Estate appraisals for San Diego commercial property
Your father's estate includes a leased industrial building in National City. What value does the estate need, and as of which date?
Separate the estate’s valuation date and ownership interest from today’s leases, and identify the records for a retrospective assignment.
The address alone does not define the assignment. Identify the real estate interest held by the estate, the effective date, who will use the report, and whether the question concerns tax reporting, a proposed sale, or distribution planning.
For the National City building, send the leases and occupancy records that existed on the requested date. A later tenant replacement, repair, or lease renewal belongs in a separate chronology. Kevin O'Brien needs the earlier condition and income evidence rather than assuming today's operation existed then.
A tax adviser decides which filing rules and valuation date apply. The estate's title documents and ownership structure help distinguish a direct property interest from an entity interest. An appraisal addresses the agreed interest and date; it does not determine estate-tax liability.
What the cited rules address
Section 1014(a) generally identifies basis by date-of-death fair market value, with statutory alternatives and exceptions (26 U.S.C. 1014(a), GPO edition). It defines a basis rule, not a blanket instruction to buy a private appraisal.
Section 2032 permits alternate valuation only under its conditions, including a decrease in both the gross estate and the estate/GST tax (26 U.S.C. 2032, alternate valuation). Property not disposed of within six months uses the six-month date; an earlier disposition uses its disposition date. This is not permission to choose any past date. Your tax adviser specifies the applicable date and interest.
For 2026 deaths, the instructions identify filing where the gross estate plus adjusted taxable gifts and specific exemption exceeds $15,000,000, or where portability is elected (IRS Form 706 instructions, July 2026). Schedule A asks how reported values were determined and for copies of any appraisals. Those instructions do not mandate a private appraisal of every estate property.
Bring or describe
You do not need every document to start. Identify what is available and what still needs to be obtained.
| Bring or describe | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Title or ownership documents and APNs | Identify the estate’s real estate interest and every parcel involved. |
| Date instructions, death date, and intended recipient | Avoid substituting today’s value for the date the estate actually needs. |
| Leases, rent roll, and expenses from the requested date | Reconstruct the earlier operation without projecting later improvements backward. |
| Condition photos, repair history, and any earlier appraisal | Explain what changed between the effective date and inspection. |
Match the parcel to the assignment
Use the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk’s property-information guidance to locate the APN and existing parcel records for the property in your request. A tax-roll value or recorded sale is something to investigate, not an appraisal conclusion. The APN does not establish legal use or identify every ownership right.
San Diego County property informationWhat happens next
- Identify the estate decision, interest, date, and available historical records to obtain a written scope and estimate.
- Review the engagement letter with the estate representative and identified intended users.
- Arrange access and research the earlier leases, physical condition, and relevant market evidence.
- Receive the report describing its effective date, assumptions, and limits; raise any changed instructions separately.
Ask for a written scope, fee and delivery estimate for your property, intended use and deadline.
Related services
Private appraisal support in probate. Use this when an estate inventory process and a private valuation question need to be kept separate.
Retrospective tax-purpose scope. Use this when the adviser needs a defined past-date interest and supporting records.