The value of a property — on the date that matters.
An estate or probate appraisal is an independent opinion of a property's market value, prepared for settling an estate, administering a trust, or resolving a tax question. Often the date that matters is not today: a retrospective appraisal values the property as of an earlier effective date — most commonly the date of death — using market data from that time. We prepare each appraisal for its stated intended use, and we handle these assignments with the care the circumstances deserve.
Same-day applies to your quote — the fee and scope. We’re open seven days a week, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Central; anything sent after hours is answered the next day.
One appraisal practice, many estate and tax questions
Most of these assignments come down to the same task: putting a well-supported value on real estate as of the date the situation requires. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Date-of-death appraisals
An opinion of the property's value as of the date the owner passed away. Commonly requested in estate settlement and estate-tax-related matters, even when the appraisal is ordered months later.
Probate
When an estate goes through probate, the real estate typically must be valued as part of administration. Commonly requested by executors, administrators, and probate counsel. An independent appraisal documents that value for the record.
Trust distribution
When a trust distributes or divides real estate among beneficiaries, an impartial value helps the trustee treat everyone consistently — and shows the basis for how the property was counted.
Asset allocation among heirs
When one heir receives the house and others receive different assets, the division depends on what the house is worth. An independent number gives the family a neutral figure no single heir produced.
Estate buyouts
Sometimes one heir wishes to keep the property and buy out the others' shares. An impartial appraisal gives all parties the same starting point, so the buyout rests on market evidence rather than opinion.
Gift-tax-related valuations
When real estate is gifted, a valuation as of the date of the gift is commonly requested in connection with gift-tax reporting. Your tax professional can confirm what your situation requires; we provide the supported value.
Life-estate matters
Arrangements involving a life estate — where one person holds the right to use a property for life and another holds the remainder — can require a current or retrospective value of the real estate as part of the analysis.
Property-tax appeals
If you believe your assessment overstates your property's market value, an independent appraisal can serve as value evidence in an appeal. Details below.
Foreclosure & distressed property
Default, short sale, deed-in-lieu, or REO — an independent value for the owner, the lender, or the attorney working the file. Details below.
Estate-planning support
Where appropriate, a current appraisal can inform planning conversations with your attorney or advisor — for example, understanding what a property is worth before deciding how it will be handled.
Four kinds of "value" — and which one your situation needs
These terms get used interchangeably in conversation, but they mean different things. Getting the right one is usually the first scoping question we settle together.
Current market value
What the property would likely sell for on the open market today. This is the value used for most sales, buyouts, and planning conversations. The effective date is the present, and the analysis uses recent market data.
Retrospective value
The property's market value as of a specified past date — not today. The appraiser uses sales and market conditions from that earlier period to support the conclusion. Any past date can be a retrospective effective date if the assignment calls for it.
Date-of-death value
A specific kind of retrospective value: the property's market value as of the date the owner passed away. It is commonly requested in estate settlement and estate-tax-related matters, and it can be developed even when ordered well after the fact.
Property-tax assessment review
Your county assessment is a figure produced for taxation — it is not an appraisal, and it may or may not reflect market value. Reviewing it means comparing the assessment to an independently supported market value to see whether an appeal is worth considering.
Independent evidence for an assessment appeal
Assessments are produced in bulk, for many properties at once. Sometimes they land close to market value; sometimes they don't. If you believe your assessment overstates what your property would actually sell for, an independent appraisal can serve as value evidence in the appeal process.
Two things we want you to understand before you spend money. First, we cannot promise a lower assessment — no appraiser can. The appraisal is an impartial opinion of market value; the appeal decision belongs to the county board or tribunal that hears it. Second, if our analysis suggests the assessment is reasonable, we will say so. An honest answer early is worth more than a report that goes nowhere.
Appeal deadlines and procedures vary by county and state, and many jurisdictions accept appeals only during a limited window each year. Confirm your specific window with the county assessor's office, the board of equalization, or a tax professional before ordering, so the report is in hand while the window is open.
Foreclosure, default, and distressed situations
When a property is heading toward foreclosure, almost every decision in front of the owner and the lender depends on one number nobody has yet: what the property is actually worth right now. An independent appraisal answers that, and it answers it without a stake in which way the decision goes.
These assignments come from several directions:
- Homeowners in default deciding whether there is equity worth protecting, and whether selling on the open market beats letting the process run
- Lenders and servicers needing a value for loss-mitigation review, a short-sale package, a deed-in-lieu, or an REO disposition decision
- Attorneys handling foreclosure-related disputes, sometimes with a retrospective effective date rather than today’s
- Buyers looking at a distressed or REO property who want an independent number before committing
The distinction that matters most here
Market value and forced-sale value are not the same number, and they are not the same assignment. Market value assumes a property was exposed to the open market for a reasonable period, with both parties acting without undue pressure. A foreclosure sale is close to the opposite: a compressed timeline and a seller who has to act. Those two conditions can produce meaningfully different figures on the same house.
So the first question we ask on a distressed assignment isn’t about the property, it’s about the question you actually need answered — and who needs to rely on the answer. Getting that wrong produces a technically competent report that is useless for your purpose. Tell us what the number is for, and the scope gets built around it.
Condition is the other half of it. Distressed properties are often vacant, sometimes stripped, frequently carrying deferred maintenance that the tax record knows nothing about. We report the property as we find it on the inspection date — not as it was, and not as it could be after repairs, unless the assignment specifically calls for that and says so plainly.
One practical note: foreclosure timelines are set by the process, not by anyone’s convenience, and they can be short. If you are working against a sale date, a mediation, or a lender’s deadline, say so when you request your quote — expedited service is available, and it is far easier to accommodate a deadline we know about at the start.
Who we work with
Estate and tax assignments reach us from several directions. Find your role below — the essentials for each are a little different.
Attorneys
We take direction from counsel on the intended use, intended users, and effective date, and confirm scope in writing before work begins. Reports go only to the client and intended users identified at engagement, and communication runs the way your office prefers.
Executors
If you are administering an estate, you may need the property's value as of the date of death — often ordered weeks or months later, which is exactly what a retrospective appraisal handles. Bring the date, the property address, and your attorney's contact information, and we will help define the rest.
Trustees
Trustees often need an impartial value to distribute assets consistently among beneficiaries or to document a sale or transfer decision. An independent appraisal shows the basis for the value used, which supports clear communication with everyone the trust serves.
Beneficiaries
If you are inheriting property — or buying out another heir's share — an independent appraisal gives all parties the same neutral figure. We do not take sides among heirs; the value is the value, whoever engages us.
Accountants & tax professionals
When a client's return or filing calls for a supported real-estate value — date-of-death, gift-related, or otherwise — we prepare the appraisal for the stated intended use and effective date you specify. We are glad to discuss scope directly with you before the engagement.
Property owners challenging an assessment
If your assessment looks out of line with the market, start with the appeal deadline for your county, then talk with us about whether an appraisal makes sense as evidence. If the numbers do not support an appeal, we will tell you before you spend more.
What to have ready
You do not need every item to request a quote. Whatever you have is a fine starting point — we will help you fill in the rest.
- The property address
- The date of death, or the other effective date the assignment requires
- Contact information for the executor, trustee, or attorney involved
- Access details — especially if the property is vacant or you are handling matters from out of state
- A list of improvements — renovations or additions, with approximate years. On a retrospective assignment the dates matter as much as the work itself, because anything finished after the effective date is excluded from the analysis
- Any deadline: a court date, a filing deadline, or simply the family's timeline
- Who should receive copies of the report — we confirm intended users at engagement
Estate and probate appraisal questions, answered plainly
What is a date-of-death appraisal?
What is a retrospective appraisal?
When might an executor or trustee need an appraisal?
Can an appraisal help with trust distribution or an estate buyout?
Do you appraise properties in foreclosure or short sale?
What should an estate attorney or executor provide to get started?
One less thing to untangle.
Tell us the property, the effective date, and any deadline. We'll respond with a customized quote and a clear plan for what happens next.