Philadelphia Real Estate Appraisals

PahRoo Appraisal & Consultancy provides Philadelphia real estate appraisals for attorneys, bankers, brokers, accountants, and property owners in the city and the four suburban counties. Pennsylvania-licensed appraisers based in Philadelphia sign our reports. We write every report so it holds up where it will be read, in court, at the BRT, or in credit committee.

Philadelphia Real Estate Appraisals for Residential and Commercial Property

The firm’s founder, Michael Hobbs, holds both the MAI and the SRA designation from the Appraisal Institute, and sets the review standard every PahRoo report meets. In Philadelphia, a Pennsylvania-licensed appraiser based in the market signs each report and works under the same standard.

Every report also follows USPAP.

Divorce and Family Law Appraisals in Philadelphia

Pennsylvania divides marital property equitably rather than equally, so a house is not automatically split in half. Under 23 Pa.C.S. 3502 the court divides as it deems just, asset by asset, and can award one spouse the right to stay in the home. So the house is rarely a simple split, and the increase in value of a premarital home can itself be marital.

We tie the value to the date your case needs, such as the date of marriage, the date of separation, or a current value for the hearing. In each case we document the condition and the market as of that date rather than as of the inspection. Buyouts and spousal deed transfers also come up constantly. Our article on quitclaim deed divorce transfers covers what an appraiser sees when title moves before the value is fixed.

Inheritance Tax and Date-of-Death Appraisals

Pennsylvania taxes what passes at death, so real estate is taxed on its date-of-death value. The rates depend on the heir: nothing to a spouse, 4.5 percent to children and grandchildren, 12 percent to siblings, and 15 percent to everyone else. The tax is due at death, becomes delinquent after nine months, and earns a 5 percent discount if paid within three months. So the executor needs a supportable value early.

For a Philadelphia rowhouse or a Main Line home, that means sales that bracket the date of death rather than today’s listings. We also appraise for trust funding, partition actions, and gifts of real estate.

Philadelphia and Suburban Property Tax Appeal Appraisals

In the city, the Office of Property Assessment sets the value, and the Board of Revision of Taxes then hears the appeal. A First Level Review asks OPA to reconsider its own number, while a BRT appeal puts the value in front of the Board, and most owners file both. The BRT deadline is the first Monday of October for the following tax year, which for 2027 is October 5, 2026.

An appeal has to show the value is too high, not uniform with similar properties, or based on wrong characteristics. Pennsylvania is a disclosure state, so sale prices are public and the argument is about which sales are truly comparable. Our appeal reports are built for that argument.

Outside the city, Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks, and Chester counties each run a Board of Assessment Appeals under the Consolidated County Assessment Law. Annual appeals are due September 1 or an earlier county date, boards decide by November 15, and the appeal to common pleas has 30 days. For homeowners, compare the value on your notice to what your home would sell for. Then, if the number is high, file before your county’s date.

Litigation Support and Expert Witness Testimony

We review the other side’s appraisal and then put the problems in writing. Bankruptcy counsel send us appraisals for Chapter 7 and 11 filings, too. In a Pennsylvania condemnation, either side petitions for a board of viewers, and just compensation is the property’s fair market value before the taking minus its value after. We prepare the owner’s before-and-after report for the viewers and any jury appeal. Our appraisers are also available for deposition and trial testimony in Philadelphia courts.

Commercial Appraisals for Philadelphia Lenders

Commercial bankers order from us for acquisitions, refinances, and workouts, and special asset groups also use us on distressed property. The income approach starts with the actual rent roll and expense history rather than a published cap rate and a guess. Our piece on the income approach for commercial property shows how.

Residential Appraisals for Philadelphia Mortgage Lenders

Mortgage lenders and banks send us refinance, PMI removal, and new construction files, too. Much of the city’s housing stock is a century old, so the report deals with what a rowhouse actually has, such as an unpermitted finished basement. For homeowners, a low lender value is not the last word, because you can still order a second opinion.

Appraisals for Philadelphia Brokers and Realtors

Residential brokers and Realtors send us pre-listing work when a price needs support, especially on a rowhouse block where the last three sales tell three different stories. Buyers’ agents also use us for pre-purchase appraisals when the property is unusual. Commercial brokers also come to us before listing land or mixed-use property.

Appraisals for Philadelphia CPAs and Tax Preparers

CPAs come to us for four things in Pennsylvania. First, the inheritance tax return, because it needs a date-of-death value for every parcel and rewards filing early. Second, a real estate gift over $5,000 needs a qualified appraisal on IRS Form 8283, so we prepare those accordingly. Third, gift tax and trust funding also need a supportable value as of the transfer date. Fourth, we support clients’ BRT and county appeals when the assessment is out of line.

Neighborhoods and Suburbs We Cover

In the city: Center City, Rittenhouse, Fishtown, University City, South Philadelphia, Manayunk, and Chestnut Hill. Montgomery County: the Main Line and King of Prussia. Delaware County: Media and Havertown. Bucks County: Doylestown and Newtown. Chester County: West Chester and Malvern. We cover the rest of the five counties too, so just ask.

How to Order a Philadelphia Appraisal From PahRoo