Date of Death & Probate Appraisals in South Gate, 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 South Gate, prepared by Jim Tanner — a Certified General Appraiser with more than 45 years of experience. Our office is in neighboring Downey, and we've appraised homes in South Gate for decades.
Appraisal services in South Gate
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 South Gate homes
South Gate's housing is mostly post-war single-family homes, many bought by the family that still owns them — along the Tweedy Mile and Firestone Boulevard, in the Hollydale neighborhood, and on the quiet residential streets in between. Estates here often have a wrinkle: a back house or converted garage that a relative lives in, or a property that's part family home, part rental. Those second units change the value and have to be documented properly in a date-of-death appraisal — what they are, what condition they're in, and what they contribute. Getting that right protects the estate's stepped-up basis and keeps the division among heirs fair. We've been appraising in South Gate for over 45 years, and we know how these properties work.
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 South Gate and the surrounding communities for decades
Expert witness testimony available