When someone passes away owning real property, the IRS and the probate court need to know exactly what that property was worth on the date they died — not today, not last year, but that specific date. This is the assignment I built my practice around: reconstructing San Diego's real estate market as it existed on a past date and delivering a report that satisfies the IRS, the probate court, and every heir at the table.
Why Families and Fiduciaries Come to Me for This
Executors, successor trustees, CPAs, and probate attorneys across San Diego County request a date-of-death appraisal to settle an estate, complete IRS Form 706, divide real property fairly among heirs, or lock in the stepped-up cost basis on an inherited home. A property held in a revocable living trust needs this same date-specific value the moment it becomes irrevocable, so trustees can administer it and report accurately to beneficiaries.
Reconstructing a Market That No Longer Exists
A retrospective appraisal is a different discipline than a same-day valuation. I go back to the comparable sales that actually closed around the date in question — not current listings, not today's prices — and rebuild the market conditions as they stood on that day. The finished report walks through the subject property, the historical comparable evidence, the market context, and a fully supported value conclusion dated precisely to the date of death.
USPAP-Compliant and Built for Scrutiny
Every date-of-death report I write follows USPAP and is organized the way the IRS, San Diego County probate courts, and estate counsel expect to see it. With more than 20 years appraising throughout San Diego and thousands of completed assignments, my conclusions are relied on by attorneys, CPAs, and fiduciaries who need a value that will hold up if it's ever questioned.
What Stepped-Up Basis Actually Means for Heirs
Inherited real estate generally receives a “step-up” in cost basis to its fair market value on the date of death. A properly documented appraisal is what establishes that number — and it's what lets heirs pay capital-gains tax only on appreciation that happens after they inherit, rather than on decades of appreciation the original owner experienced. Skipping this step, or relying on an unsupported guess, can cost heirs real money at tax time.
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Published fees start at $299; your exact fee is confirmed before you commit. See the full fee schedule or request a free quote.