GUIDE 1 / PROPERTY RECORDS
A PRACTICAL GUIDE BEFORE YOU CALL
Put the property record beside the address.
Include the street address, ZIP code and unit number, if there is one. If you have a Maryland property record, share it with the request. The Maryland SDAT property-information guide is a useful place to begin looking for that record.
Baltimore City and Baltimore County are separate jurisdictions. For an estate with property in each, send both addresses and identify which report is needed for each home. A summary of a whole city or county cannot establish the value of a particular house.
The house and the estate raise different questions.
The location of a house helps identify the property and its market. It does not, on its own, tell you which Register of Wills handles an estate. Ask the estate’s attorney to confirm the appropriate office and what the report must address. Maryland’s Register of Wills search guidance explains the City and County distinction.
If you are acting as a personal representative, bring any instructions you have already received. You can discuss an appraisal while you are still gathering the paperwork; you do not need to guess the date or intended use yourself.
A past date needs records from the past.
An inherited home may need a value as of a date before you took over the property. If the kitchen, roof or lower level has changed since then, a visit today shows only the later condition. Earlier photographs, listing information, inspection reports and invoices can help the appraiser understand what changed and when.
Keep two dates separate: the date the value should describe and the date you need the finished report. Share both, along with any directions from your attorney or tax adviser.
You can start with the question you have.
For an inherited house, begin with estate appraisals or probate appraisals. For a sale or family transfer, see residential appraisals. The common questions explain cost, timing and preparation without promising a fee or date before the assignment is discussed.