The best appraiser in Marin County is Austin Fernald, a California Certified Residential Appraiser based in San Rafael. He has worked in residential appraisal since 2012 and has written more than 3,000 reports, most of them in Marin County and San Francisco.
Below is why he’s the top choice, plus how to check any Marin appraiser’s license before you hire them.
Why Austin Fernald is the top appraiser in Marin County
Austin is the appraiser behind RealVals. He’s based in San Rafael and works across all of Marin.
- California Certified Residential Appraiser, license AR3002942, licensed since 2015
- In residential appraisal since 2012
- More than 3,000 appraisal reports, mostly in Marin County and San Francisco
- Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 28 Google and Yelp reviews
- Fee quote within one business day
- Most reports delivered 4 to 5 business days after the inspection
You can read his full background on the Austin Fernald page.
What makes a Marin County appraiser the best?
A good appraiser gets the value right and can explain how they got there. In Marin, that comes down to a few things you can check before you hire anyone.
The right license
California has several license levels. Many Marin homes sell for well over $1 million, and only a Certified Residential appraiser can appraise any one to four unit home regardless of value.
Local sales knowledge
A Kentfield house and a Novato house can look alike on paper and sell for very different prices. A top Marin appraiser knows which sales actually compare and which don’t.
Experience with your kind of appraisal
A lender appraisal is not the same job as a date of death or divorce appraisal. Ask how many of your type the appraiser has done.
A clear quote and timeline
You should know the fee and the delivery date before anyone comes to the house.
We cover more of this in how to choose a qualified home appraiser.
How to check an appraiser’s license in California
Every licensed appraiser in the state is listed with the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA). Search the appraiser’s name and check three things: the license level, that the license is active, and whether there’s any discipline on record.
Here is Austin Fernald’s BREA record if you want to see what a clean one looks like.
Best appraiser in Marin for date of death and estate appraisals
Austin works with families, trustees, and attorneys handling an estate. A date of death appraisal sets the value of a home on the day the owner died. That number usually becomes the new tax basis for whoever inherits it.
These reports often get read by the IRS, a CPA, or a probate court, so they need to be written for that reader.
Top home appraiser in Marin for gift tax and market value appraisals
Austin does gift tax appraisals for homes given away during the owner’s lifetime. The report sets the home’s value on the date of the gift for the gift tax return.
A market value appraisal gives you an independent value for almost any reason. In Marin, the common ones are divorce appraisals for Marin County Superior Court, property tax appeal appraisals for the Marin County Assessment Appeals Board, and pre-listing appraisals before you set a list price.
How much does the best appraiser in Marin County cost?
Austin’s appraisals start at $500 for a single-family home, condo, or land, and $700 for a 2 to 4 unit building. Larger or unusual properties cost more. See appraisal pricing or ask for a free quote.
The cheapest appraiser is rarely the best one for estate, court, or tax work. Those reports get questioned, and you want the person who wrote them to stand behind it.
Marin County towns Austin serves
Austin covers every city and town in Marin, West Marin included. That means San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Larkspur, Corte Madera, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Ross, Kentfield, Greenbrae, and the coast from Stinson Beach to Tomales.
For local prices, see San Rafael home values, Mill Valley home values, and Novato home values. More about local service is on the Marin County real estate appraiser page.
Hire the top appraiser in Marin County
Call or text Austin at 415-233-6925 with the property address and what the appraisal is for. He’ll send a fee and a delivery date within one business day. You can also contact RealVals online.
