When a property value is genuinely contested, the report has to do more than reach a conclusion — it has to show its work well enough that opposing counsel cannot make the reasoning look arbitrary. I prepare litigation appraisals and testify to them.
Reports That Anticipate Challenge
A litigation appraisal is written backward from cross-examination. Every comparable is there for a stated reason, every adjustment is supported rather than asserted, and the exhibits are built so a judge, jury or arbitrator can follow the argument without being walked through it twice.
I have testified in family-law and bankruptcy matters regularly over two decades, and have appraised properties well above 10,000 square feet and $15 million where the stakes made scrutiny certain.
Reviewing the Other Side's Appraisal
Often the most efficient path is not a competing value but a review: an analysis of whether the opposing report complied with USPAP, selected defensible comparables, and supported its adjustments. A review can expose a weak report without the cost of a full second appraisal.
Deposition and Trial
I appear for deposition and trial testimony, prepare demonstrative exhibits, and consult with counsel before testimony so the examination is not the first time we discuss the weak points. Notify me early if court is a realistic possibility — the scope of work differs when litigation is expected.
Engagement and Fees
Litigation and testimony are quoted individually on scope, and testimony time is billed separately from the report. Contact me with the matter, the venue and the deadlines and I will quote it directly.
Where I Can Take This Assignment
Two counties — San Diego and Riverside — I cover in person, which opens up the inspection-based report types. Everywhere else in California I work by desktop appraisal, and that reaches every one of the state's 58 counties. This site carries dedicated pages for 126 communities in 17 of them.
Getting a Figure From Me
The schedule opens at $299 and I pin down your number before any work begins. The whole fee schedule is published here; alternatively, describe the property and why you need it valued and I will come back with a price.