Contra Costa County
Determine value before mediation
When mediation is ahead and a neutral residential appraisal can give the process a shared factual baseline.
In Contra Costa County, sell-keep-repair-rent questions look different in west county, Lamorinda, central suburbs, inland communities, and Discovery Bay — but the valuation role is the same: answer the real estate questions, not choose the outcome. Determine value before mediation is one of those moments.
Mediation involving Contra Costa real estate is steadier with a neutral appraisal already in the file.
For this Contra Costa County situation, confirm mediation timing and whether counsel wants the appraisal completed first.
James does not make the estate’s decision. He helps answer the real estate and valuation questions underneath it. Legal authority, tax consequences, listing strategy, financing, and family outcomes stay with the attorney, CPA, and other Core 4 professionals — and with the fiduciaries or heirs who actually decide.