A parent's house in Escondido is now yours, or yours and your siblings', and someone has asked for "a value." Before anything else, it helps to know which value, for which day, and who will read it.
Which day should the value be for?
For an inherited home, the day that matters for federal tax basis is the date of death. The report can be written today and still be dated back to that day, using the sales and market conditions from that time.
If the house has been cleared out, repaired or updated since, an inspection now can't show how it looked then. Gather what exists: dated photos, an old listing, inspection reports, permits and repair invoices.
Does probate change this?
In a formal California probate, the value of the house on the court's inventory comes from a court-appointed probate referee, unless the court waives the referee (Probate Code sections 8901 to 8903). A private appraisal doesn't replace that. Our probate appraisal page explains where a private one still helps.
The tax questions below are for your adviser. You do not need to understand them before you call.
Do I owe tax on the house?
California has no inheritance tax for anyone who passed on or after June 8, 1982, and there is no federal inheritance tax either. If you later sell, you are generally taxed only on the profit above your basis, which is why the value on the date matters.
The IRS step-up page has the full explanation, including the federal estate tax and community property. Your adviser decides the date and the use. An appraisal does not decide a tax result, and no agency has to accept it.
What if I move into the house?
That is where Proposition 19 comes in. It is about the property tax bill, not income tax. It applies to transfers on or after February 16, 2021, and only when the home was the parent's principal residence and becomes the child's. When the parent has passed, the date of passing counts as the date of transfer, and the child must move in as a primary residence within one year.
In San Diego County the claim is filed with the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, and it is not automatic. Its parent-to-child exclusion page says filing within one year of the transfer is considered timely for full benefits. Its FAQ adds that a claim must be filed within three years of the transfer, or before a sale or transfer to a third party, and that a Homeowners' Exemption must be filed within one year of transfer.
The exclusion also has a value limit: the home's current taxable value plus an adjusted amount, which the State Board of Equalization puts at $1,044,586 for transfers from February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027. Value above that is added to the factored base year value. The Board of Equalization's Proposition 19 guide has the details. Ask your adviser whether an appraisal belongs in that file.
What if it's an older home?
The City established the Old Escondido Historic District in 1989. Its homes run from small Craftsman bungalows to Victorian houses built from the mid-1880s on. For an inherited house there, the useful comparison is a home of similar age, restoration and condition, not simply the closest sale on the map.
The City's historic-property research resources and the county's parcel records, both linked from our service area page, can help piece together what the property looked like and when it changed.
Does the Escondido market matter?
Only as background. A recent month of Escondido sales is on the service area page, but it says nothing about one house and is not a value for your date.
What happens when I call?
- You tell us about the home, what the value is for, the date you need and your deadline. We put the scope, fee and delivery estimate in writing.
- If the report needs an inspection, we arrange entry. You send whatever shows the home's condition then and since.
- The appraiser studies sales from around your date and explains how the opinion was reached.
- You check the date and the stated use, and tell us about any factual mistake.
The work follows USPAP, the standards appraisers work under. They govern method; they don't promise that any reader will accept the result. Research into an earlier period, the size of the home and your deadline all affect fee and timing, so check availability before tying a report to a filing date.
What should I send?
- The Escondido address, property type and parcel number if you have it
- What the value is for, and whether a probate case, trust or Proposition 19 claim is involved
- The date of passing, or the date your adviser names
- Your deadline, and any clean-out, repairs or remodeling since that date
- Photos, repair bills or listing papers from around that time
Call 442-248-3110 or request an estate appraisal quote.
General information about estate appraisals; not legal or tax advice and not a value for any property.