Estate & Date-of-Death Appraisal · Metro Atlanta
Home Appraisals for Estates, Probate & Inheritance
Settling an estate usually means proving what a home was worth on a specific past date — most often the date of death. I document market conditions as they existed on that date, using sales from that same period, in a report the IRS, probate courts, and accountants accept.
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(404) 594-3396GA Certified Residential Appraiser #441846
Estate Appraisal
Valuations the IRS, the Court, and Your Tax Preparer Will Accept
An estate appraisal has to do more than estimate a value. It has to prove a value as of a date that has already passed, in a form the people reviewing it recognize. That is what these reports are built for.
Retrospective Effective Dates
Value as of the date of death or any other historical date, using sales from that same time period — not today's market.
IRS Form 706 Support
Documentation suitable for federal estate tax filings and for establishing stepped-up basis on inherited property.
Probate & Trust Administration
Reports executors and trustees can file with the court and share with beneficiaries without further explanation.
Step-Up Basis Documentation
A supported value at date of death, so heirs and their CPAs have a defensible cost basis when the property is later sold.
Resolving Disputes Among Heirs
A neutral third-party opinion when siblings or beneficiaries disagree about what the property is worth.
Ten Metro Atlanta Counties
Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, and Rockdale.
Why Estate Appraisals Are Different
The Date Matters as Much as the Property
Most appraisals answer what a home is worth today. An estate appraisal answers what it was worth on a date that may be months or years in the past — usually the date of death. That distinction changes the entire analysis.
I use comparable sales that closed around that effective date, and I document the market conditions that existed then. If values in the neighborhood moved 8% in the year after the date of death, that movement has no place in the report. Pulling today's comps and calling it a date-of-death value is the most common error I see in reports that get questioned.
The report explains its own reasoning in plain language, so an executor can read it, hand it to a CPA, attach it to a Form 706, or file it with the probate court without needing an appraiser to interpret it. If a beneficiary or an examiner asks why a number is what it is, the answer is already on the page.
If you are not sure which date applies to your situation, call before you order anything. The effective date is the one thing that is expensive to get wrong, and it takes about two minutes on the phone to settle.
What I need to get started
- The property address
- The effective date — usually the date of death
- Whether it is for probate, a tax filing, basis documentation, or a sale among heirs
- Who needs a copy: executor, attorney, CPA, or the court
- Any deadline you are working against
Questions
Common questions
What is a date-of-death appraisal?
It is an appraisal that states a home's fair market value as of the date the owner died, rather than as of today. Estates use it to settle probate, to support federal estate tax filings, and to establish the stepped-up cost basis heirs will rely on when the property is eventually sold.
Because the effective date is in the past, the analysis uses comparable sales from that period and describes the market as it existed then.
How far back can a retrospective appraisal go?
Years back, in most cases. Sales data for Metro Atlanta is well documented, so the limiting factor is usually the condition of the property on the effective date rather than the availability of comps. If the home has been renovated or has deteriorated since, tell me — photos, listing records, or your own description of its condition at the time all help support the value.
Will the IRS accept this appraisal?
The reports are prepared to USPAP standards by a Georgia Certified Residential Appraiser, which is the qualified-appraisal standard the IRS looks for in support of Form 706 and basis documentation. No appraiser can promise how an examiner will rule, but a well-supported report with documented comparable sales and explained adjustments is what withstands review.
Do all the heirs need to agree before ordering one?
No. Whoever is administering the estate — usually the executor or personal representative — can order the appraisal. That said, when beneficiaries are in disagreement, it often helps for everyone to know a neutral appraiser was engaged, because it removes the suspicion that the number was shopped for.
How quickly can I get the report?
Inspections are typically scheduled within one to three days of your call, and the completed report is delivered the same day I inspect. If you are working against a court date or a filing deadline, say so when we first speak and I will tell you honestly whether I can meet it.
What if the property has already been sold?
That is common, and it is not a problem. I can still complete a retrospective appraisal using exterior observation, prior listing photos, county records, and whatever documentation you have about its condition on the effective date. The report will disclose exactly what the analysis was based on.
Need an Estate Appraisal in Metro Atlanta?
Tell me the property and the effective date. I'll confirm scope and fee on the same call, and be straight with you about the timeline.