Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — date-of-death and other retrospective estate valuations are the core of my practice. I regularly work with San Diego County executors, successor trustees, CPAs, and probate attorneys to establish IRS- and court-ready fair market value as of a specific past date for estate settlement and stepped-up basis.

I provide certified residential appraisal services centered on the City of San Diego and its neighborhoods — Downtown, La Jolla, North Park, Point Loma, Rancho Bernardo, and more — and extending throughout San Diego County, including Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas, San Marcos, Escondido, Poway, Rancho Santa Fe, Coronado, Chula Vista, the South Bay, East County, and Ramona and Julian in the backcountry.

Residential appraisals start at $299 for a Basic Desktop report and range up to $725 for a full Standard appraisal of a 2–4 unit property. See the Services & Fees page for the full price list. Complex, high-value, large-acreage, or rush assignments may be quoted individually, and your exact fee is always confirmed before you commit.

Yes. Brian Ward is a California Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser with more than 20 years of experience and over 7,000 appraisals completed. All reports comply with USPAP, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

Online estimates are automated guesses based on limited public data and can be off by tens of thousands of dollars. A certified appraisal is an independent professional opinion of value, supported by a careful analysis of comparable sales and the specific characteristics of your property, and it carries the credibility required by the IRS, courts, and attorneys.

Turnaround depends on the property and the type of report, but most residential appraisals are completed within several business days. I work efficiently to meet probate and court deadlines and time-sensitive transactions — contact me to discuss your timeline.

A retrospective appraisal values a property as of a specific past date rather than today — most commonly the date of a person's death for estate and stepped-up basis purposes, or a date of separation in a divorce. I analyze the comparable sales and market conditions that actually existed on that historical date, not current listings.

Yes. San Diego and San Diego County range from downtown high-rise condos and La Jolla oceanfront homes to view estates in Rancho Santa Fe and larger acreage parcels in Ramona and Julian. I have deep experience valuing everything from dense urban condos to non-standard rural and equestrian properties.

sandiegoappraiser.pro is the City of San Diego and San Diego County-focused site of Brian Ward Appraisal, led by date-of-death and estate valuation work. The main company site, brianward.com, serves both San Diego and Riverside Counties across all appraisal purposes. It is the same appraiser and the same USPAP-compliant reports.

Call (619) 630-9273, email contact@brianward.com, or complete the online form on the Contact page. I'll review your needs, confirm the fee, and schedule the assignment.