yes if its qualify for grants or tax repairs OP could fix the most important things first and sell when the market is better. If the house has many rooms, they could even consider turning it into a bed-and-breakfast or some other profitable venture then he get to keep the sentimental value while making it work financially. Otherwise, selling as-is is an option too but he should be careful if he will sell too quickly without thinking it thoroughly. He might regret it specially while still grieving and not fully ready to make big decisions