For adult family home owners
Thinking of selling your adult family home?
I'm Henos. My family runs Serene Lynnwood, a licensed six-bed adult family home. I have seen up close what it takes to run one.
If you are thinking about selling, now or in a year or two, I would like to hear about it. Tell me about your home. I will tell you what I see. If it is not the right time, I will say so.
Two ways to sell
An adult family home is a house and a business. You can sell them apart, or together.
Sell the business, keep the house
A new owner buys the business and rents the house from you. You keep the house and the rent. This is a common way.
Sell both together
One buyer gets the house and the business. You are done, and you walk away.
Which one is right depends on whether you want to stay a landlord. I can walk you through both.
A free, rough number
What could your adult family home sell for?
Tell me about you and your home. Then put in what your residents pay each month. You will see a rough range for the business.
- You tell me who you are and where the home is.
- You put in your monthly income. Best guesses are fine.
- You see a rough range. Then I call you. We talk about your price and what you charge each month.
It is a starting point for a talk. It is not an appraisal or an offer.
- 1About you
- 2Your numbers
- 3Your range
Hi, I'm Henos. I am the one who will call you. I read every request myself.
First, who am I talking to?
Now, your numbers
Best guesses are fine. We can fix them on the phone.
Draft numbers
What can change it
- How many beds are full. A full home is worth more.
- Who pays. Private pay and Medicaid look different to a buyer.
- The rent, if you keep the house.
- Your records and your inspections. Clean ones help.
- Some buyers price on profit, not income. That can give a different number.
The house is a separate price. I can tell you what it could sell for. I look at homes that sold nearby.
This is a rough starting point from asking prices. It is not an appraisal, a valuation or an offer. I am a licensed real estate broker, not an accountant, an attorney or a business appraiser. Your attorney and your accountant should look at any real price. DSHS handles the license.
Free guide
The adult family home seller's guide
The whole sale in plain steps: the three ways out, what a buyer is buying, the change of ownership, your residents and staff, and the taxes on the way out.
It says who handles each part. The house is my part. The business, the license and the taxes belong with your attorney, your accountant and DSHS.
What selling looks like
- We talk about your price. You tell me about your home. I tell you what the house could sell for.
- We find a buyer. New owners, people who run a home already, and investors who work with an operator. I help with the house side.
- The state gives the buyer a license. The buyer applies to DSHS for their own license. You give 60 days' written notice to DSHS and to your residents. This is called a change of ownership. Your attorney writes the papers.
- We close. The sale closes after the state approves the new license. If you keep the house, the lease starts that day.
I am a licensed Washington real estate broker. The house is my part. The license, the notices and the taxes belong with DSHS, your attorney and your accountant. Bring them in early.
Questions owners ask before they sell
How do I sell my adult family home in Washington?
There are two parts. The house is real estate, and I help with that part. The business is the license, the residents and the staff. That part goes through the state, and your attorney writes the papers. A buyer usually looks at both, so we plan them together from the start.
Can I sell the business and keep the house?
Yes. A new owner buys the business and rents the house from you. You keep the house and the rent. Or you can sell both together and be done. I can walk you through both before you decide.
What is my adult family home worth?
Send me the address. I will tell you what the house could sell for. I look at homes that sold nearby, the condition and the timing. The business is priced a different way, from your income and your beds. No honest number comes without your real figures. The calculator on the seller page gives a rough range to start the talk.
How does a change of ownership work?
The buyer applies to the state (DSHS) for their own license. A license belongs to the person who runs the home, not to the house, so it does not transfer. You give DSHS and your residents 60 days' written notice. You also sign a letter that gives up your license once the buyer's license is approved. The sale closes after the state approves. Plan for months, not weeks: in October 2026 DSHS was still working on applications it received in June. Your attorney and DSHS handle this part. I keep the house sale moving next to it.
Do I have to tell my residents I am selling?
Yes. The state requires 60 days' written notice to DSHS and to your residents or their representatives. The notice says they can stay or move. Plan for it early. A sale that keeps the residents in place is easier for everyone.
Let's talk
Thinking about selling? Let's talk it through.
A plain talk about what your home is worth and how a sale would work. Even if you are a year or two out.