Land Park
Mostly 1930s houses and some earlier, close to William Land Park. Charming, but few identical comparables, so style, size and updating drive the comparison.
Sacramento home appraiser: every neighborhood is a different market
Sacramento neighborhoods differ because of home age, unpermitted additions, accessory dwelling units and flood-zone history. Valley-Wide Appraisal Services, based a short drive south in Elk Grove, appraises residential properties across the City of Sacramento for estates, divorce, PMI removal and tax appeals.
BREA licensed
License AL3008584, active through 2028
$1,000,000 E&O insured
Errors & omissions coverage in force
$400 to $500
Typical single-family home or condo
Licensed residential
One-to-four-unit homes, appraised personally
Why Sacramento needs a closer look
Age, additions and floodplain history
Sacramento's older central neighborhoods were largely built in the early 20th century. Curtis Park started developing in 1911 and was mostly finished in the 1920s, and most Land Park homes date from the 1930s. These are not tract homes, so comparable sales are harder to match and condition and updating carry a lot of weight.
Newer parts of the city, such as Natomas, are the opposite: many similar homes built in a short span of years. There, the details that move value are lot, floor plan, upgrades, and any recurring special tax or HOA.
Natomas also has a flood history that buyers know about. FEMA remapped the basin as a high-risk flood zone in 2008 after the levees were found not to meet federal flood-protection standards, which halted most new building until levee work progressed. The appraisal reports the flood zone shown on the current map.
Neighborhood by neighborhood
What we look at in each part of the city
A general guide, not a rule for any one house.
Curtis Park
One of the city's early subdivisions, begun in 1911 and largely built in the 1920s, with many period revival homes. Remodeled kitchens and baths are common, and the work done can vary a lot from house to house.
East Sacramento
Older homes and lots, with a mix of eras. Additions and rebuilds are common, so living area and permit history matter.
Midtown and downtown
A mix of older houses, converted buildings and multi-unit properties. Two-to-four-unit properties we can appraise. They have few close comparable sales, so the research often looks at sales and rents of similar small multi-unit buildings, while larger buildings are commercial and outside our scope.
Natomas
Newer construction, with many subdivisions built in recent decades. Flood-zone status and any special tax or HOA are a regular part of the analysis.
Pocket, Greenhaven and south Sacramento
A wide range of ages and sizes. Homes along the Sacramento River in Pocket and Greenhaven can differ from inland streets in lot, view and flood-zone status, so comparables come from the same area.
What makes it different
Remodels without permits, ADUs and living area
In older neighborhoods, it is common for a garage to have been converted, a porch enclosed or an addition built years ago. Some of this was permitted and some was not. The appraiser measures what is there and reports living area according to standard measuring rules, and may be unable to count space that is not finished, not heated or not legal to use as living area.
Accessory dwelling units are now common. A permitted ADU with its own entrance, kitchen and bath is analyzed differently from a converted garage with no permit. The appraiser compares to market evidence of how similar units have sold, and does not apply a rule of thumb.
The report will describe what the appraiser can observe and what the owner has told them. It is not a permit review or a building inspection. If permits matter for your purpose, the City of Sacramento or Sacramento County building department holds the records.
Tell us up front if the home has
- An addition, enclosed porch or converted garage.
- A detached ADU, guest house or second unit.
- Permit paperwork for recent remodels, if you have it.
- Solar, a pool, or other features that may be financed or leased.
Property tax
Sacramento County Assessor and Prop 8
All of the City of Sacramento is in Sacramento County, so the Sacramento County Assessor sets your assessed value. California generally limits yearly increases under Proposition 13, but when a home's market value falls below its assessed value as of January 1, the owner can ask the Assessor to review it under Proposition 8.
An appraisal as of the lien date can document a request, but the Assessor decides. Steps are on our Prop 8 property tax appeals page. This is not tax advice.
Related services
Where Sacramento clients usually start
These are the most common reasons for a private appraisal in the city.
Date of death appraisals
A value as of the date of death for heirs, trustees and executors.
Divorce appraisals
A neutral value of the family home for a buyout or sale.
PMI removal appraisals
A current value to support a request to drop mortgage insurance.
How it works
The same process across the city
You request a quote with the address and purpose. Most single-family homes and condos are $400 to $500. The inspection is scheduled with you, and the report typically arrives 3 to 7 business days after it. Extra effective dates, rush requests and court testimony are quoted separately.
See the full 19-county service area, or the Elk Grove page if the home is south of the city.
What clients say
Reviews from our Google profile
Valley-Wide holds a 5.0 rating from 13 Google reviews. These are quoted exactly as the clients wrote them.
“I requested a rush order through my lender and the appraiser called me within a day and had him out to inspect my house within the next day. Fastest appraiser I have had before out of 6. Very friendly and profesional as well. Highly recommend.”
Jasmine D., 5 stars on Google
“We had a very good experience. We had very bad luck finding an appraiser until Valley-Wide responded to us. If it wasn’t for the fast and professional appraisal we would have lost our dream home.”
Ryan B., 5 stars on Google
“A very fast, precise, and professional this company is. The appraiser Daniel was amazing! Would recommend this appraiser to anyone in need of one”
Joshua W., 5 stars on Google
Common questions
Sacramento appraisal questions
What does a home appraisal cost in Sacramento?
A typical single-family home or condo is $400 to $500. Larger homes, multi-unit properties and unusual properties, such as homes with an unpermitted addition or a second dwelling, are quoted individually. You get the exact figure before work starts.
How do you value an older home in Land Park, East Sacramento or Curtis Park?
By finding the closest comparable sales in age, style, size and location, then adjusting for differences such as updating, additions and lot. Older neighborhoods have fewer identical homes, so the research takes longer and the comparison is more careful.
Does a detached ADU or granny flat add value?
It can, but how much depends on the market evidence. Whether the unit is permitted, its size, whether it has its own kitchen, bath and entrance, and how local buyers have valued similar units all affect the analysis. Tell us about the unit and send any permit paperwork when you request a quote.
Does being in a flood zone change the appraisal?
The report states the property's FEMA flood zone as shown on the current flood map. If flood insurance or elevation requirements affect what buyers will pay in that area, that can matter to value. An appraiser does not make a flood determination or sell flood insurance.
Can an appraisal help with a Prop 8 property tax review?
A market value opinion as of the January 1 lien date can support a request for a decline-in-value review. The Sacramento County Assessor decides the outcome, and a separate Prop 8 page on this site explains the steps.
Need an appraisal in Sacramento?
Send the address, the purpose and any date the value is needed as of, or call to talk through it first.
Important information about this service
Valley-Wide Appraisal Services provides independent real estate appraisal services only, for residential properties of one to four units. Daniel R. Nelson is a licensed residential real estate appraiser, and is not an attorney, tax advisor, or flood or building inspector. Nothing on this page is legal or tax advice.
Valley-Wide Appraisal Services does not guarantee any particular valuation outcome. An appraisal is an independent opinion of value supported by market evidence, and how it is used or accepted rests with the parties who rely on it.
Neighborhood descriptions here are general and may not describe every home in an area. Fees, special taxes, assessments and agency procedures change, so confirm current details with the relevant office.