Independent, well-supported residential appraisal services for Arizona estate attorneys, probate counsel, trustees, fiduciaries, CPAs, personal representatives, and families.
Estate assignments often require more than a present-day estimate. They may require reconstruction of historical market conditions, careful identification of the correct effective date, and a report that attorneys, fiduciaries, accountants, beneficiaries, and other intended users can understand.
Retrospective fair market value as of the decedent’s date of death, supported by historical market evidence.
Current or retrospective valuation for estate inventories, administration, settlement, and informed decision-making.
Independent residential valuation for trustee accounting, asset review, proposed distribution, or disposition decisions.
Appraisal support for inherited-property basis questions when requested by the client’s attorney or tax professional.
Current residential valuation for planning, transfers, or gifting assignments with the intended use clearly defined.
A neutral, property-specific value opinion when interested parties disagree about residential real estate value.
I approach estate and fiduciary work with careful attention to the effective date, available property evidence, intended use, and the needs of professional clients.
Eric Ranta has provided residential appraisal services in Arizona since 1998. Cornerstone Appraisal serves all of Maricopa and Pinal Counties, plus Globe–Miami and surrounding Gila County communities.
Confirm the client, intended users, intended use, property, effective date, deadline, and required scope of work.
Review available records, prior appraisals, photographs, renovation history, access information, and evidence of historical condition.
Analyze the property and relevant market evidence as of the effective date, including historical data when the assignment is retrospective.
Provide a clearly written appraisal report that explains the analysis, conclusions, assumptions, and assignment limitations.
A date-of-death appraisal is not a current appraisal adjusted backward by a general market percentage. The appraiser analyzes the market, comparable sales, property characteristics, and market-participant behavior relevant to the historical effective date.
Sales before and after that date may be considered when they help reflect conditions known or knowable as of the effective date.
When an appraisal is completed months or years later, the property may have been renovated, damaged, sold, or demolished. Photographs, repair invoices, listings, inspection reports, interviews, and prior appraisals can help establish its condition on the effective date.
An interior inspection may be helpful but is not always possible or necessary. The appropriate scope depends on the assignment, available evidence, property complexity, intended use, and professional standards. Limitations and extraordinary assumptions are disclosed when applicable.
The appraisal develops an opinion of real property value for a defined assignment. It does not determine legal ownership, allocate beneficial interests, interpret trust documents, or provide legal or tax advice. Those questions remain with counsel and other qualified professionals.
This guide provides general appraisal information and is not legal or tax advice. Counsel and tax professionals should determine the appropriate valuation date, intended use, filing requirements, and reliance needs for each matter.
Yes. Retrospective appraisals are routinely completed after the effective date using historical sales, market data, public records, property evidence, and recognized appraisal methodology. The reliability of the assignment depends in part on the information available.
The appropriate client may be an attorney, trustee, fiduciary, personal representative, beneficiary, accountant, or another authorized party. Before work begins, the engagement should clearly identify the client, intended users, intended use, effective date, and property interest to be appraised.
No. A current appraisal reflects current market conditions. A date-of-death appraisal is retrospective and develops value as of a historical date. Some matters may require one, the other, or both.
Timing depends on property complexity, the historical effective date, access, record availability, and the requested report scope. Providing the key information and deadline with the initial inquiry allows a realistic delivery date to be established.
Yes. Cornerstone Appraisal has experience with custom homes, acreage, guest houses, extensive renovations, solar and green features, and other non-typical residential improvements. Complexity is reviewed before accepting the assignment.
Send the property address, effective date, intended use, deadline, and any available information about the property’s historical condition. I’ll review the assignment and respond directly.