Estate & date-of-death
appraisals.
A written, independent value as of the date of death — the number the estate, the taxing authorities, and the heirs can all stand on.
The value on the day that matters.
A date-of-death appraisal establishes a property's fair market value as of the day the owner passed away — not the day you call us. It is a retrospective valuation: we research the sales, the market conditions, and the property as they stood on that date, and put the conclusion in writing to professional appraisal standards.
Estates rely on that number everywhere at once: the New Jersey inheritance tax return, any federal estate tax filing, probate and the surrogate's court, dividing the estate among heirs, and setting the heirs' stepped-up cost basis for the day they eventually sell.
When the property is a farm, a commercial building, or land — the categories that define this region — the valuation questions get harder, and local judgment matters more. That is our home ground.
Estates use this appraisal for
- ✓NJ inheritance taxReturn generally due 8 months after death.
- ✓Federal estate taxWhere the estate is large enough to file.
- ✓Probate & the courtDocumentation the surrogate accepts.
- ✓Dividing the estateA neutral number heirs can agree on.
- ✓Stepped-up basisThe heirs' new cost basis at date of death.
From the executor's call to a written report.
Engage
The executor, the attorney, or the family orders the appraisal. We confirm the effective date — the date of death — and the scope.
Inspect
We inspect the property in person. If it has changed since the date of death, we account for its condition as of that date.
Research back
We analyze the sales and market conditions as they stood on the effective date — even if years have passed.
Report
A written, defensible report within three to four weeks of inspection — ready for counsel, the court, and the tax filings.
Attorneys send us this work for a reason.
Roughly half of our appraisal practice comes from attorneys and their referrals. Estate work rewards an appraiser who has valued the same kinds of properties — farms, storefronts, family homes — in the same towns, for decades, and who writes reports that survive scrutiny.
- ✓Retrospective valuations to any effective date
- ✓Residential, commercial, farmland & land
- ✓Licensed, certified & FHA-approved
- ✓Local to Warren, Hunterdon, Morris & Sussex counties
Estate appraisals, answered plainly.
What is a date-of-death appraisal?
A written, independent opinion of a property’s fair market value as of the date the owner passed away — a retrospective valuation, prepared to professional appraisal standards (USPAP), used for estate settlement, tax filings, and establishing the heirs’ stepped-up cost basis.
Why does an estate need a professional appraisal instead of an online estimate?
Because the number has to hold up — with the IRS, the New Jersey Division of Taxation, the surrogate’s court, and among heirs. An online estimate or a quick agent opinion is not defensible documentation; a written appraisal by a certified appraiser is.
When is the value measured?
As of the date of death, no matter when the appraisal is ordered — we research what the market was doing on that date, even years later. Your attorney or CPA may also advise on alternate valuation dates available in some federal estate situations.
How fast does the estate need it?
New Jersey inheritance tax returns are generally due eight months after death, and executors usually want the valuation settled well before that. You receive our written report within three to four weeks of the inspection.
Do attorneys work with Fiedler Appraisal directly?
Constantly — roughly half of our appraisal work comes from attorneys and their referrals. We are used to working to counsel’s requirements, and to numbers that end up in front of a court.
We appraise; we don't give legal or tax advice. Your attorney or CPA remains the guide on filings, elections, and deadlines.
Settle the number early.
Tell us the property, the date of death, and what the estate needs — we'll confirm scope, timing, and fee before any work begins.
Order an appraisal