True Value Appraisal provides residential and commercial real estate appraisal services for attorneys, law firms, fiduciaries, and their clients throughout the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas. We understand that legal assignments often require more than simply determining what a property is worth today. The correct effective date, intended use, property interest, assignment scope, and supporting market evidence can all be critical to the valuation.
Our goal is to provide attorneys with clear, credible appraisal reports that can assist with settlement discussions, negotiations, mediation, estate administration, litigation, and other legal matters.
Real estate can represent one of the largest assets involved in a legal proceeding. An independent appraisal can help establish a supported opinion of value when property ownership, asset division, inheritance, taxation, or financial obligations are being evaluated.
We provide appraisal services for matters involving:
Divorce and marital dissolution
Estate and probate
Date-of-death valuations
Retrospective appraisals
Bankruptcy
Trust and estate planning
Partnership and ownership disputes
Property division
Litigation support
Property tax matters
Residential and commercial real estate
Other legal matters requiring an independent opinion of value
Real estate is frequently one of the most significant assets in a divorce.
An appraisal may be used to help determine the value of a marital residence, rental property, commercial property, vacant land, or other real estate for settlement negotiations, mediation, buyout decisions, or property division.
Depending on the circumstances of the case, the attorney may require the property’s current market value, a retrospective value as of an earlier date, or both.
We encourage attorneys and clients to identify the appropriate effective date before the appraisal is completed whenever possible.
Real property may need to be valued for estate administration, probate, inheritance, trust matters, or the distribution of assets.
These assignments often require a retrospective opinion of value as of the owner’s date of death rather than the property’s current value.
We can provide valuation services for residential homes, investment properties, commercial real estate, land, and other property interests when appropriate for the assignment.
Many legal assignments require an opinion of what a property was worth on a specific date in the past.
A retrospective appraisal may be needed for a date of death, divorce, ownership dispute, bankruptcy matter, tax issue, litigation, or another legally significant date.
The appraiser analyzes market conditions and relevant property information as they existed as of the retrospective effective date rather than relying solely on today’s market.
Because historical assignments may require additional research, it is important to provide the required effective date when requesting a quote.
An independent appraisal may be needed when real estate is involved in a bankruptcy, financial dispute, asset evaluation, or restructuring matter.
The appropriate scope of work depends on the type of property, intended use of the appraisal, effective date, and requirements of the parties involved.
Legal matters are not limited to residential property.
We also provide commercial real estate valuation services for assignments involving office properties, retail buildings, industrial and warehouse properties, mixed-use properties, multifamily properties, commercial land, development sites, and other commercial real estate.
Commercial assignments may involve divorce, estate settlement, partnership disputes, bankruptcy, ownership transfers, litigation, or other legal and financial matters.
One of the most important questions in a legal appraisal assignment is:
Some matters require the property’s current value. Others require an opinion of value as of a previous date.
For example, an attorney may require value as of a date of death, date of separation, date of filing, date of acquisition, or another legally relevant date.
If both a historical value and current value are required, please let us know when requesting the appraisal so the assignment can be properly scoped from the beginning.
Our appraisal assignments may involve single-family homes, condominiums, townhomes, 2–4 unit properties, investment properties, apartment properties, office buildings, retail properties, industrial buildings, warehouses, restaurants, medical offices, mixed-use properties, commercial land, vacant residential land, development sites, and other specialized real estate.
If you are unsure whether we can appraise a particular property, send us the property address and a brief description of the assignment for review.
To properly review and quote a legal appraisal assignment, please provide the property address, property type, reason for the appraisal, required effective date, intended use, intended users, requested completion date, and whether the assignment may involve litigation, deposition, consultation, or testimony.
For commercial or income-producing properties, additional documents such as leases, rent rolls, income and expense information, surveys, purchase agreements, or prior reports may also be helpful.
You do not need to have every document available before contacting us. We can identify what information will be needed after reviewing the assignment.
Online estimates, tax assessments, listing prices, and broker opinions may provide general information about a property, but legal matters often require a more thoroughly researched and property-specific valuation.
A professional appraisal considers the characteristics of the property, applicable market data, the appropriate effective date, and recognized valuation methodology to develop a supported opinion of value.
For attorneys, this can provide a more reliable basis for negotiations, settlement discussions, asset division, estate administration, and other matters in which real estate value is disputed or material to the case.
We understand that legal assignments may involve strict deadlines, multiple parties, historical valuation dates, complex property types, and sensitive circumstances.
Each assignment is reviewed individually so the scope of work can be matched to the specific needs of the case.
If an appraisal may ultimately involve additional consulting, deposition, court testimony, or other services beyond preparation of the appraisal report, please tell us when requesting the assignment so those requirements can be discussed in advance.
True Value Appraisal provides residential and commercial valuation services throughout the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas and surrounding Missouri communities.
Assignment availability depends on the location, property type, complexity, intended use, and requested completion date.
If you are an attorney, law firm, fiduciary, estate representative, or client who needs an independent real estate appraisal, contact us with the property information and purpose of the valuation.
We will review the assignment and provide information regarding the appropriate scope of work, fee, and estimated turnaround time.
