When Washington asks for an appraisal of an inherited home
Washington's probate statute does not order a professional appraisal for every estate. In a probate, the personal representative sets the value of each asset as of the date of death and may hire "a qualified and disinterested person" to help with any value that is open to reasonable doubt (RCW 11.44.015 and RCW 11.44.070). The clearest call for an appraisal comes from the Washington Department of Revenue. If an estate must file a Washington estate tax return and the house stayed unsold, DOR's guidance is to back up its value with a certified appraisal. A genuine arm's-length sale reasonably soon after the death is the evidence DOR prefers, and the probate inventory and appraisement does not count as support for the return (DOR estate tax FAQ).
Inheritance tax and estate tax for a Marysville estate
Washington has no inheritance tax, and a Washington resident who inherits owes no Washington tax on the inheritance (DOR). Washington heirs face no federal inheritance tax on a house they receive, because the federal estate tax falls on the estate, not the heir: the estate owes it and the executor pays it. Federally, a return is generally needed only when the gross estate plus certain lifetime gifts tops $15,000,000, the threshold as written for a U.S. citizen or resident who dies in 2026, going by the IRS's estate tax guidance. Washington's own line, below, is far lower. An heir generally owes no income tax just for receiving the house; rent collected from it later is a different matter (IRS Publication 525).
Washington runs a separate estate tax of its own (RCW 83.100.040). Whether a Marysville estate must file turns on the date of death and on the gross estate; DOR's test uses the gross figure, not the net, and a return is due once that figure equals or exceeds the threshold (RCW 83.100.050; DOR estate tax tables):
| When the death occurred | Washington filing threshold | Rate table |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 to June 30, 2026 | $3,076,000 | 10% to 35% |
| On or after July 1, 2026 | $3,000,000 | 10% to 20% |
Deaths before 2026 fall under earlier thresholds and rate tables; the estate's attorney or DOR's tables give the figures for that date. Both the return and any payment are due nine months after the death, and while DOR can extend the filing date, the payment date stays put (DOR estate tax). One narrower rule covers deaths since January 1, 2025: when the couple's qualifying family residence goes to the surviving spouse, RCW 83.100.050(7) can let the estate leave the decedent's share of that home out of the test for whether a return is required. DOR stresses that the exclusion does nothing beyond that filing test.
A Marysville month in numbers, and what it cannot settle
Our service area page carries one dated view of the local market. Realtors Property Resource (RPR) reported a $575,000 median sold price within its Marysville boundary for September 2026, based on 19 sales recorded in public records, a figure that blends single-family homes with condos, townhouses and apartments.
September 2026 · Area: Marysville, Washington · Single Family + Condo/Townhouse/Apt. · Source: RPR, Sold Public Records
A median drawn from 19 sales, in a city of eleven neighborhoods and a data set that combines several property types, cannot tell you what one inherited house was worth. It says nothing about that home's condition, and it describes a single month, while an estate usually needs the value on the date of death. The full September figures, their limits and a CSV of the source values are on our service area page.
Records worth gathering in Snohomish County
- The deed on record. Snohomish County Recording, a division of the Auditor's Office, records deeds, deeds of trust, liens and other real property documents. Searching its records online now requires a free account.
- The Assessor's record. The Snohomish County Assessor values each parcel for property tax as of January 1 of the assessment year, so the figure on the tax statement is not a date-of-death value.
- Condition evidence. Photos, old listing details, inspection reports and repair invoices that show the house as it was when the owner died, and what has changed since.
- Probate papers, if there is a probate. The personal representative's appointment date and the inventory and appraisement. Our probate valuation page explains how Washington handles that inventory.
Homes that pass outside probate
An inherited Marysville home does not always go through probate. The Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk's probate page says probate is not always necessary. A house can change hands at death through a transfer on death deed (RCW 64.80.020), and spouses can settle in advance how their community property passes with a community property agreement (RCW 26.16.120). The value on the date of death can still matter for the heirs' tax basis and for the Washington filing test, so confirm the date and the purpose with the estate's attorney or tax adviser first. Then ask Eagle Home Appraisal Marysville for the scope, fee and delivery estimate in writing. For the federal basis question in more detail, see IRS step-up appraisals.