Trust, Estate, & Probate
This can be pre- or post- the passing of someone you care about and please accept our condolences at any loss you are feeling. Estate planning before death is a wise idea for everyone, especially if there is real estate involved. For either the distribution of your assets to heirs, paying the least amount of taxes necessary, or caring for someone who is too young or unable to care for themselves, working with a financial planner and attorney to establish a will or trust is important. Probate is the term used when the state distributes your assets for you because you do not have a will or trust to express your desires. In any of these cases, determining the value of your real estate by a qualified professional (that’s where we come in) will be necessary. For trusts, an appraisal will be necessary at the time of placing the real estate into the trust and again as of the date of passing. For wills and probate, an appraisal is only necessary after the death and is typically ordered by the executor of the will. It is necessary for the purpose of tax reporting and establishing a tax basis, which is the next category of our service. We can help you with that.
In addition to appraisals for traditional mortgage lending, HELOCs, and hard-money lending, we offer:
Tax & Basis Reporting
The IRS wants their money. That is the simplest way of putting it. Tax reporting can sometimes require the valuation of your real estate by a qualified professional (us again). The donation of real estate to a charity, the gifting of real estate to a family member, or the distribution of real estate through a trust, will, or probate will need to establish a “step-up in basis”. That’s technical speak for the government needs to know what the value is now so they can tax you on the gain, or you can claim the loss, at some point in the future. We can help you with that.
In addition to appraisals for traditional mortgage lending, HELOCs, and hard-money lending, we offer:
Divorce & Division of Assets
Due to irreconcilable differences or any other reason, some relationships, marriages, partnerships, and contractual agreements need to be dissolved. If during this arrangement real estate was purchased and those assets need to be disbursed or divided, an appraisal by a qualified professional (the appraisers at United Valuations) is necessary to ensure fair and equitable conclusions. We can help you with that.
In addition to appraisals for traditional mortgage lending, HELOCs, and hard-money lending, we offer:
FSBO or Pre-Listings
On a much lighter and happier note, some properties are just unique, and pin-pointing a value for a listing price may require an extra set of eyes. A valuation can also be helpful if you are a homeowner selling your house on your own; this is called a FSBO or “For Sale By Owner”. Either way, we can help you with that.
In addition to appraisals for traditional mortgage lending, HELOCs, and hard-money lending, we offer:
Bankruptcy, Mediation, or Litigation
Oof! All big words mean things have not gone the way you had hoped and for this, we empathize with you. If real estate is involved, an opinion of real estate value by a qualified professional may be required – in fact, two or three appraisals may be necessary to settle some disputes. We can help you with at least one of those opinions and can refer other appraisal professionals if more are needed.
In addition to appraisals for traditional mortgage lending, HELOCs, and hard-money lending, we offer:
Home Measurement Services
It is no secret that the square footage of a home significantly impacts the price you can receive for your property. So having an accurate home measurement can be crucial to closing that deal or going back to the negotiation table for a lower price. Also, appraisers use a regulated ANSI standard for measuring homes for lending purposes. There are specific rules that must be met to include some second-story and basement square footage in the livable area of the home. We provide this service as well and provide a sketch to go along with your marketing materials; we never report our findings to the tax assessor’s office so our findings will not impact your property taxes.
In addition to appraisals for traditional mortgage lending, HELOCs, and hard-money lending, we offer:
