My Son Wants Me to Sell the House. Who Decides?

No. To sell a house in Texas, the person on the title signs. If your name is on the deed, there's no sale without your signature. Your children don't have to authorize anything, and you don't need their permission to sell or to stay.

Two situations where someone else is involved:

• If you're married. If the house is your primary home, your spouse usually has to sign too, even if the house is only in your name. An attorney or the title company confirms this.
• If you gave someone a power of attorney. A power of attorney lets another person sign for you, but only if you granted it, and it exists to act in your interest. If you have questions about a power of attorney you signed, or want to revoke it, talk to an attorney.

Before you say yes or no, it's worth asking him why. There's almost always a reason behind it, and often it's worry:

• The house has become a lot of work: the yard, the repairs, the stairs.
• He sees you living alone and wants you closer.
• He's concerned about the costs: taxes, insurance, a roof that's on its last legs.
• He wants the money in the house to work for you now.

Sometimes the reason is something else, and that's worth knowing too. Listening doesn't commit you to anything. It gives you information to decide with.

With facts on the table, not opinions. When everyone says "I think," nobody wins. When everyone looks at the same page, the conversation changes. I go into this in one wants to move and the other doesn't.

These are the numbers that help:

1. What your house is worth today. Not what someone guesses, but an analysis of similar homes that sold nearby. You can request it at veronicayeary.com/home-value.
2. What you'd keep if you sold. The price, minus what you owe, minus the costs of selling.
3. What it costs you to stay. Taxes, insurance, upkeep, and the repairs you already know are coming.
4. Where you'd go. A smaller home, one near family, a one-story house. If there's no clear answer to this question, it isn't time to sell yet.

With that, you can see your real options: stay and fix what's needed, sell and buy something that suits you better, or wait. All three are valid decisions. And if you decide "not yet," that's fine too; I wrote about it in when not to sell your home yet.

That's the most common fear, and it has a solution. You can sell and buy with one plan, with dates, so you move once and never end up without a place to live. You can even arrange to stay in your house for a few days after it sells while you move. I explain how in stay in your house after you sell and on the sell and buy page.

Of course, if you'd like. Many families prefer to have a son or daughter there, and it helps when everyone hears the same thing. And if your son wants to know how to bring this up without pressuring you, I wrote something for him: how to explain to your parents when moving makes sense.

But the explanation is for the person signing. The questions that matter are yours, and nobody should sign something they don't understand.

If you ever feel someone is pushing you to sign papers nobody explained to you, don't sign. Ask for time, ask for the papers in writing, and find an attorney. A good decision can wait a few days.

Can I sell my house without my children's permission?

Yes. If the house is in your name, you don't need their permission. If you're married, your spouse usually signs too.

My daughter-in-law wants me to sell. Does she have a say?

She can share her opinion, like anyone in the family, but the decision belongs to the owner of the house.

What if the house is in my name and my son's?

Then you're both owners and you both sign. Neither of you can sell alone. If you can't agree, an attorney can explain your options.

My son says the house will be his anyway. Does that change anything?

As long as you're living and the house is in your name, it's yours. What happens later depends on your will or whatever paperwork you have. If you don't have anything in writing, an attorney can help you make it clear, so your family doesn't have to guess.

What if I don't want to sell?

Then you don't sell. Hearing your son out and looking at the numbers doesn't commit you to anything.

The house is yours, and so is the decision. Your children can help you think it through, and it's worth listening to why they're asking. But you decide, with the numbers on the table, at your own pace, without signing anything you don't understand.

Want to look at your numbers calmly, with no commitment?

You can start by requesting your home's value at veronicayeary.com/home-value. If you'd rather talk it over, call or text me at 469-441-8890, or email veronica@veronicayeary.com. If you'd like your son or daughter there, they're welcome.

Veronica Yeary, Realtor®, CRS · ABR · SRS · CIPS, All City Real Estate DFW. I explain every step before you decide anything.

469-441-8890 · Call or text · veronica@veronicayeary.com · Email