Appraisal services · Bellevue, WA
Divorce Appraisals in Bellevue, WA
“We each have a different number in our heads — what is the house actually worth?”
The role here is narrow and deliberately so: an independent opinion of market value for the property, as of a valuation date the parties or their counsel agree on. How that value is divided, offset against other assets or treated in a settlement is a legal question for the attorneys and the parties. Keeping those two things separate is what makes the appraisal useful to both sides.
Call (425) 620-2518Who this is for
- Two spouses who want one neutral figure instead of two competing online estimates.
- One spouse considering a buyout who needs to understand the value before discussing terms.
- Family law attorneys who want an independent written value opinion for a negotiation or mediation.
- Parties in mediation who have agreed to share a single valuation rather than commission two.
What affects the value
- The agreed valuation date, which may be the separation date, the filing date, a mediation date or a current date.
- Condition at that date, including any repairs or renovations one party completed before or after separation.
- Market movement between an earlier agreed date and today, which can be significant and must be analyzed for the correct date.
- Physical characteristics and site factors, analyzed the same way regardless of which party requested the report.
- Access limitations — if only part of the home can be observed, the scope and the resulting report reflect that.
- Any factor a party believes is relevant should be raised before the analysis, not after the value is known.
What to gather
None of this is required before you call. It simply makes the first conversation shorter and the scope easier to set.
- The valuation date both parties or their attorneys have agreed to use.
- Who the client and intended users will be — one party, both parties, or counsel.
- Property address or parcel number, and who will provide interior access.
- Dates and rough costs of renovations completed during the marriage, with any receipts on hand.
- Any prior appraisal, listing or market analysis either side has already obtained.
- Known issues neither party disputes: drainage, foundation work, roof age, pending repairs.
The property records and preparation guide walks through how to identify your parcel and compare recorded characteristics with your own records.
How the process works
- Step 1
Agree the date and the engagement
The valuation date, the client, the intended users and the scope are established before any analysis begins, so the assignment is the same regardless of who called.
- Step 2
Arrange neutral access
A single inspection is scheduled, with both parties free to be present or not. The observation and measurement are the same either way.
- Step 3
Independent market analysis
Comparable evidence is selected and adjusted based on the data, not on a target figure. No party is told a number in advance of the report.
- Step 4
Written opinion delivered to the agreed users
The report goes to the parties identified in the engagement, with the reasoning documented so both sides can read the same analysis.
Questions people ask
Does the appraisal say what each spouse is owed?
No. The report gives an opinion of market value for the real property as of the stated date. How equity is divided, what offsets apply and what a settlement should look like are legal and financial questions handled by the attorneys and the parties.
What if we cannot agree on a valuation date?
The assignment cannot proceed on two dates at once. If counsel are still negotiating the date, it is usually best to settle that first; in some matters parties instead agree to a current-date opinion and revisit later. Raise the question on the call and the options can be explained.
Can one spouse order the appraisal without the other?
Yes, one party can engage the work, and the engagement will state who the client and intended users are. The analysis itself does not change based on who paid for it, and the report says plainly who it was prepared for.
Discuss a divorce valuation
Call to describe the property, the intended use and the date that matters. Scope of work and current availability are confirmed on the call.