Independent retrospective appraisals for capital gains and tax reporting, estate settlements, separation and divorce, and legal proceedings across Waterloo Region, Southwestern Ontario, and the GTA.
Most property appraisals establish what a property is worth today. A retrospective appraisal answers a different question: what was it worth on a particular date in the past?
That date might be last year, five years ago, or further back. The property may have changed hands, been renovated, or changed significantly in value since then. None of that changes the question.
We establish fair market value as at the required date, using market evidence from that period. Not today’s prices projected backward. Not the owner’s recollection of what the property was worth. A documented conclusion based on the market as it existed at the time.
When a home becomes a rental, a rental becomes your home, or a property is transferred to a family member, a value at that date may be needed for tax purposes. The same applies to a cottage or second property when it is sold. Your accountant determines the tax treatment and the date. We provide the valuation, documented so it can be relied on if the figure is ever reviewed.
Fair market value as at the date of death, even when the appraisal is ordered months or years later. See Estate Appraisals
The value of the family home at the dates identified by the parties or their lawyers. See Divorce & Separation Appraisals
Independent valuation evidence for matters that turn on what a property was worth at a past date. See Litigation Appraisals
Accountants need a figure they can file and defend. Our report states the effective date, describes the property as it existed then, sets out the comparable sales relied on, and explains how the conclusion was reached. If your accountant has asked for a value, send us the date and the reason — we’ll take it from there.
The first question we usually hear is whether an accurate appraisal is still possible when the date has already passed. In most cases, yes.
Historical sales, past listings, market statistics, assessment records, and photographs establish what the property was like and what buyers were paying for comparable properties at the time. Where it helps, we use regression analysis to measure how the market moved between sale dates, rather than relying on assumptions.
The further back the date, the more the available records matter. We will tell you at the outset if missing records or unusual circumstances could affect the result.
A property does not have to look the same today as it did on the effective date. It may have been renovated, expanded, damaged, demolished, or sold. None of that prevents a retrospective appraisal, but it does affect the evidence.
If a kitchen was replaced three years after the valuation date, the new kitchen should not be treated as though it existed on the earlier date. A later sale price is evidence to consider, not automatically the value years before. The job is to reconstruct the property and its market as they were on the date in question.
You do not need to gather every historical record before contacting us. Start with the property address, the date or dates needed, and the reason for the appraisal. Older photographs, renovation records, previous listings, or surveys can help if you have them.
If you are unsure which date applies, confirm it with your lawyer or accountant first. Choosing the legally or financially relevant date is not the appraiser’s role.
Retrospective appraisals are quoted individually. The fee depends on the property type, how far back the date is, the records available, and whether more than one date is needed.
Tell us what the appraisal is for and when you need it. We’ll explain the scope, provide a fee, and tell you whether your deadline is realistic.
We respond to every request within 24 hours.
