My husband and I were in a similar situation (although we had owned homes separately before).

His mother passed away on March 3, 2006. Over the summer we found a house we liked, and we
got two mortgages: one for the approximate amount that we anticipated getting from the will,
and one for the balance of the amount due. It was May 2007 before we got the money.

Part of that delay was that probating the will required that my mother-in-law's home be sold so
as to distribute the proceeds among her four children. Selling a house is anything but a guarantee
these days, and the final outcome anything but certain.

So, does your grandmother's will involve the sale of any real property? Or is it just cash?

That will impact your timeline.

brother and myself. So the way my Dad was talking it is basically cash now since my brother bought it. It is a matter of doing the opening and closing of the will.

I drove to my husband's place of employment, had him endorse the check, and then deposited it.
I also went to the bank holding the second mortgage and made the payment.

Time is money.

The late evening of the day AFTER I had done that, my husband's sister (the executrix) calls us just to chat and then adds, oh, by the way, don't cash that check for a week. It won't be good for a week.

HUH? I told her what I had done. She told me it would bounce. She couldn't believe that I had immediately gone to the bank. I couldn't believe that anyone would be so foolish as to leave that much money casually sitting in check form in their house with no interest in getting to the bank. But apparently none of his sisters had even given a moments planning over the prior 14 months as to how to best spend/utilize this large chunk of cash. I used to be an accountant. I played the float all the time for a small business that had to do that to survive and keep interest payments down. So that was my perspective: if you don't use it the minute you get it, you are losing money while the clock ticks.

Just FYI!

I'm pretty sure your grandmother left you the money for the very reason you plan to use it. I don't think you are being disrespectful. On the contrary, you are affirming life and honoring her memory.

but be certain you will obtain what you think you will obtain. And be prepared to wait for the funds to clear. Probate can take a long time.

An attorney should be retained by the Estate, to be sure the process goes as it should. (I've had recent experience, with 2 Estates.)

In my husband's case, the "simple probate" ended up taking 11 months, because FIL had pre-nup with his fifth wife and his will required everything to go into a trust before anything further was done - and that took lots of time and the lawyers ended up with a good chunk of the estate when all was said and done.

But by all means, start looking for work; just make sure you tell the prospective employers that while you don't live there now, you plan to be moving in the area soon and will be ready and willing to start work as soon as they need you there. Most of the "good" jobs I've gotten over the years usually took three or four months from application to hiring, so you might be able to set it up that you're walking into a job two or three weeks after you move into the area.

And no, it's not disrespectful to be thinking about what you're going to be doing with the money left to you. Your grandmother wanted that money to improve the life of her heirs, especially since she couldn't take with her.

As for the property, you need to think about what you can do yourself, and what you need to pay someone to do, and look at any place you "fall in love with" with that in mind. You need to make a checklist of what you're both willing to do to save money (paint, vent cleaning, basic carpentry, demolition), and how much electrical, foundation, and structural issues you're willing and able to deal with.
Get an inspector who will provide you with pictures and a "running narrative" of what s/he checked before you buy. Make sure you ask for a list of code and safety issues that are found. After you buy and before you start work, get a different inspector who will also give you pictures and a running narrative and ask that one to check for code and safety violations.
Those get fixed first. And usually while you're in the process of doing your demolition is the best time for the plumber, HVAC, and electrician.
Make a list of what needs to be done before you move in. Wallpaper and paint, or a remodel because "you don't like that style" can usually be done afterwards, and in a pinch, you can put off that hardwood floor if it looks like you're aiming for too much with too little; what you need to be concerned about are plumbing and structural leaks, wiring dangers, foundation and roofing issues, mold, pests, and health dangers, security, energy savings (windows, thresholds, doors), accessibility...

Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and subway tiles are nice to have, but you can often find deals looking at dent and dink places, salvage yards, or find out where the property management companies get their appliances.

Good luck.

Haele

Finding work is not all that quick.

Question is: what do you do if a prospective employer says "yes"? Do you move now, rent a place for a while? Do you split, one of you working in each town until probate is done?

Insensitive? I'd bet your grandmother was too "practical" to be overly concerned with "appearances of sensitivity". She had a will, so she was smart.

Good luck!

as personal rep (MA doesn't use the term executor any longer).

Probate will still take a while - creditors have up to a year to make a claim against the estate. Paperwork needs to be done for both last personal taxes and estate taxes when closing out the estate and reports of assets and liabilities need to be made.

Now MA courts could be slower than other states, I don't know, but I think at least in MA it is typical for the process to take a year from start to finish when there is no contest.

But if you want to move there anyway because the economy is better and family is closer, you should start looking for jobs and plan to rent for a while if it's affordable.