Estate Planning Appraisals

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A: A real estate appraisal is typically needed following the passing of a property owner when the estate includes commercial or investment real property. The appraisal is used to determine the value of the property for estate tax filings, equitable distribution among heirs, or the sale of the property. Appraisals are also commonly prepared in advance for long-term estate planning purposes.

A: For estate tax purposes, the value date is typically the date of death of the property owner. In some cases, an alternate valuation date six months after the date of death may be elected. These are retrospective appraisals — meaning the appraiser must reconstruct market conditions as they existed on a past date, which requires access to historical market data.

A: Yes. We maintain an internal database with thousands of comparable sale and market data entries spanning over three decades, curated and verified by our staff. This allows us to accept estate appraisal assignments with value dates that may be months or even years in the past throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York.

A: A retrospective appraisal requires the appraiser to analyze market conditions as they existed on a specific past date rather than today. This creates additional complexity, as current data sources must be filtered to reflect only information that was available or known on the effective date. Our experience with historical market data allows us to complete these assignments with the same rigor as a current appraisal.

A: Estate appraisals are most often ordered by estate attorneys, accountants, executors, or personal representatives of the estate. They may also be requested by heirs seeking an equitable division of property, or by buyers and sellers of estate properties where an independent value opinion is needed for negotiations.

A: Contact us today for a free, no-obligation appraisal quote. You can call us at 814.456.2900, email corporate@ssl-rea.com, or submit a request through the contact form on our website. We typically respond within the same business day.