The House Decision
The Field Guide
A plain-language guide to every situation in which a house becomes the problem — written so you know what you're dealing with before you talk to anyone who profits from your not knowing.
Most homeowners in a difficult property situation get outreach from buyers and operators long before they understand the situation they're in. This guide reverses that order. The decisions come after the reading.
Each section in this guide covers one situation — inherited house, foreclosure, tax sale, vacant property, and more. Every section has the same structure: who's contacting you and why, what the risks actually are, and every honest option still on the table.
Browse by situation
Each playbook is written for a specific situation. Find yours, or start with The Basics if you're not sure where to begin.
The Basics
These chapters cover the ground every homeowner in a difficult property situation should have under their feet — before they talk to a single buyer, sign a single document, or accept a single offer.
Read the playbook →Inherited House
The moment a probate estate opens, it becomes public record — and lead operators read those records daily.
Read the playbook →Foreclosure
The moment a loan goes into default, it becomes a public record — and a lead industry reads it instantly.
Read the playbook →Tax Sale
Property-tax delinquency is one of the most dangerous situations in real estate because the loss of equity is so disproportionate to the debt.
Read the playbook →Vacant Property
High equity, vacancy, and a mailing address that doesn't match the property — that combination puts you at the top of every investor's list.
Read the playbook →Tired Landlord
Eviction filings, code violations, below-market rent, rental-license issues — each one is a public signal that landlord-targeting operators watch.
Read the playbook →Senior Transition
Senior transitions combine a large, often unmortgaged asset with an owner who may be dealing with health changes, cognitive decline, and a family under pressure to move quickly.
Read the playbook →Damaged House
A house that needs a roof, has foundation movement, water damage, or major deferred maintenance is not unsellable.
Read the playbook →Divorce & Co-Ownership
When co-owners can't agree on what to do with a property — whether in a divorce, an inherited estate, or any other shared-ownership situation — a partition action can force a sale.
Read the playbook →Auctions
Forced auctions — foreclosure sales and tax sales — are built for speed and investor access, not for maximizing what you walk away with.
Read the playbook →Not sure where to start?
If you're in the middle of a crisis — a foreclosure notice arrived today, a tax sale is approaching, a death just happened — use the crisis fast-path to find the most urgent actions first.
If you'd rather start from the beginning, start with The Basics: how the industry works, how it found you, and how to read any situation before making a move.
Glossary of terms
Every term operators use — ARV, wholesaler, lis pendens, assignment fee — defined in plain language. When you hear a word you don't know, look it up before you agree to anything.
Want a review of your specific situation?
A Home Transition Review gives you a clear picture of your options — including the ones no buyer will mention.