Michael Knaus

C.P.R.E.S.
Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist

I began my career in the construction business before getting into real estate investing. I got my real estate license 21 years ago and began buying and flipping houses. I started to notice that many of the sellers I was dealing with were going through the probate process and called because they read one of my “We Buy Houses” campaigns, hoping I could help them solve their problem. Because I was only looking to buy discount homes that needed lots of work, I turned many of these sellers away unfortunately. This left me wondering if there was a way that I could better serve these people.

First, I knew I needed to educate myself on probate. I really didn’t understand the process at all, so I didn’t know what the seller was going through. I decided to dive into the subject and read everything I could on the topic. I asked tons of questions to personal representatives, estate attorneys and scoured the courthouse records to see what a probate file looks like and then studied it in depth. Next, I took advanced trainings and earned the certifications mentioned above, which really helped take my knowledge to another level.

The problem was, I still wasn’t sure how I could turn this knowledge into being able to help those sellers that needed it because I could only buy a select few homes. I knew I had to see things from their perspective and help them get as much as possible for the home they needed to sell, no matter what the condition. So, I offered my services as a specialized Realtor and began to work with and for these families by representing their best interest. This involves not only getting as much as possible for the home but taking care of the non-legal side of things that many people aren’t familiar with.

The ways I can help you don’t just end with listing the property for sale. I work closely with a team of professionals whose services include, securing the property, clean outs, estate sale of personal items, repairs that may be needed to bring it up to market standards, maintenance, lawn care and snow removal, to name a few. Whether it’s a quick cash sale you’re after or getting top dollar for your market ready property, I have the experience to when it comes to navigating through the process of selling a home in probate.