The assignment
- Property address, including whether it is in Baltimore City or Baltimore County.
- Valuation date and the reason for the report.
- Who will use it, any adviser instructions, and your deadline.
INHERITED HOMES / BALTIMORE
What was the home worth when you inherited it?
A date-of-death appraisal looks back to the home and the market as they were then. The Appraising Group provides these past-date valuations for inherited Baltimore homes.
Also called an IRS step-up or retrospective appraisal. Start with the property address and the valuation date your attorney or tax adviser needs.
Today's house may tell a different story.
You may be sorting out an inheritance now, even though the owner died some time ago. The appraisal's effective date is the date the value describes; it can be different from the day you order the report or arrange an inspection.
For a rowhouse in Federal Hill or Fell's Point, that distinction can matter room by room. If a kitchen, roof or lower level changed after the death, tell us what was there before. Dated photographs, old listings, inspection reports and invoices help document the earlier condition. The research also looks at sales and market conditions around the required date.
You can start with the address.
You do not need a perfect file before calling. Share what you have, and tell us which records are missing.
The earlier home
- Photos, listings or inspection reports from near the valuation date.
- A short timeline of repairs and renovations.
- A probate inventory or earlier appraisal, if available, and how to arrange access.
An existing inventory helps show what was already reported. If the property is part of a Baltimore City estate, the Baltimore City Register of Wills is a useful starting point for estate records. Your attorney can confirm the correct jurisdiction.
Agree on the report before scheduling.
The date, available records and intended use shape the work. Ask for a written scope, fee and delivery estimate, and mention any filing deadline at the start. If the value is also needed for probate or estate settlement, ask whether one report can address those uses.
When you receive the report, review the property details, effective date, intended use and stated assumptions with your adviser.
Questions before you call
Does “step-up” promise a higher value or a tax saving?
No. The appraisal addresses the value on the specified date. A past value can be higher or lower than what the owner paid. Your adviser determines how the tax rules apply.
Can I use the property assessment instead?
A Maryland property assessment and a date-of-death appraisal answer different questions and may use different dates. Share the assessment if you have it, and ask your adviser what valuation evidence is needed.
What if the home has already been renovated?
Tell us what changed and when. Earlier photos, sale listings, inspection reports and contractor records can help. The appraiser considers the available evidence and explains any assumptions needed to describe the home on the effective date.
Related services: estate appraisals · probate appraisals · all appraisal services.
A CLEAR PLACE TO START
The address. The date.
The reason you need a value.
Send those details and any deadline so we can discuss the scope, fee and timing for your Baltimore property.
(443) 909-2324Request a date-of-death appraisal quote →
The Appraising Group Baltimore
575 S Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21201
Brad Harley, founder
Maryland Certified Residential · 30033802 ↗