Appraisal notes
Written answers to the questions that come up before anyone engages an appraiser. Each note takes one situation and says what an appraisal is actually scoped to do in it, and what it is not.
Estate, probate, and inherited property
Appraisals for IRS Form 706: Filing and Basis
When a Form 706 is required in 2026, why an estate may file to elect portability, and how the return ties to the heirs' basis.
Property Appraisal for Inheritance in Georgia
Why inherited Georgia property needs a date-of-death appraisal. Stepped-up basis, dividing property among heirs, what sets the fee, and how far back values go.
Date of Death Appraisals for Georgia Probate Estates
What a Georgia personal representative must file, when a date of death appraisal of the real estate is worth ordering, and why the value matters to heirs later.
Divorce and equitable distribution
How the House Is Valued and Divided in a Georgia Divorce
How Georgia courts sort a home into marital and separate property, measure its value, and divide it, including a house one spouse owned before the marriage.
Divorce Appraisal Cost in Georgia: What Drives the Fee
What a divorce appraisal costs in Georgia depends on the property, the effective date, and whether anyone testifies. What drives each, and who pays.
Property tax appeal
How to Appeal a Property Tax Assessment in Georgia
A Georgia property tax appeal step by step: the notice, the 45 day deadline, Form PT-311A, choosing how it is heard, and the hearing.
Tax Appeal Appraisals in Georgia: When One Helps
When an independent appraisal strengthens a Georgia property tax appeal, when Georgia law requires one, and what the report has to show to carry weight.
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy Appraisals and Georgia's 2026 Homestead Change
When a Georgia bankruptcy case needs a real estate appraisal: equity under the new $50,000 homestead exemption, Chapter 13 tests, and lien avoidance.
Litigation and testimony
Appraiser Expert Witness Fees in Georgia: Who Pays for What
How I bill expert appraisal work in a Georgia case, what the law says about who pays when the other side takes my deposition, and what drives the cost.
Pre-listing, CMAs, and a low appraisal
What If the Appraisal Comes In Low? Your Options in Georgia
What happens when an appraisal comes in below the contract price in Georgia. Buyer and seller options, factual corrections, and second appraisals.
Appraisal vs. Realtor CMA: What Each One Is For in Georgia
An appraisal and an agent's CMA answer different questions. What Georgia law requires of each, when a CMA is enough, and when you want a certified appraiser.
How the work itself runs
Appraisal for Investment Property in Georgia: Investor Guide
Investment property appraisals in Georgia: as-is and ARV values, rental income analysis, 2-4 unit buildings, tax appeals for rentals, scope and timing.
How Much Does an Appraisal Cost in Georgia? (2026 Guide)
What actually sets a Georgia appraisal fee: scope, intended use, effective date, property type, data, and turnaround. How I quote each assignment.
Independent Appraisal vs Bank Appraisal: Key Differences
How an independent appraisal you order differs from a bank appraisal: who the client is, report format, what sets the fee, and when each one serves you.
What Happens at an Appraisal Inspection
What happens when I inspect a home for an estate, divorce, tax appeal or pre-listing appraisal: how long it takes, what I measure, and what I photograph.