Probate appraisals in Peoria, AZ
Appraisal services / Probate appraisals
The inventory needs a value for the home. Whether an appraiser supplies it is the personal representative's decision.
When a Peoria homeowner dies and an estate is opened, the house is listed with a value as of the date of death. An appraisal is one way to back that figure up when someone could question it. Agree the purpose and the date with the estate's attorney first, then send us the address.
Get a probate appraisal quote | Call +1-602-837-3118
Is an appraisal required in an Arizona probate?
No. The inventory rules ask for a value and leave the appraiser optional.
Under A.R.S. § 14-3706, a personal representative has ninety days after appointment to prepare an inventory of what the person owned at death. Each item is listed with its fair market value as of the date of death, its nature as community or separate property, and any encumbrance, such as a mortgage.
A.R.S. § 14-3707 adds that the personal representative "may employ a qualified and disinterested appraiser" for an asset whose value "may be subject to reasonable doubt". An appraiser who is used is named on the inventory beside the items appraised. A court can still make orders in a particular case, so ask the estate's attorney whether a formal appraisal is the right support for this home.
Two Arizona details that shape the request
Community or separate. Arizona treats property acquired by either spouse during the marriage as community property, with exceptions that include gifts and inheritances (A.R.S. § 25-211). An appraisal reports value; which label goes on the inventory is a legal question for the personal representative and the attorney.
Small estates use the assessor's figure. A.R.S. § 14-3971 lets some successors transfer a home by affidavit, no sooner than six months after the death, when among other conditions no personal representative has been appointed or applied for and the Arizona real property, less liens, does not exceed $300,000. That test uses the full cash value on the assessment rolls for the year of death, not an appraisal. The court's Law Library Resource Center posts the affidavit forms. An attorney can say whether an estate qualifies.
Where a Maricopa County estate is handled
The first proceeding belongs in the county where the person was domiciled at death (A.R.S. § 14-3201). For a Maricopa County resident that is the Superior Court in Maricopa County, whose Probate and Mental Health Department oversees decedents' estates.
The inventory may be filed with the court, or delivered or mailed to each heir or devisee instead. The court's self-help form, Inventory and Appraisement and Proof of Mailing, asks for each piece of real property whether the value is based on an appraisal. Either way, people with a stake in the estate can obtain the figure, so be ready to show how it was reached.
What a probate value turns on
The date. The inventory uses the date of death. A sale later on, or a buyout between heirs, brings in a different date, so name the date before work starts.
The condition on that date. A date-of-death value describes the house as it stood then. Dated photographs, earlier listings, inspection reports and invoices help show what has changed since.
The readers. Heirs or devisees, the estate's attorney and a tax adviser may all use the number, so name them at the start.
Looking back to the date of death
A value for a past date is a retrospective appraisal. The research goes back to the sales and market conditions around that date, not to today's asking prices.
Peoria takes in distinct areas, from the historic townsite around 83rd and Peoria avenues to Four Corners at Lake Pleasant Parkway and Happy Valley Road. A full address and the subdivision name show which sales are worth studying, and the Maricopa County Assessor offers a parcel and address search for finding the parcel number.
The Assessor's full cash value is a mass appraisal estimate for a statutory valuation date, January 1 of the year before the tax year (A.R.S. § 42-11001). It is a record to bring, not a date-of-death value for one house.
Check the tax side with your adviser
Arizona imposes no estate tax, inheritance tax or gift tax, and no federal inheritance tax exists. The federal estate tax is charged to the estate, and only above the year's threshold, which is $15,000,000 for a U.S. citizen or resident who dies in 2026.
For heirs, the IRS says the basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value on the date of death, even when no estate tax return is filed. Our IRS step-up appraisals page covers how community property fits in. Your attorney or tax adviser decides which date and documents the estate needs.
What to have ready for a probate quote
| What to have | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Property address, approximate square footage and property type | Our quote intake starts with these. |
| Date of death, and any other date the attorney names | Fixes the effective date of the value. |
| Date the personal representative was appointed | The ninety-day inventory period runs from appointment. |
| Photographs and records from around the date of death | Separates the home's earlier condition from later work. |
| Who will read the report, and your deadline | Shapes the report and the schedule. |
How a probate assignment runs
- Describe the assignment. Give the address, the date to be valued, the readers and your deadline. You receive a fixed quote after a brief intake.
- Arrange the visit. The home is measured and photographed inside and out, and its condition and features are noted. That typically takes 30-60 minutes.
- Research for the date. Sales and market conditions around the date of death are analysed and reconciled into an opinion of value.
- Read the report. Check the date, the stated use and the assumptions, and send any factual correction.
State-certified residential appraisers prepare our reports under USPAP, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. USPAP governs how the work is done; it does not oblige a court, an heir or an agency to accept the result. Because § 14-3707 speaks of a disinterested appraiser, mention any tie between the estate and the appraiser before work begins.
Fees and timing for probate work
Our FAQ gives the fee guide in these words: "Typical residential assignments in Peoria range from $450–$950. You'll receive a fixed quote after a brief intake (address, size, scope, deadline)." That is a guide for typical work, not a quote for a probate assignment. Get the scope, the fee and the delivery date in writing before work starts.
The FAQ gives the standard turn time as 3–7 business days from inspection. Count back from the inventory date with your attorney, and see rush appraisals if that date is close. Estate and divorce work is described on our services page.
Start with the address and the date of death
Tell us where the Peoria home is, the date of death and who will use the report.
Get a probate appraisal quote | Call +1-602-837-3118
Drafted with AI assistance for GPS Home Appraisal and checked against the official pages linked above. It does not value any property and is not legal or tax advice.