them as part of the release.

We had finally done it.

Without that release, all the work leading up to closing could have been for nothing.

And then there were the bees.

The buyers had been willing to allow a rent-back for the beehive. That was a first for me! Even after more than 20 years in this industry, there are still new situations to work through.

Then, one day before closing, the buyers changed their mind — they didn't want the bees, or anything else, left at the property prior to possession.

So I put out an SOS on Facebook asking our community for help finding the bees a new home. I learned that moving a hive during the day could leave thousands of worker bees behind while they were out gathering nectar and doing all the important things bees do.

I was amazed by the response. People offered their homes and farms. Others called in favors to connect us with local bee movers. I must have received 30 offers of help—so many that I had to take the post down once we had enough support.

There are so many good people out there. If you're reading this and were one of the people who reached out, thank you!

Both the bees and the son found new homes, just a couple of days later than expected. And that was okay.

I now know more about bees than I ever thought I would. After all, who wouldn't want a little help keeping their gardens pollinated?

The most meaningful part? Mom was still alive when the sale closed. Nearly $200,000 in proceeds reached her account, giving her access to those funds. As the family had decided, those proceeds were for her youngest son.

We love happy endings—especially when they come after so many obstacles.

For us, white-glove service means staying involved from beginning to end, following through when things get complicated, and keeping your family's best interests at the center of every decision.

With almost 50 years of combined experience, Bill Black and I look beyond the listing to anticipate obstacles and help carry the details, so you don't have to navigate them alone.

Now that's white-glove service.

What the family said:

★★★★★ "Kelyn and her team did a fabulous job on this project. This was a challenging sale, but she stepped up bringing a qualified buyer to us and got the job done! Great service and a pleasure to work with!" — Jerry, Google review

Inherited a home in Southwest Washington? Before spending money on repairs or accepting an offer, get a clear picture of your options. Contact Kelyn for a complimentary Inherited Home Sale Plan — built around your property, timeline, and family's priorities.

Request Your Inherited Home Sale Plan: