PROBATE APPRAISAL CHECKLIST · NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Before You Order a Date-of-Death Appraisal, Gather the Right Documents.
Settling an estate is hard enough without chasing paperwork twice. This checklist shows executors, heirs, attorneys, and CPAs what usually helps our team complete a USPAP-compliant date-of-death appraisal for inherited residential property in Northern Illinois.
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What documents are needed for a date-of-death appraisal?
For most residential date-of-death appraisals, it helps to gather the property address, date of death, ownership or deed information, executor or attorney contact information, access details, recent tax bill or property record card, known improvements, prior appraisals if available, and any documents that explain unusual property conditions. The appraiser may not need every item, but having them ready keeps the assignment moving and helps the report reflect the property accurately as of the effective date.
This checklist is appraisal guidance, not legal or tax advice. Your attorney or CPA should confirm what the estate needs for probate, tax filing, or basis documentation.
When someone dies, the house does not stop being complicated. The family may need a value for probate inventory, estate settlement, tax records, a future sale, or a fair distribution between heirs. A date-of-death appraisal gives the estate a documented opinion of fair market value tied to the right effective date — not a guess pulled from a website.
VanEtten Appraisal provides USPAP-compliant residential estate appraisals across Northern Illinois. This page explains what to gather before ordering one, so the report can be completed cleanly and used for the purpose your attorney or CPA identifies.
The checklist
The probate appraisal checklist
Gather what is available. Missing items rarely block the assignment, but a complete file lets our team complete the report faster and with better documentation of condition as of the effective date.
Property basics
- Property address
- Parcel number or PIN if available
- Property type — single-family, condo, townhome, 2–4 unit, acreage or farmstead within residential scope
- Occupancy status — occupied, vacant, or tenant-occupied
Estate details
- Date of death
- Executor or administrator name
- Attorney or CPA contact, if involved
- Intended use of the report — probate inventory, estate settlement, tax or basis documentation, sale planning, family distribution
Ownership and legal records
- Deed or ownership records, if available
- Trust, will, or letters of office, if relevant and available
- Mortgage or lien information, if known
- HOA or condo association information, if applicable
Property condition and access
- Who can provide access
- Utilities on or off
- Known repairs or deferred maintenance
- Photos or notes about issues that may not be obvious
- Recent inspection reports, if any
Value-supporting documents
- Recent property tax bill or property record card
- Prior appraisal, if available
- Recent purchase or sale documents, if any
- List of improvements, renovations, additions, or major repairs
- Contractor estimates for major defects, if relevant
Timeline and delivery needs
- Probate court deadline, if known
- Attorney or CPA delivery instructions
- Whether multiple properties need the same effective date
Print or save as PDF, then send it to whoever is gathering documents for the estate.
The effective date
Why the “date of death” matters more than the inspection date
A date-of-death appraisal is usually retrospective. The inspection may happen weeks or months later, but the value opinion applies to the date the owner passed away — or another date identified by the estate’s attorney or CPA. That means our team has to look back at market evidence from the relevant period and understand the property’s condition as of that date.
That is why documentation matters. A list of improvements, photos, prior records, and access to someone who knows the property can help separate what existed on the effective date from what changed afterward.
In a normal pre-listing appraisal, the question is what the property is worth now. In a date-of-death appraisal, the question is what the property was worth as of the date the owner passed away, or another date your attorney or CPA identifies.
When it helps
When an estate should consider a professional appraisal
- Real estate is part of the probate inventory.
- The property may be sold after inheritance and basis documentation matters.
- Multiple heirs need a neutral number.
- An attorney or CPA asks for fair market value as of the date of death.
- The estate may have federal or Illinois estate tax considerations.
- The property has condition issues, unusual features, acreage, or limited comparables.
- A Zestimate, tax assessment, or agent CMA would not be enough for the intended use.
For estates considering basis or trust planning, our financial planning and trust appraisal page covers retrospective valuations used alongside CPA and estate-attorney work.
| Valuation source | Useful for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Certified appraisal | Estate, probate, and tax documentation. Neutral, defensible value opinion. | Requires inspection and research, and a fee. |
| Zestimate or AVM | Quick, rough estimate. | Not property-specific enough for estate documentation. |
| Tax assessment | Property tax administration. | Not the same as market value or date-of-death value. |
| Agent CMA | Sale or listing strategy. | Not a certified appraisal report. |
Illinois context
Illinois probate and estate timing, in plain English
Illinois probate inventory rules generally require the estate representative to file a verified inventory within 60 days after letters are issued. If real estate is part of the estate, that inventory needs a value for the property. Separately, some estates need date-of-death value documentation for tax filings, basis records, or family distribution.
Federal estate tax filing is a different question. The IRS sets a filing threshold each year — listed at $15,000,000 for 2026 — and Form 706 is generally due nine months after the date of death, with a possible six-month filing extension. Illinois has its own estate tax with a lower exclusion amount. Whether any filing is required depends on the estate, and your attorney or CPA confirms it.
Our role is narrower: provide the residential appraisal report that documents fair market value for the intended use. Our offices in Rockford, DeKalb, East Dundee, and McHenry cover Winnebago, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, and surrounding counties.
Our process
How VanEtten Appraisal handles date-of-death assignments
- Step 1
Confirm the use and effective date
Who needs the report, what date applies, and whether the attorney or CPA should be copied on delivery. Scope and effective date are set in writing before any inspection.
- Step 2
Inspect the property
On-site evaluation of condition, features, layout, updates, deferred maintenance, and access notes — captured for the retrospective analysis.
- Step 3
Reconstruct the market as of the effective date
Comparable sales and market conditions from the relevant period. The analysis uses only evidence that would have been known on the valuation date.
- Step 4
Deliver the USPAP-compliant report
Sent to the client and authorized professionals per instructions. Timing is confirmed before work begins; multi-property estates are coordinated.
Probate appraisal FAQs
Questions? Call (779) 207-6523.
Need a Date-of-Death Appraisal?
Send the property address, date of death, and who needs the report. Our team will confirm scope, timing, and next steps before work begins.
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- No obligation, just accurate information
- Serving all of Northern Illinois from 4 locations
- Reports accepted by all major lenders and courts