Start with probate, because it's half of what makes Harris different. The county has five statutory probate courts, all at 201 Caroline downtown, and they handle estates and guardianships and nothing else. When there's a clean will and no unsecured debt, heirs can often use a muniment of title, which typically wraps up in a month or two. An independent administration usually runs six to nine months. A contested estate can take a year or two. Ask early which path the family is on, because it decides when they can actually sign.

Foreclosure in Texas moves fast. After a missed payment, the servicer has to give the homeowner at least 20 days to cure. If that doesn't happen, the notice of sale must go out at least 21 days ahead, filed with the County Clerk and posted. Harris County's commissioners court designated Bayou City Event Center on Knight Road as the sale site, and auctions run between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday. From a posted notice to a lost house can be about three weeks. A seller who calls you in that window has very little time to waste.

Tax foreclosure is slower and runs through the courts. A taxing unit sues, gets a judgment, and a constable sells the property, also on the first Tuesday at the same venue. Even after the sale the owner can redeem: two years on a homestead with a 25 percent premium in the first year and 50 percent in the second, or 180 days on other property. Watch for owners 65 and older who deferred their taxes. The deferral can end after the owner dies, and the heirs inherit both the house and the bill.

Condition in Harris comes down to water and dirt. Most of the area sits on expansive clay that shrinks and swells, and slab foundations near big trees can settle several inches. Then there's flooding. Harvey's water reached well beyond the usual trouble spots, and since 2019 a Texas seller has to disclose past flooding, flood insurance claims and federal aid. When you walk a house in Kingwood, off the Ship Channel or near the reservoirs, look for a waterline, new drywall at the 2-foot mark, and doors that don't close square.

A typical Harris call sounds like this. A woman in Pasadena tells our caller the house was her father's. He died two years ago, there's a will, and she lives in San Antonio. The house took about a foot of water in Harvey, got patched, and has been empty since spring. Her brother wants to list it. She wants it done. The caller confirms she is the named executor, that the will hasn't been filed yet, that she'll accept a number below a retail list price, and that her brother will sign. All of that goes into the verification note before you ever dial her.