Home appraisals in San Mateo County, by tomorrow

Every city and town in San Mateo County, same fee, same 24 hours, written and signed by me.

San Mateo County runs from Daly City's Westlake tracts through the older Burlingame and San Carlos neighborhoods to Menlo Park, plus the coast. I value homes here after a parent dies, in divorces and for Prop 19 transfers, and on a house held for decades the gap between the tax bill and today's value can be wide.

Seat: Redwood City29 ZIP codesToday or any past dateWithin 24 hours

What I look at in San Mateo County

  1. 1

    In Westlake and Serramonte the houses are close cousins, so I look hard at the extras: a finished room behind the garage, a remodeled kitchen, and an ocean view.

  2. 2

    On the coast I check bluff erosion in Pacifica, water and sewer service around Montara and El Granada, and coastal permits for additions, since each can limit a buyer's plans.

  3. 3

    Along Skyline, in Woodside and around La Honda, parcels are wooded and one of a kind, so I lean on access, usable land, fire clearing, and well and septic records more than square footage.

Across San Mateo County

San Mateo County is really three markets: the bayside cities along El Camino and Caltrain, the wooded ridges along Skyline, and the coast from Pacifica to Pescadero. I compare within the one your home is in.

County seatRedwood City
2026 tax appeal deadlineNovember 30 (filing opened July 2)
Probate casesSuperior Court of California, County of San Mateo

Cities I’ve written about in San Mateo County

San Mateo
San Mateo County
San Mateo County

What to photograph

Photograph any ocean or bay view, the rooms below the main floor and the yard's slope. On the coast or up on Skyline, add the well, the septic area, the driveway and nearby trees.

Front and backKitchen and bathsEvery main roomUpgrades and problems

Upload photos after you order, or attach them to an email. Phone photos are fine.

Homes typical of San Mateo County

San Mateo County questions

Can you tell me what my Half Moon Bay house was worth when my spouse died?
Yes. I value the house as of the date of death using coastside sales from around then, and describe it as it was. A surviving spouse often needs that number for the basis on community property, and your CPA decides how it applies.
Should we fix up Mom's San Mateo County house before selling or sell it as is?
I can't make that call for you, but I can value it as is and, if you like, as if the planned work were done. Dated 1950s Peninsula houses often sell to buyers who plan to remodel anyway, and the two numbers show whether the work pays.
When would I get the report for a San Mateo County home?
Within 24 hours of the moment I have both your payment and your photos, weekends and holidays included. If you're not in a rush, the regular schedule is 5–10 business days at $299 or $449.

“I've prepared desktop appraisals for every purpose on this list. Some situations still call for an in-person appraisal, though, so check with your attorney or tax advisor first to make sure a desktop report is right for yours.”

Brian Ward
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