How is the estate of a deceased person determined in Ohio.

I'm sorry for your loss.  Regarding the appraisal, it depends on what it will be used for.  If estate taxes are an issue or you plan to hold on to some valuable items and want to document their value at the time of your father's death for tax basis purposes, or if there is another heir who will question the value of the estate, then hiring a professional appraiser is worth the cost.  There should be estate appraisal businesses in the area who will provide appraisals and even handle the sale and disposal of items.  In other cases, simply doing some research online of similar items to your father's property should be suffiicent.  If you are truly the only heir, then there is no one to question the appraisal and an estimate for the probate court should be enough.   You can serve as administrator from out of state, unless there is some specific law in Ohio that you cannot.  You may need to hire local people to handle certain tasks, but much can be done by mail or phone.  You also could hire a local attorney to do the court filing for you and provide you with specific information about the probate process.   Yes, you can move into the house.  I would advise getting appointed as the administrator first.  If you are not the only heir, or if there are substantial creditors, I would advise writing a lease between the estate and yourself that spells out who pays what expenses.  Be sure to continue the insurance and inform them that your father has died.