Date of death appraisal questions
What is a date of death appraisal?
It is a retrospective appraisal: instead of valuing a property as it stands today, it establishes what the property was worth on a specific date in the past, usually the date the owner passed away. The report is built from sales and market conditions as they were on that date, not current ones.
Why does an estate need one?
A documented value as of the date of death is what probate, estate administration, trust valuation, inheritance and tax reporting all rest on. Without it there is no defensible basis for what the property was worth when it transferred.
Can a property really be appraised as of a date in the past?
Yes. These are also called historical or retrospective appraisals, and they are a standard part of our work. The analysis uses comparable sales and market conditions from the relevant period rather than from today.
Will the report meet IRS requirements?
Our date of death reports are prepared as IRS-compliant appraisals, with credible market analysis and thorough documentation, so they can support estate tax filings and stand up to review.
Who usually orders a date of death appraisal?
Attorneys, accountants, executors, trustees and financial advisors order them regularly, and so do families handling an estate directly. We are used to working alongside all of them.
How is this different from an estate planning appraisal?
A date of death appraisal looks backward to a fixed date that has already passed. Estate and tax planning appraisals value a property as of today, to support decisions that are still being made about gifting, transfer or structuring.
Ready to schedule your appraisal?
Tell us about your property and preferred timeline, and we’ll promptly provide a fair, transparent fee, a clearly defined scope of work, and the earliest available inspection time.
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