Retrospective residential real estate valuation for estates
If your attorney or CPA said you need a date-of-death, estate, or probate appraisal, they usually need an independent retrospective opinion of the property's fair market value as of the owner's date of death, not its value today. DC Metro Appraisals prepares residential reports throughout Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland for estate administration, inherited-property basis documentation, applicable tax filings, and beneficiary decisions.
34 yearsof appraisal experience
15,000+appraisal assignments
VA, DC and MDMike Giampa holds Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser credentials in all three
Standard residential date-of-death appraisal assignments start at $595.
A date-of-death appraisal develops an independent opinion of fair market value for residential real estate as of a past effective date, usually the date the owner died. “Estate appraisal” and “probate appraisal” often describe the assignment's intended use; they do not change the required effective date automatically. The appraisal documents value. It does not decide tax liability, ownership shares, filing requirements, or legal rights.
An estate may use a retrospective appraisal for:
Before ordering, ask which effective date and ownership interest must be valued, what filing or decision will use the report, and who must rely on it. The client and intended users may include an executor, personal representative, trustee, attorney, CPA, or another specifically identified party. We can explain what information the appraisal requires, but we cannot make legal or tax elections for the estate.
Not every estate files federal Form 706, and the IRS does not universally require every heir or estate to obtain a date-of-death appraisal. Filing requirements depend on the estate, year of death, taxable gifts, elections, and other facts. When real estate is reported on Form 706, Schedule A is used for real property, and the instructions address how reported values and supporting appraisals are presented.
Inherited-property basis is generally tied to fair market value at death, subject to alternate valuation, special-use valuation, ownership, and other exceptions. A basis adjustment can be upward or downward. The appraisal documents value; the estate's tax professional determines how the rules apply.
Probate procedure and tax treatment differ by jurisdiction. A formal appraisal may be useful even when another valuation method is permitted, but it is not a universal requirement for every estate.
A Virginia fiduciary generally reports estate property at its market value as of the date of death. Court instructions permit local assessed value for real estate in some circumstances and direct the fiduciary to use an appraisal when one has been obtained. Virginia currently has no estate or inheritance tax, but it does impose probate tax on qualifying estates.
Virginia Code 64.2-1300 Virginia inventory instructions Virginia probate tax
DC probate and DC estate tax are separate issues. Probate appraisal rules differ between supervised and unsupervised administration. DC also has its own estate-tax filing regime. The 2026 D-76 instructions state that estate-property values reported on the return must be based on fair-market-value appraisals from certified appraisers and that the appraisal must be attached.
DC supervised-administration appraisals DC unsupervised administration 2026 DC D-76 instructions
A Maryland personal representative generally files an inventory showing property at gross fair market value as of the date of death. Depending on the facts, qualifying property-tax value or an arm's-length contract price with settlement within one year after death may be used instead of a formal appraisal. Maryland separately imposes estate and inheritance taxes.
Maryland inventory law Maryland appraisal methods Maryland inheritance-tax guidance
Tell us what changed and when. Present condition may differ from condition on the historical effective date.
DC Metro Appraisals accepts residential estate assignments throughout its DC-metro service area, subject to the property's location, type, and assignment scope.
Fairfax County, Arlington County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, the City of Alexandria, and Stafford County
Residential date-of-death appraisals throughout Washington, DC, subject to scope and property type
Montgomery County and Prince George's County
Mike Giampa holds Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser credentials in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland. His 34 years of experience and 15,000+ assignments include routine and complex residential properties across changing DC-metro market cycles. Mike personally handles the appraisal and communication, defines the assignment before acceptance, and develops the value conclusion independently from relevant market evidence.
A date-of-death appraisal is a retrospective real estate appraisal with an effective date equal to the property owner's date of death. It develops a market-supported opinion of fair market value as of that past date, not the property's value today.
No. Requirements depend on the jurisdiction, type of administration, filing, and intended use. Virginia and Maryland permit assessed-value alternatives in some probate situations, while DC rules differ between supervised probate, unsupervised probate, and a DC estate-tax filing. Ask the estate's attorney or tax professional what documentation is needed.
Possibly. Estate-tax filing and inherited-property basis are separate issues. The IRS says inherited-property basis is generally fair market value at death, subject to exceptions. An appraisal can document that value, but the estate's tax professional determines the applicable basis.
Often, yes, if sufficient credible market and property-condition evidence remains available. Older assignments may require additional research. Photographs, repair invoices, prior listings, and inspection records can help document what the property was like on the effective date.
Tell the appraiser exactly what changed and provide any available photographs, receipts, or contractor records. The appraisal must address the property's condition as of the historical effective date, which may differ from its condition when inspected.
A probate filing may permit an assessment in some circumstances, particularly in Virginia or Maryland. However, an assessment, automated estimate, or comparative market analysis is not the same as an independent property-specific retrospective appraisal and may not answer the estate's tax, basis, distribution, or dispute-related question.
The appraisal can value the whole property or another defined interest, depending on the assignment. The attorney or tax professional determines what ownership share is included in the estate and how basis rules apply. Do not assume the entire property receives a basis adjustment.
IRC 2032 permits a qualifying executor to elect alternate valuation for federal estate-tax purposes under specific conditions. It cannot simply be used to select the lowest value for one property, and property disposed of within six months may use its earlier disposition date. The estate's attorney or tax professional makes that election.
Only when the intended use and intended users are identified and the assignment is scoped appropriately before work begins. The appraisal can be prepared for the agreed estate purpose, but no appraiser should promise acceptance or a particular legal or tax result.
Standard residential assignments start at $595. Complex properties or expanded assignment requirements may change the fee. Delivery timing is confirmed before the assignment is accepted.
Send the property address, requested effective date, and what your lawyer or CPA asked you to document. We will confirm the appraisal scope, fee, access requirements, and estimated delivery before the assignment begins.
This page provides general appraisal-service information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm filing requirements, tax treatment, ownership interests, and valuation-date elections with the estate's attorney or tax professional.
