When a client’s plan turns on what a property was worth on a specific date, the number needs to come from someone who will stand behind it. Censeo Valuation Consultants provides independent residential appraisals for financial planners, CPAs, enrolled agents, trustees, and fiduciaries across Maricopa and Pinal Counties. Andrew Ament is an Arizona Certified Residential Appraiser with more than twenty years of experience and over 8,500 completed assignments, and he works directly with advisors on the valuation piece of estate, tax, and trust matters.
Step up in basis at death
When a client inherits property, their basis generally resets to the fair market value as of the decedent’s date of death under IRC 1014. An appraisal establishes that figure in writing, which matters most years later when the property sells and the heir needs to show what the starting basis was. A county assessor value, an online estimate, or an agent’s opinion is not developed under appraisal standards and gives the client nothing to point to if the basis is questioned. A retrospective appraisal, completed under USPAP with market data from the period, does.
Date of death and alternate valuation
A date of death appraisal is a retrospective assignment. The effective date is in the past, and the analysis relies on sales and market conditions as of that date rather than today’s. The work can be done months or years after the death, and it can be done on a property that has already sold. Some estates also need a second value six months after the date of death, under the alternate valuation date election. Whether that election applies is your call, not mine. Tell me at the outset if both dates may be in play, because two effective dates means two sets of market data and it changes how the assignment is scoped and priced.
Trust funding, transfers, and trustee decisions
Trustees need a defensible value when funding a trust with real property, moving property in or out, equalizing distributions among beneficiaries, or deciding whether to sell or hold. A trustee owes a duty of impartiality, and an independent appraisal is what shows that a decision rested on something other than one beneficiary’s preference. This is often where a valuation earns its cost, because the report exists before anyone disputes anything.
Gifts and Form 709
Gifts of real property reported on Form 709 generally need an appraisal attached to the return, and the quality of that appraisal affects how long the reported value stays open to challenge. Your CPA knows what the return requires. My part is delivering a report built to survive a look from the IRS rather than one built to fill a blank. One scope note: I appraise the real estate itself. Discounts for fractional interests or for interests in an entity that holds the property are business valuation work, and I coordinate with a business appraiser rather than crossing into that territory.
Charitable contributions and IRS qualified appraisals
Noncash charitable contributions over $5,000 require a qualified appraisal prepared by a qualified appraiser, along with Form 8283 Section B signed by that appraiser. Censeo does a high volume of this work, including deconstruction donations where a home’s components are donated to a nonprofit before demolition or remodel, which is a common strategy on luxury teardowns across Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. See the IRS qualified appraisals page for how those assignments are built.
When a matter turns contested
Plans do not always stay cooperative. If a matter moves toward divorce, a beneficiary dispute, or litigation, the appraisal has to hold up under cross examination, not just read well. See the divorce and mediation page and the estate and probate page.
How the engagement works
Start with a short scope conversation, by phone or email, covering the property, the effective date or dates, the intended use, and who the intended users are. Those four items determine the assignment and the fee, so it is worth five minutes up front. From there you get an engagement letter, then the inspection, then the report. I work directly with you, your client, or both, whichever the matter calls for, and I am available to discuss the report with the CPA or attorney once it is delivered.
Why an appraisal rather than an agent’s opinion
A broker price opinion and an automated valuation answer a different question than the IRS or a court asks. I hold an Arizona real estate license too, so this is not a shot at agents: a sales license and an appraisal certification are built for different jobs. Certification requires appraisal specific education, supervised experience hours, and a separate exam, and it binds me to USPAP on every assignment. That means a documented workfile, a competency requirement before I accept the work, and independence from the outcome. An agent’s opinion is usually prepared in the course of seeking or serving a listing, which is a normal part of their business and exactly the interest a fiduciary or a taxing authority will ask about. The practical difference: my file has to survive being examined years later, and I am the one who has to defend it.
Common questions
Can a date of death appraisal be done years after the death?
Yes. Retrospective assignments rely on market data from the effective date, and that data does not expire. Older effective dates take more research, and that shows up in the turn time rather than in the quality of the conclusion.
Can you appraise a property that has already been sold?
Yes, and a later arm’s length sale is a data point worth analyzing, not an obstacle. It does not automatically set the value as of the earlier date.
Do you sign Form 8283?
Yes, for assignments that meet the qualified appraisal and qualified appraiser requirements.
What determines the fee?
Property type and complexity, the effective date or dates, and the intended use. Complex and retrospective assignments take more work than a standard lending appraisal and are priced accordingly. Quotes come after the scope conversation.
Who is your client, the advisor or the taxpayer?
Whoever engages me, and the report names the client and intended users explicitly. The conclusion does not change based on who pays.
Do you work outside Maricopa and Pinal Counties?
Those two counties are the regular service area. Ask about anything outside them and I will tell you directly whether I am the right appraiser for it.
Talk through a client matter
If you have a matter in front of you, call 480.540.5151 or email andrew@censeovc.com. A short conversation about scope is free, and it usually saves everyone time. You can also send a request through the contact page.
This page is general information about valuation, not tax or legal advice. Work with your client’s CPA or attorney on how these rules apply to their situation.