Tell me about the property
Fill in the order form or email the address, the purpose and the date you need. I reply with a secure invoice.
California · every day of the week
Desktop appraisals in 24 hours.
I value your home from photos and records, then email a signed report within a day of payment. No appointment, no waiting for a site visit, and weekends count.
Brian Ward · state-certified residential appraiser · License AR036053
$450 / $675Basic / Standard, within 24 hours
7 days a weekHolidays included
All of CaliforniaHouses, condos, townhomes
Since 20047,000+ appraisals
How it works
Three steps, all online
Most of the work happens on my side. Yours takes a few minutes.
Pay and send photos
Pay online and upload phone photos of the outside and every main room. The 24 hours start once both have arrived.
Get the report
A signed PDF lands in your inbox within 24 hours, ready to forward to your CPA, attorney or anyone else who needs it.
What it's for
Twelve reasons people order one
Date-of-death valuations come first because they're the most common, but they're far from the only use.
Date of death & step-up in basis
Heirs usually receive a fresh tax basis equal to the home's value on the day the owner died. The appraisal pins down that figure, so capital gains are calculated correctly when the house sells, even if the death was years ago.
Trusts & estates
Trustees and executors need a value they can defend: for an accounting, for dividing things fairly, or for selling the house to one of the beneficiaries. A signed appraisal answers the question of where the number came from.
Divorce & separation
Whether one of you keeps the house or it gets sold, settlement talks move faster with an independent value. I can value the home as of today, the date of separation, or both.
Family sales & buyouts
Buying out a brother's share, selling to your daughter, or splitting a house with a former partner? The appraisal gives everyone the same starting point and records a fair price.
Gift tax
Deeding a house, or part of one, to a relative is a gift with a value that gets reported. The appraisal supports the figure on the federal gift-tax return, Form 709.
Prop 19 transfers
When a parent's home passes to a child, Prop 19 limits how much of the old assessment carries over. Market value on the transfer date shows where you stand with the county assessor.
Property tax appeals
If the county assesses your home above what it would sell for, an independent appraisal is the evidence for a decline-in-value review or a formal appeal.
Bankruptcy
Your attorney needs a supportable value for the schedules and the homestead exemption. Problems with the house get documented from your photos, so they count.
Before you sell
Set the asking price with an opinion from someone who isn't trying to win your listing.
Before you buy
Paying cash, buying from family, or skipping the appraisal contingency? Check the price while you can still walk away.
Immigration sponsors (I-864)
Sponsors who count home equity on the Affidavit of Support are asked for a recent appraisal by a licensed appraiser. This is that appraisal.
Bail & property bonds
Courts that take a property bond want proof of the equity, usually from a licensed appraiser. A current report keeps the bond paperwork moving.
“I've prepared desktop appraisals for every purpose on this list. Some situations still call for an in-person appraisal, though, so check with your attorney or tax advisor first to make sure a desktop report is right for yours.”
Brian Ward, certified residential appraiserWhat I appraise
Houses and condos, anywhere in the state
From a San Diego condominium to a Sierra cabin, location changes the comparables, not the timeline.
Is a desktop appraisal enough?
For most purposes, yes
It's a real appraisal
Same state license, same national standards, same comparable-sales analysis. It just skips the walk-through.
Comparables are never visited
Every appraisal compares your home with recent sales studied from records and photos. Desktop treats your home the same way.
Your photos fill the gaps
You can show every room, the new roof and the problem spots. Nothing gets missed in a rushed visit.
Lenders use them too
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac accept desktop appraisals for some home purchases.
Fees
One price per property
No mileage, no inspection fee, and a past date costs the same as today.
| Report | Within 24 hours | 5–10 business days |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Desktop Photos, maps, property description, market section | $675 | $449 |
| Basic Desktop Same analysis, condensed report | $450 | $299 |
The 24 hours start once your payment and photos have both arrived, and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays count like any other day.
No phone number
Email is the fast lane
There's no phone number here, and that's deliberate. Email and the online form get your request to me with every detail written down and your photos attached, so the work can begin as soon as you've paid. It's simply the fastest way to get your report.
Questions
Quick answers
How fast is 24 hours, really?
Your report is emailed no more than 24 hours after I have both your payment and your photos. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays count like any other day.
Will my CPA, attorney or the IRS accept it?
It's a signed appraisal by a California Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser, prepared under USPAP, the national appraisal standards. I've done desktop appraisals for every purpose on this site, but acceptance is up to whoever receives the report, so check with your advisor if you're unsure.
Why can't I call?
Because it would slow things down. Email and the form put everything in writing at once, photos included. Write to contact@cwift.net any time.
Need a value by tomorrow?
Send the details now. Once you've paid and the photos are in, the report is on its way within 24 hours.