Maryland Realtor launches free probate cost calculator for inherited home sales

Marc Cormier has launched a free online calculator to estimate probate costs, fees and net proceeds for Maryland estate sales before families sign a listing or make major decisions. The tool shows about $55,755 in costs on a $500,000 estate and is aimed at personal representatives handling inherited property.

Why it matters: - Probate can erase a meaningful share of an estate’s value before heirs see any proceeds. - The calculator gives families an upfront estimate of costs, fees and net proceeds before they commit to a sale strategy. - Marc Cormier says personal representatives need the net number, not just the expected sale price, to meet their fiduciary duty.

What happened: - Marc Cormier, a Maryland real estate specialist with more than 25 years of probate property experience, launched the Maryland Probate Cost Calculator today. - The free tool is live at the probate cost calculator. - The calculator is designed for personal representatives and families selling an inherited home through probate. - The tool estimates executor fees, court costs and net proceeds for Maryland estate sales.

The details: - Users enter an estimated home value and choose a Maryland county. - The calculator returns an instant breakdown of personal representative commission, Register of Wills probate fees, notice and filing costs, closing costs and the amount left for the estate. - Inputs include home values from $100,000 to $2,000,000. - County selection includes Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and other Maryland jurisdictions. - The calculator also includes toggles for mortgage or lien payoff, probate bond and listing agent commission. - The output includes a real-time estimated closing statement. - The tool includes a disclaimer that every figure is an estimate and should be checked with an estate attorney and, for tax questions, a CPA. - The calculator uses Maryland statutory formulas. - Personal representative commission follows Maryland Estates and Trusts section 7-601: 9% of the first $20,000 of estate value, plus 3.6% of the amount above that. - Register of Wills fees follow a tiered schedule from no charge for estates under $50,000 to $2,000 for estates between $1 million and $2.5 million. - On a $500,000 Maryland estate with no mortgage payoff, no probate bond and a traditional 5.5% listing commission, the calculator estimates about $55,755 in total costs. - That example leaves about $444,245 net to the estate. - Cormier said families often do not learn probate costs until they are already deep into the process.

Between the lines: - The calculator appears aimed at reducing surprises in inherited-home sales, where upfront commission estimates can mask probate-related expenses. - By showing multiple sale paths, the tool frames the decision around net proceeds rather than headline list price. - Cormier’s Track Record page adds a sales-history angle by showing four Maryland and Virginia probate closings and comparing initial cash offers with final sale prices. - Cormier says the combined gap across those four sales runs into seven figures.

What's next: - Cormier says the calculator is available for immediate use now. - He also runs GuideToProbate.com as a probate knowledge center for personal representatives handling Maryland, Virginia and DC estates. - Cormier is the author of "How To Sell Your Inherited Home" and continues to focus on probate and estate property sales across the region.

The bottom line: - The launch gives Maryland families a free way to estimate probate costs before making irreversible estate-sale decisions.