Appraisal for Estate purposes - Arctic Appraisals, CA

Estate Appraisals

Settling an estate is an important and sometimes stressful job. As an executor you have been entrusted to carry out the wishes of the deceased as swiftly and exactly as possible. You can count on us to act quickly and with sensitivity to the feelings of everyone involved.

Attorneys and Accountants rely on our values when calculating real property values for estates, divorces, or other disputes requiring a value being placed on real property. We understand their needs and are used to dealing with all parties involved. We provide appraisal reports that meet the requirements of the courts and various agencies.

Settling an estate usually requires an appraisal to establish Fair Market Value for the residential property involved. Often, the date of death differs from the date the appraisal is requested. We are familiar with the procedures and requirements necessary to perform a retroactive appraisal with an effective date and Fair Market Value estimate matching the date of death. The ethics provision within the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) binds us with confidentiality, ensuring the fullest degree of discretion.

All too often, people do not fully appreciate the need to have a detailed real estate appraisal prepared in support of the numbers being used in documents filed with revenue authorities.

Opinions of value used in documents filed with the revenue authorities should be supported by a detailed report as to how the appraiser arrived at his conclusions. Such a report will certainly demonstrate to the authorities that the numbers used are well founded and substantiated.

Having a professional appraisal gives the executor solid facts and figures to work with in meeting IRS and state agency requirements. It assures peace of mind to everyone concerned because we are there to stand behind the appraisal if it is challenged.

Date of death valuations

Estate tax liability. Disposition of assets under a will or in probate. There are many situations -- none of them lacking stress and complexity -- where you might need an appraisal of property that states an opinion of what the property was worth on a date some time ago, rather than when the appraisal is ordered. For estate tax purposes or disposition of the assets of a decedent, a "date of death" valuation is often required. (Sometimes, the executor of the estate may choose to have the date be six months after the date of death -- but the same principles apply.)

Attorneys, accountants, executors and others rely on Arctic Appraisals for "date of death" valuations because such appraisals require special expertise and training. They require a firm that's been in the area for some time and can effectively research comparable contemporaneous sales.

Real property isn't like publicly traded stock or other items which don't fluctuate in value very much or for which historical public data is available. You need a professional real estate appraiser, bound by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) for a high degree of confidentiality and professionalism, and you need the kind of quality report and work product taxing authorities and courts need and expect.

Please browse our website to learn more about our qualifications, expertise and services offered.

Divorce Appraisals

Finalizing a divorce involves many decisions, including "Who gets the house"? There are generally two options regarding the house - it can be sold and the proceeds divided, or one party can "buy out" the other. In either case, one or both parties should order an appraisal of the residence. Divorce appraisals require a well supported, professional appraisal that is defensible in court. When you order an appraisal from us, you are assured that you will get the best in professional service, courtesy, and the highest quality appraisal. We also know how to handle the sensitive needs of a divorce situation.

As an attorney handling a divorce, your needs oftentimes include an appraisal to establish fair market value for the residential real estate involved. Often the divorce date differs from the date you order the appraisal. We are familiar with the procedures and requirements necessary to perform a retroactive appraisal with an effective date and Fair Market Value estimate matching the date of divorce. The ethics provision within the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) binds us with confidentiality, ensuring the fullest degree of discretion.

Privacy Notice

Pursuant to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, effective July 1, 2001, Appraisers, along with all providers of personal financial services are now required by federal law to inform their clients of the policies of the firm with regard to the privacy of client nonpublic personal information. As professionals, we understand that your privacy is very important to you and are pleased to provide you with this information.

Types of Nonpublic Personal Information We Collect
In the course of performing appraisals, we may collect what is known as "nonpublic personal information" about you. This information is used to facilitate the services that we provide to you and may include the information provided to us by you directly or received by us from others with your authorization.

Parties to Whom We Disclose Information
We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information obtained in the course of our engagement with our clients to nonaffiliated third parties, except as necessary or as required by law. By way of example, a necessary disclosure would be to our employees, and in certain situations, to unrelated third party consultants who need to know that information to assist us in providing appraisal services to you. All of our employees and any third party consultants we employ are informed that any information they see as part of an appraisal assignment is to be maintained in strict confidence within the firm.

A disclosure required by law would be a disclosure by us that is ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction with regard to a legal action to which you are a party.

Confidentiality and Security
We will retain records relating to professional services that we have provided to you for a reasonable time so that we are better able to assist you with your needs. In order to protect your nonpublic personal information from unauthorized access by third parties, we maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with our professional standards to insure the security and integrity of your information.

Please feel free to call us an any time if you have any questions about the confidentiality of the information that you provide to us.