Arlington estates carry a particular valuation problem: decades of appreciation. A Lyon Park colonial purchased in the 1980s, a Westover bungalow held since the 1970s — when the owner passes, the gap between original cost and date-of-death value is enormous, and the step-up in basis under IRC § 1014 is what protects the heirs from a capital gains bill on all of it. That step-up is only as good as the appraisal behind it. DC Metro Appraisals provides retrospective date of death appraisals throughout Arlington County from $595, delivered 5–7 days from inspection.
A date of death appraisal develops fair market value under Treasury Regulation § 20.2031-1(b) as of the date of passing — or the alternate valuation date under IRC § 2032 when the estate elects it. That means comparable sales, market conditions, and adjustments drawn from that time period, documented in a USPAP-compliant report. Tax assessments and listing-agent opinions do not survive scrutiny; a properly developed retrospective appraisal does.
Arlington's estate properties are frequently original-condition homes in neighborhoods that transformed around them — teardown-value lots in one block, renovated comparables in the next. Distinguishing land-driven value from improvement-driven value as of a past date is exactly where generic appraisal work falls apart, and exactly what 34 years in this market prepares an appraiser to document. From Cherrydale to Fairlington, our reports name the right comparables for the right reasons.
$595 flat for a single-family home, townhome, or condo in Arlington County; properties valued over $1M carry a $100 surcharge, disclosed up front. Virginia imposes no state estate tax, but federal basis and reporting consequences make the date-of-death value essential for nearly every Arlington estate.
Schedule your appraisal online or call (703) 350-2542 — seven days a week.
A: $595 flat for a single-family home, townhome, or condo, plus a $100 surcharge if the property is valued over $1M. Delivered 5-7 days from inspection.
A: Assessments are mass-produced estimates for taxation, not evidence of fair market value as of a specific date. For step-up basis and IRS purposes, a retrospective appraisal with documented comparable sales is the defensible standard.
A: Yes. Separating land value from improvement value as of a retrospective date is standard practice in our Arlington estate work, and the analysis is documented in the report.
A: There is no deadline on our end – we can develop a date of death value years after the fact using market evidence from the correct period. Sooner is better for the estate's records, but retrospective work is always possible.
A: Usually yes. The date of death value sets the heirs' stepped-up basis under IRC 1014 and determines future capital gains when the property sells. Skipping the appraisal to save $595 can cost the heirs far more later.