Insights
Personal Property Appraisal Guides & Insights
Expert guidance on personal property valuation — what drives value, when you need a USPAP-compliant appraisal, and how the process works.
Latest posts
Replacement Value vs. Fair Market Value for Estates: Why the Numbers Never Match
Insurance replacement value and probate fair market value measure two different things, and using the wrong one on an estate inventory or IRS Form 706 can create real compliance problems. This guide explains the gap, works through a real example, and shows executors which number the probate court and IRS actually require.
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Date of Death Valuation vs. Current Market Value: What Probate Requires
Probate and federal estate tax filings require fair market value as of the decedent's date of death, not today's market price or the eventual sale amount. This guide explains the legal standard, the IRC Section 2032 alternate valuation election, and how appraisers reconstruct a value months after the fact.
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Guide to Probate Appraisals in California & DE-160/DE-161
Probate appraisals in California require a defensible, date-of-death valuation of household contents and personal property, split between the personal representative and a court-appointed probate referee. This guide walks through the DE-160/DE-161 process, the filing deadlines, and what a room-by-room appraisal needs to hold up in court.
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