Since you're not planning to rent it out, have you considered a 1031 exchange? It lets you defer capital gains taxes if you're buying another investment property. But there are strict timelines - you need to identify the new property within 45 days and complete the purchase within 180 days.

Just wanted to add a practical tip that saved me thousands when I sold my gifted property last year - make sure you get a proper appraisal done before you sell, not just a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) from a realtor. The IRS may challenge your sale price if it seems too low compared to fair market value, especially with gifted properties since they're more scrutinized. I paid $500 for a certified appraisal and it gave me solid documentation that my sale price was legitimate. Also, regarding your question about using only part of the proceeds - this is actually a smart move in many cases. If you can get a mortgage rate that's lower than what you could earn investing the rest of the money, it makes financial sense. Plus, mortgage interest is tax-deductible while investment gains from the proceeds would be taxed as capital gains. One more thing - start gathering documentation NOW about what your brother originally paid for the house and any improvements he made. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to track down those records, and that's money you could be leaving on the table.

mine was stuck on processing for 4 months then randomly showed up in my account one day lol just hang in there

Looking at your transcript, that negative balance of -$9,621 means you're getting a refund! The codes show: 150 means your return was filed, 766 is additional child tax credit ($4,129), and 768 is earned income credit ($8,830). That weird number 30221-423-74330-5 is just an internal IRS processing code. The April dates (04-16-2025) are when those credits will be released - that's your expected refund date. Your cycle code 20250505 means it's being processed in the 5th week of 2025. Everything looks normal, just gotta wait for that April date! 💰

Theyre not gonna call u back in 30 days lol. But the good news is that usually means theyre about to release it anyway

Had the exact same thing happen to me last month! My 810 got removed and they gave me the whole "higher ups will call in 30 days" speech. Didn't get a call but my refund hit my account on day 18. Just keep checking your transcript for movement - once that 810 is gone you're basically in the clear. Hang in there!

Have you received any mail from the IRS yet? The 971 code means they sent something, and knowing what that notice says would help figure out your next steps.

I went through something very similar last year! Had the 570 code on 3/18 and 971 code on 3/25, and my WMR changed from PATH to processing around the same time as yours. The waiting was terrible, especially when you're dealing with major life changes like divorce - I totally understand needing that refund ASAP. In my case, I received the notice about 5 days after the 971 date, and it was just a CP12 explaining they corrected a small math error on my return. My refund was deposited exactly 8 days after WMR changed to processing. The key thing that helped my anxiety was realizing that if it was anything serious (like an audit), there would be different codes on the transcript. These codes are actually pretty routine and usually just mean they're double-checking something before releasing your refund. Hang in there!

There are actually a few factors that might affect your timeline after verification: 1. The type of credits you claimed (EITC/CTC generally take longer) 2. Whether you filed electronically or by paper (e-file is faster) 3. Whether your return had any other compliance flags 4. The current IRS backlog situation I would say, based on what I've generally seen, most people who verify their identity see movement within 3-4 weeks, though it can certainly be faster. The 9-week timeline is probably their worst-case scenario estimate for the most complex situations. If you're approaching week 5 with no movement at all, that would be when I'd consider reaching out to the IRS again.

I went through this exact same process last year! Had to verify identity over the phone in February, and they gave me the same "up to 9 weeks" timeline that had me panicking. But here's the thing - I got my DDD (Direct Deposit Date) exactly 19 days after verification. My transcript was completely blank for about 2 weeks, then suddenly updated with all the processing codes overnight. The key is to check your transcript every Thursday night/Friday morning - that's when most updates happen. Don't stress too much about the 9-week timeline, it's really their worst-case scenario. Since you filed jointly for the first time, make sure there are no name/SSN mismatches between you and your spouse's info, as that can cause additional delays. But honestly, most people I know who had to verify got their refunds within 2-4 weeks. You should see movement soon!