Date of Death Appraisals

What was the home worth on the day they passed?

After a loss, families, executors, and trustees need a reliable value as of the date of death, sometimes months or years later. Robert Howlett, SRA, AI-RRS, prepares date of death appraisals that support the beneficiaries' tax basis, fair distributions, and the work of your attorney and CPA.

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CA Certified Residential Appraiser SRA · Appraisal Institute AI-RRS · Appraisal Institute Retrospective Specialist USPAP Compliant
Our Specialty

A value as of the date of death, not today

A date of death appraisal is a retrospective appraisal. It looks back to a specific day and asks what the home would have sold for then, using the sales and market conditions from that time.

As of the date of death, or any past date

Date of Death & Retrospective Appraisals

The date is most often the day the owner passed, but it can be any date your attorney, CPA, or insurer needs, even months or years later.

  • Establishes the step-up in tax basis for beneficiaries
  • Used by CPAs for estate and income tax filings
  • Helps executors and trustees divide or distribute property fairly
  • Not too late, even years after the date of death
  • For insurance purposes: values before and after a natural disaster, such as the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires or the recent storm damage along the Pacific coast
  • Must be prepared by a qualified, state-licensed appraiser. A real estate agent's opinion of value or an online estimate will not hold up with the IRS, a court, or an insurer. Robert is a California Certified Residential Appraiser, the highest residential license level, and carries additional designations from the Appraisal Institute (SRA, AI-RRS).
Why Credentials Matter Estate, trust & probate appraisals →
Common effective dates
Date of death

The value that generally becomes the beneficiaries' new tax basis.

Death of the first spouse

For a surviving spouse, especially with California community property, where both halves may receive a step-up.

Alternate valuation date

Six months after the date of death, when the estate's CPA elects it on a federal estate tax return.

Trust funding, gift, or other date

A trust funding date, the date of a gift, or another date named by counsel or a CPA.

Step-Up in Tax Basis

Why the date of death value matters to beneficiaries

When someone sells a home, capital gains tax is based on the difference between the sale price and the owner's tax basis, which is usually what they paid plus improvements. Inherited property is treated differently.

The rule

Under federal tax law, property inherited at death generally receives a new basis equal to its fair market value on the date of death. The appreciation during the original owner's lifetime is not taxed to the heirs.

Why an appraisal

The new basis has to be supported. A credible date of death appraisal is the record your CPA relies on, and the evidence if the IRS ever asks how the value was determined.

The benefit

When the beneficiaries sell, they generally pay tax only on the gain since the date of death. A missing or low value can mean paying tax on gain that should have been erased.

Example Parents bought a home in 1985 for $150,000. It is worth $900,000 on the date of death. The children sell it a year later for $910,000.
Without a step-up$910,000 sale − $150,000 original cost
$760,000 taxable gain
With a step-up$910,000 sale − $900,000 date of death value
$10,000 taxable gain

Figures are illustrative. The heirs avoid capital gains tax on $750,000 of appreciation that happened during their parents' lifetime.

California community property

For a home held as community property, both halves can generally receive a step-up when the first spouse dies, not just the deceased spouse's half. The surviving spouse may then sell with little or no taxable gain.

Prop 19 and keeping the home

If a child moves into an inherited home as their primary residence, Prop 19 may let them keep part of the parent's property tax base. How much depends on the home's market value at the date of death, which an appraisal documents.

Inherited versus gifted

Property given away during life usually keeps the giver's original basis, with no step-up. That difference is one reason estate planners pay close attention to how and when property passes.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Your CPA or estate attorney can tell you how these rules apply to your situation.

How It's Done

How we value a home as of a past date

A retrospective appraisal follows the same standards as any appraisal, with one difference: everything is measured as of the effective date.

Our process

Looking back with evidence

  • Comparable sales that closed around the date of death, not today's sales
  • Market conditions and price trends as of that date
  • The home's condition then, using photos, records, and your recollection
  • Repairs, clean-outs, or updates made after the date of death are set aside
  • A USPAP-compliant report with the effective date clearly stated
Helpful to have

What you can gather

  • The date of death and the property address
  • Photos of the home from around that time, inside and out
  • A list of upgrades, repairs, and known problems, with approximate dates
  • Any changes made since the date of death
  • Contact information for your attorney or CPA, if you have one
Who We Help

For families and the professionals who guide them

For families, executors & trustees

One less thing to worry about

We handle the appraisal with patience and care and explain each step in plain language.

  • We coordinate access to the home with the family or trustee
  • A neutral value every beneficiary can see is fair
  • Helpful when one heir wants to buy out the others
  • Typically about 3 days from inspection to report
For estate attorneys, CPAs & fiduciaries

A report your file can rely on

Robert works with attorneys, accountants, financial planners, and professional fiduciaries across Southern California.

  • Prepared by a designated appraiser with the education and experience the IRS looks for in a qualified appraiser
  • Supports basis, estate tax returns, trust accountings, and distributions
  • Review of another appraiser's date of death report
  • Expert witness testimony if the value is disputed
Credentials & Experience

Tax matters call for a designated appraiser

A date of death appraisal may be read by the IRS, a court, a CPA, and every beneficiary. Robert holds two of the Appraisal Institute's designations, earned through advanced coursework, peer-reviewed work, and years of experience.

Robert Howlett SRA, AI-RRS
CA Cert.

Certified Residential Appraiser

Licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA) at the highest residential level.

SRA

Senior Residential Appraiser

The Appraisal Institute's residential designation, requiring training and standards well beyond the state license.

AI-RRS

Residential Review Specialist

Specialized training in reviewing other appraisals, useful when beneficiaries or the IRS question a value.

Why Credentials Matter

See what each designation requires and how designated appraisers compare with state-licensed appraisers.

Save Money

A well-supported date of death value protects the step-up in basis, which can save beneficiaries thousands of dollars in capital gains tax.

Avoid Confusion

We walk you through the appraisal and make sure all of your questions are answered.

Stress-Free Process

We keep it efficient and respectful during a difficult time, with clear communication from scheduling to final report.

How It Works

Three steps to a date of death report

  1. Get in touch

    Call, text, or request a free quote. Tell us the property address and the date of death, or another date your attorney or CPA needs.

  2. Property evaluation

    Robert inspects the home and researches the sales and market conditions as of the effective date.

  3. Receive your report

    You get a detailed, USPAP-compliant report, typically within about 3 days of the inspection, ready for your CPA, attorney, or trustee.

Common Questions

Date of death appraisal FAQs

It has been a year or more since the passing. Is it too late?

No. A retrospective appraisal values the home as of the date of death using the sales and market conditions from that time. These are common, and we do them regularly.

The home has been cleaned out or repaired since. Does that matter?

The appraisal reflects the home as it was on the date of death. Tell us what has changed, and share any photos or records from that time, so the report describes the right condition.

Do we need an appraisal if we are keeping the home?

Often yes. The date of death value becomes the beneficiaries' basis for any future sale, it can matter for Prop 19 if a child moves in, and it is far easier to document now than years from now.

Does the estate owe estate tax?

Most estates do not owe federal estate tax, and California has no estate tax. The date of death value still matters for the beneficiaries' income tax basis. Your CPA or attorney can confirm whether an estate tax return is needed.

What is the alternate valuation date?

When a federal estate tax return is filed, the executor may be able to value the estate six months after the date of death instead. Your CPA decides whether it applies, and we can appraise as of either date.

Who orders the appraisal?

Usually the executor, trustee, or administrator, or their attorney or CPA. Beneficiaries sometimes order one as well. The appraisal is independent, so the value does not depend on who orders it.

Areas Served

Serving Southern California from Glendora

Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley Orange County Riverside County San Bernardino County

Get a free date of death appraisal quote

Call today or fill out our free quote request form. Tell us the address and the date of death, and we'll take it from there.

Get a Free Quote Why Credentials Matter
626-421-7230