Date of Death & Probate Appraisals in Norwalk, CA
When a loved one passes, settling the estate usually requires knowing exactly what their property was worth on the date of death. Tanner & Associates provides certified date-of-death and probate appraisals in Norwalk, prepared by Jim Tanner — a Certified General Appraiser with more than 45 years of experience. Our office is in Downey, just minutes from Norwalk, and we've appraised homes across this community for decades.
Appraisal services in Norwalk
Date of death appraisals (retrospective value as of the date of death)
Probate appraisals for executors, administrators, and attorneys
Estate tax appraisals and stepped-up basis valuations
Trust valuations
Divorce settlement appraisals
Bankruptcy appraisals
Relocation appraisals
Residential and commercial appraisals
Expert witness testimony
When you need a date-of-death appraisal
For most estates, the property's value on the date of death becomes its new tax basis — the 'stepped-up basis.' The IRS expects that value to be supported by a qualified appraisal, not an online estimate. A date-of-death appraisal is retrospective: even if months have passed, the report establishes the value as of the date of death, documented to the standard the IRS, the courts, and your CPA expect. If the estate is in probate, the court process runs through Los Angeles County — probate cases are filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles — and an accurate, well-documented appraisal keeps the filing moving.
Appraising Norwalk homes
Norwalk's housing is largely post-war single-family homes — the ranch-style tracts built as the city grew in the 1950s and 60s, alongside older pockets and newer infill. Long-held family homes are common here, which is exactly the situation date-of-death appraisals are built for: a home owned for decades, passing to the next generation, needing a defensible value for taxes and a fair division among heirs. From the neighborhoods around Cerritos College to the streets off Imperial Highway and Firestone Boulevard, we know this market street by street — because we've been appraising in it for over 45 years.
How it works
Call or request a quote
— tell us about the property and what the appraisal is for; we'll give you a clear price and timeframe.
Property visit
— we inspect the home and document its condition and features.
Research and report
— we analyze comparable sales as of the relevant date and prepare a thorough, well-documented report.
Delivery and support
— the report goes to you (and your attorney or CPA, if you wish), and we're available for questions — including expert witness testimony if the estate is contested.
Why families and attorneys choose Tanner & Associates
Jim Tanner, Certified General Appraiser — 45+ years of experience
Reports prepared to the standards courts and the IRS expect (USPAP-compliant)
BBB A+ rated
Local knowledge: based in Downey, serving Norwalk and the surrounding communities for decades
Expert witness testimony available