We are the Tuckers – Kim and Don. We started kcmoHomeBuyer over 20 years ago and along the way, we were joined by our Son Scott. Plus we have a great team that we work with including our title company, our contractors, and a bunch of people that help us along the way.rnrnOur “About Us” page on our website will give you a much closer look at who we are and what we are about. Take a second to visit that page now so you can make our acquaintance. We have been in business for over 20 years, we are honest, and we think fairly nice people.

We Pay Cash For Houses in Kansas City and surrounding areas. The simple answer is that we buy in most locations and in any condition. We offer an alternative to the hassles of the traditional real estate agent listing. We offer options for those with less than perfect houses, those that are working on condensed timelines, or people who just want to avoid all the things that come with a traditional listing including the expenses of the commission and the hassle of people, inspections, and repairs.rnrnAnd because we are also licensed agents we can offer you more options than the average cash home buyer or even the average real estate agent.

Is A “We Buy Houses” Company Right For Me?

We are not desperate to sell our home in Kansas City, nor are we in a hurry! rnrnWhile we certainly do save time, we have found that the majority of sellers we have purchased houses in Kansas City from were not desperate to sell (at all). They were not trying to save themselves from foreclosure. Most of our sellers went with us simply because they just don’t want to deal with repairs, constant walk-throughs, or any hassle one experiences selling a house the traditional way. Some had already tried to work with a real estate agent and it didn’t work out.rnrnWe offer a great option to consider when you want to sell quickly or with ease because we buy houses in any condition, as-is, and we have the knowledge and the team to work through just about any circumstance. It doesn’t cost you anything for us to take a look and see how much we can offer for your home in KC. We can tell you if listing your house in the traditional manner would be a better choice. We offer all your options, completely free, without any obligation. You have everything to gain.

Will Cash Home Buyers List My House On The MLS?

Our intent is to buy your house in cash, rehab it (if there is any work that needs to be done), and sell it again at a profit. We have many solutions to buying your house, including seller financing, wholesaling, and of course buying it for cash. All this ensures you will get your house sold fast!rnrnBut because we are also licensed agents, and we have several vetted agent friends, we can offer you the MLS listing option when it better fits your needs. Sometimes that option will be with Scott our in-house agent and sometimes we will connect you with one of our very experienced top real estate agents.

How are you different from a real estate agent?

he average real estate agent will not actually buy your house. Agents will list and market your house on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), in hopes a buyer will be interested. Agents charge commissions and fees. Listing your house in Kansas City with an agent means you pay closing costs, and title fees, and have to tolerate countless walkthroughs while the house is on the market which can sometimes be a long time.rnrnWe are just a small family team with the cash and connections to other cash buyers interested in buying houses to rehab them and put them back on the market for sale for a profit. We are cash buyers and investors. We are the ones actually buying your house. When we buy your house, you skip the entire hassle of the “agent” process and jump immediately to the offer and closing on the property you have for sale in Kansas City. When we buy your house, we cover the conventional expenses associated with selling a house like closing costs and inspections. And the most notable difference is that we do not charge you any fees or commissions when we buy your house. As mentioned, we skip the entire “agent” process.rnrnBut, if you find an agent and the whole listing process would be a better fit, even after the work, time, closing costs, and commissions, we are here to help.

How Does It All Work, How Can You Help?

Simply tell us a little bit about your house. We will use this information to complete a market analysis of your house that along with our notes from our walk-through, will be used to present you with an all cash offer. After you accept that offer, we take care of the rest of the short process, and you receive your money at closing.

What are My Obligations After I Talk to You?

There are no obligations, at all.rnrnWe understand that you have options. We know there are people out there eager to scam you, and eager to take advantage of you and your situation. To distinguish ourselves from those, we make sure you know there is no pressure, no obligation.rnrnYou truly and absolutely have nothing to lose. We make you an offer and if you accept the offer, great! You will get your cash quickly. If you do not accept the offer we will do our best to guide you in the right direction.

Do I Need To Clean My House Before I Move Out?

Not only do you not need to clean your house before you move out, but you also don’t even need to straighten it up before we come to look at it. Don’t worry about anything. We’ve seen way worse.rnrnJust take whatever it is you want to take and leave the rest. Food in the fridge, been there. Clothes on the floor, done that. Assorted furniture, the charities we donate to love furniture. Heck, we’ve cleaned out all sorts of things, including a frozen turkey and even a 65 Mustang. Believe me when we say, we have seen it all. So why not make things easier and just take what you don’t want to part with and let us deal with the rest? If we find anything we think you didn’t mean to leave behind, we’ll reach out and let you know.

What if I Need Help With Some of the Stuff?

We work with a lot of home buyers who are either downsizing their homes, moving into assisted living, or selling a home they have inherited. They have a few things they want to take but for the most part, they have a house full of stuff that needs to be sold, donated, or just plain thrown away. We can take care of it all, although we have had a few sellers who have inherited and needed to go through EVERYTHING first because they kept finding money, information on unknown accounts, and other valuables that their mother had tucked away in every drawer, pocket, and shoe.rnrnRest assured if we do find Grandma’s long-lost diamond ring, we will give you a call.

What Does It Cost, Do You Have Any Fees or Commissions?

There is no money out of your pocket. All fees are paid by us (we get it back when we sell the rehabbed house to another buyer).

Do You Really Pay A Fair Price for Properties?

Yes, we do pay fair prices. But please keep in mind that there is a difference between a fair price and market value. If the house needs a lot of work, we take the market value of the house and subtract all the costs of repairs needed. This adds up to our fair price. In some special cases, we can present highly competitive offers at market value. However, in those cases, we can’t pay all cash. Instead, we might ask for seller financing or we might take over your current mortgage.

My House is In Terrible Condition, Will You Still Buy It?

We buy homes in Kansas City in any condition good or bad. We primarily buy to fix them up, so the more room for improvement, the more attractive your house is to us. So, Yes, absolutely! We’d love to buy your house even if it is in bad shape, and you may be surprised by how much we will offer for your house! Just fill in our form and see how much we will offer you in cash for your house in KC!rnrnNote when we say We Buy Houses in Kansas City or in KC, we mean the entire Kansas City Metro area.

How Many Houses Do You Buy? What do You Do with Them?

We get this question – all – the – time!!rnrnWe buy a lot of houses. Our goal is to buy, renovate, and resell about 5 to 10 houses a year. Some years we do less and other years we buy way more. And what do we do with them? Simple. We buy them, rehab them and sell them again at a profit. Our home renovations bring new life to neighborhoods. Good for the people, good for the economy, good for everyone!

How Do I Get Started with My Cash Offer?

Getting started is easy. Simply visit our website at www.kcmoHomeBuyer.com, fill out the form, then wait for our call or email.:

What is Probate

We’ve bought a lot of houses over the years and many of the questions we receive from sellers center around probate. What is probate? How can we avoid it? Can I sell a house or other property in the middle of it? And more.

Today we want to take a look at just what is probate.

The Kansas Bar Association defines it as “Probate is a court procedure where the validity of a will is proved or disproved. It involves all estate administration proceedings. When a person dies, all property, other than property passing directly to others (such as property held in joint tenancy, life insurance proceeds, and retirement plans payable to a named beneficiary), may be subject to a probate proceeding. An estate is generally probated in the county where the deceased owned property. If a property is located in another state, additional proceedings are sometimes necessary for that state. There is no natural right to inherit property. This right exists solely as granted by statute. Kansas law provides for the probating of estates to protect all interested parties.”

Basically, the legal system uses this process to make sure the will is valid and to appoint someone to oversee the will and clear up the estate. The person appointed will collect all assets, protect them, pay off any creditors, and then distribute the assets. The probate court is there to protect and assist the appointee to make sure everything goes smoothly and to help transfer legal ownership where necessary.

What Happens in the Probate Process?

The will usually names a person that the deceased would like to oversee the assets and distribution. If there is no one appointed or if a will does not exist, the court will appoint someone to administer. Then under the guidance and direction of an attorney, the estate will be settled.

Appointee notifies all heirs and creditors of the probate.
Appointee will inventory and preserve all assets of the deceased: money, cars, houses, general possessions.
Appointee will continue to collect any income due such as interest, dividends, rents if there is a rental property, or mortgage payments if there are any notes due. They can also demand payment should schedule payments to the deceased not be made.
If the deceased owned a business, the appointee will manage that business.
Appointee will then get all the information needed on heirs, names, ages, addresses, etc.
Appointee will complete any pending lawsuits that the deceased may have been party to our that may be brought against the estate.
Appointee will prepare tax returns and pay any and all taxes.
Appointee will pay all creditors of the deceased and if necessary liquidate assets, like selling houses and mortgage notes, to raise funds to pay creditors.
Appointee will legally distribute real property and other assets to the heirs.

What Does the Court do in the Probate Process?

The court’s job is to administer the estate, oversee the appointed executor or administrator. Make sure the law is followed and when the sale of assets are over certain amounts or debts are over certain limits, the court will make a final determination before sales and payments. As every probate case is different in Kansas City, the time frame varies. Generally in Kansas, anyone who has knowledge about a will has six months after the date of death to bring that information forward. Creditors have four months to file claims against the estate. And final tax returns and payments are due no later than nine months after the date of death.

What Property is Exempt from Probate?

Not all items owned by the deceased are subject to probate.

Life Insurance will pass directly to the designated beneficiary unless that beneficiary is the estate or the executor.
Property owned in joint tenancy with the right of survivorship will pass automatically to the surviving joint tenant, although they may have to pay some taxes.
Bank Accounts with a “Pay on Death” provision will pass directly to the named party.
Transfer on Death provisions can also be set up for securities, titled vehicles, and real estate.

What about Estate Taxes?

First, there is the Federal Estate Tax, which is based on the value of the assets in the taxable estate. The second type you may see is a State Inheritance Tax. Please consult an attorney and/or a tax professional on these matters.

What about Small Estates?

According to the Kansas Bar:

The laws of Kansas provide that when the deceased leaves a spouse or minor children, a simplified proceeding may be used when:

the estate is made up entirely of personal property
the estate does not exceed the amount of exempt property
the estate does not exceed the maximum family allowance of $25,000. It’s called a “Refusal to Grant Letters of Administration.” This proceeding can also be used by a creditor where the deceased person’s estate consists of real and personal property that does not exceed $25,000 and when there is no claim for family allowance by a surviving spouse or minor children.

The availability of the “Refusal to Grant Letters of Administration” process can be determined by the lawyer and the executor or administrator at the time of the initial conference. Probate can be avoided if the estate contains no real property and the value of the estate is less than the total value of all demands against the estate. Any person possessing a will may then file it with an affidavit. If assets are discovered later, the will can then be probated and the assets distributed according to the will. If the deceased had no will and left only real estate to the surviving spouse and other family members, a “Determination of Descent” proceeding may be instituted at any time six months after death. This proceeding takes about 30 days to complete and is often used when reasons to probate administration do not exist.

Even if a “Refusal to Grant Letters of Administration” or a “Determination of Descent” proceeding is used, there may be Kansas Inheritance Tax and federal estate tax filing requirements.

What Should the Heirs Do?

Other than making efforts to protect property, the KS Bar suggests not disturbing anything and to first consult an attorney in the matter. Your attorney can help you determine if probate is necessary and if it is not. Then help direct the family in the process.