People keep asking what we're doing with Mom's house. What do I tell them?
One sentence, and you're allowed to make it boring: "We're taking our time, and we'll let everyone know when there's news." Repeat as needed. You don't owe anyone — relatives included — a status report on your grief or your parents' estate.
The asking usually isn't malice. A house where everyone gathered feels partly theirs, and people process loss by wanting information. But decisions made in front of an audience get worse, not better. The households that come through this cleanly keep the deciding circle small — the heirs, the attorney, whoever's actually signing. They tell the wider family after decisions are made, not while they're being weighed.
If someone pushes past the sentence, that's information about them, not an obligation for you. Privacy while you settle an estate isn't secrecy — it's the room a family needs to think. And when you want a quiet read on what the house is worth before anyone else knows you asked, that's a normal place to start.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.