Realvals provides certified residential real estate appraisals in San Francisco. Austin Fernald, a California Certified Residential Appraiser, personally inspects and appraises single-family homes, condominiums, co-ops, and 2- to 4-unit buildings in every San Francisco neighborhood. Homeowners, estate attorneys, family law attorneys, CPAs, and trustees rely on RealVals for appraisals that hold up under IRS, court, and lender review.
RealVals is based in San Rafael, 15 miles north of downtown San Francisco, and completes most San Francisco appraisal reports within 4 to 5 business days after inspection.
Request a Free San Francisco Appraisal Quote
Send the property address and the purpose of the appraisal. RealVals provides a fee quote and turnaround time within one business day.
San Francisco Appraisal Services
RealVals performs the following residential appraisals in San Francisco:
Market Value Appraisal. A market value appraisal establishes what a San Francisco property is worth today. Buyers, sellers, and owners use market value appraisals for private sales, buyouts between co-owners, refinancing outside a lender, and financial planning.
Pre-Listing Appraisal. A pre-listing appraisal gives a San Francisco seller an independent opinion of value before the property goes on the market. In a city where list prices are routinely set below expected sale prices, a pre-listing appraisal tells the seller what the comparable sales actually support.
Divorce Appraisal. A divorce appraisal establishes the fair market value of real property for the division of community property. Family law attorneys and divorcing spouses in San Francisco use RealVals reports for settlement negotiations and San Francisco Superior Court proceedings. RealVals can appraise as of the date of separation, the date of trial, or both.
Property Tax Appeal Appraisal. A tax appeal appraisal establishes market value as of the January 1 lien date for an appeal to the San Francisco Assessment Appeals Board. Owners of condominiums and multi-unit buildings purchased near a market peak are the most common tax appeal clients in San Francisco.
Date of Death Appraisal. A date of death appraisal establishes the fair market value of a San Francisco property as of the day the owner died. Executors, successor trustees, and estate attorneys use it to document the stepped-up basis under IRC §1014 and to support estate tax filings. RealVals has completed hundreds of date of death appraisals in San Francisco.
Probate and Trust Appraisal. A probate or trust appraisal establishes value for estate administration and trust accounting. Trustees and probate attorneys use these reports for court filings and distribution to beneficiaries.
Gift Tax Appraisal. A gift tax appraisal documents the fair market value of a San Francisco property transferred during the owner’s lifetime for reporting on IRS Form 709.
Retrospective Appraisal. A retrospective appraisal establishes value as of a prior date for capital gains calculations, litigation, estate planning, and Proposition 19 parent-to-child transfers.
Why San Francisco Properties Need a Local Appraiser
San Francisco contains residential property types that do not exist in most of California. Tenancy-in-common interests, condominiums in buildings with pending conversions, rent-controlled 2 to 4 unit buildings with protected tenants, and single-family homes with unwarranted in-law units each trade in their own market segment with their own buyer pool.
A San Francisco appraisal turns on details that generic comparable-sales analysis misses:
- Whether a unit is a condominium or a cooperative
- Whether a multi-unit building has vacant units, protected tenants, or an Ellis Act history
- Whether an in-law unit is permitted, legalized under the ADU ordinance, or unwarranted
- Whether parking is deeded, leased, tandem, or absent
- Seismic retrofit status for soft-story buildings
- View premiums in Russian Hill, Twin Peaks, Sea Cliff, and Diamond Heights
- Micro-market pricing between adjacent neighborhoods such as Noe Valley and the Mission, or the Marina and Cow Hollow
Austin Fernald has appraised each of these property types in San Francisco and selects comparable sales at the neighborhood and building level, not the citywide level.
How the San Francisco Appraisal Process Works
1. Request a quote
Provide the property address, the purpose of the appraisal, and the effective date if it is not today.
2. Confirm the scope
RealVals reviews the assignment and returns a fee quote and turnaround time.
3. Inspection & research
Austin Fernald inspects the property and researches the relevant San Francisco comparable sales, including MLS data, public records, and neighborhood-specific market conditions.
4. Receive the report
RealVals delivers a USPAP-compliant report written for the appraisal’s intended use, whether that is an attorney, a CPA, the IRS, or a court.
San Francisco Neighborhoods RealVals Serves
- Bernal Heights
- Castro
- Cow Hollow
- Diamond Heights
- Dogpatch
- Glen Park
- Haight-Ashbury
- Hayes Valley
- Ingleside
- Inner and Outer Mission
- Marina District
- Mission Bay
- Noe Valley
- North Beach
- Pacific Heights
- Potrero Hill
- Presidio Heights
- Richmond District
- Russian Hill
- Sea Cliff
- South Beach
- St. Francis Wood
- Sunset District
- Telegraph Hill
- Twin Peaks
- West Portal
- Western Addition
San Francisco Property Types RealVals Appraises
- Single-family homes
- Condominiums
- Townhomes and Row Houses
- Co-ops (Cooperative)
- 2 to 4 unit residential properties
- Residential income properties
- Residential land
Work directly with a California Certified Residential Appraiser.
Austin Fernald holds license #AR3002942 and has completed more than 3,000 residential appraisals.
Request a Free San Francisco Appraisal Quote
Send the property address and the purpose of the appraisal. RealVals provides a fee quote and turnaround time within one business day.
San Francisco Appraisal FAQs
A single-family or condominium appraisal in San Francisco from RealVals costs anywhere from $500+ depending on the scope. Co-ops, 2 to 4 unit buildings, and complex or high-value properties cost more. See our pricing.
RealVals delivers most San Francisco appraisal reports within 4 to 5 business days after inspection.
Yes. RealVals appraises 2 to 4 unit buildings in San Francisco with consideration of current rents, tenancy status, and the effect of rent control on market value.
In most cases, yes. For date of death, divorce, and other retrospective assignments where access is not possible, RealVals can complete an appraisal from records, photographs, and prior listings when sufficient documentation exists.
No. Courts, the IRS, attorneys, and lenders require an appraisal from a state-licensed appraiser. Automated estimates have not inspected the property and do not account for condition, tenancy, or permits.
Yes. Retrospective appraisals for date of death, date of separation, or a prior tax year are a core part of RealVals’ work in San Francisco.
