Condolences
Yes.
Here's a link to it.
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-...r-(EIN)-Online
Yes.
Once you present your Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary (it's called different things in different places) to his bank you can close the account and have the bank issue a check to The Estate of _____ for the balance and then deposit it into the estate account.
Probably.
The SS death benefit is $255. If there is no beneficiary and you were not married it's likely to be made out to The Estate of ______.
I don't think so. You would be wise to talk to a tax pro about that. But I think "it is what it is."
The assessed value generally has nothing to do with the market value.
If you were the one named in the will to inherit all of his estate it would be worth your while to have a professional appraisal so you don't short change yourself on the sale price, or at least have a realtor do a market analysis or look on Zillow (which is not always accurate but will give you a starting point and you can see what recent sales have been nearby). Once you've determined an appropriate market value so you can put it up for sale, that value will have to pass muster with a lender's appraiser if a prospective buyer needs a mortgage and the lender won't care how you arrived at your sale price.
PS: I handled my mother's estate through the NY Surrogate Court so I have a bit of experience.

