Ian Bryzek, CPA
What if the original purchase records are missing?
A lost escrow file does not require a family to invent the tax history of inherited property.
The missing closing binder is a common discovery when a house has stayed in one family for years.
Tax reporting is easier to defend when the file shows what was searched, what was found, and what cannot be recovered.
What to gather
- County recorder deed history
- Escrow-company or lender archive request
- Prior income-tax returns
- Property-tax bills kept with household files
- Written log of unsuccessful record searches
Who usually handles what
- Ian can organize the tax reporting question and the supporting records.
- James Valdez can provide an independent residential fair-market-value appraisal.
A practical next step
Make a reconstruction list and preserve responses from every records source.
When a property value is part of the picture
When residential real estate needs a supported fair market value as of a relevant date, an independent appraiser may be part of the documentation process. Ian does not determine fair market value.
Related guides
This is general tax information, not tax or legal advice. Outcomes depend on the documents, ownership, timing, and law that apply to the particular facts.