Expert services
A real estate expert for family law and real estate litigation
Kasey Jorgenson works with counsel as a consulting or testifying expert, and on call at mediations, on Texas residential real estate: what a property would likely sell or rent for, what happened when it was marketed, and whether a transaction was handled the way it should have been.
What we help with
Sale price and rent
Market analysis of likely sale price or market rent, as of today or a past date, for property division, buyouts, partition, and damages.
Listing and sale history
What was marketed, when, at what price, how the market responded, and what changed along the way.
Contracts and agent practices
How a Texas residential transaction is supposed to run, from TREC contracts and addenda to disclosures and agent duties. Kasey teaches TREC-approved continuing education on contract mistakes.
Divorce real estate
Sell or buy out, timing, net proceeds, and listing strategy when the house sits in the middle of a divorce. Kasey is a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert (CDRE).
On call at your mediation
Mediations stall on the house. What would it sell for as-is? What does the new roof add? Does the buyout number make sense? Kasey can sit in for a half or full day, in person or on Zoom, and answer real property questions as they come up, with a live look at the market.
- Likely sale price as-is, and after repairs or updates that are done or proposed
- Which repairs, updates, or concessions are worth it, and which are not
- Buyout or sale, timing, and estimated net proceeds
- How a receiver sale would work if the parties cannot agree
Available to both sides as a neutral resource, or to one side's counsel. We sign the mediation's confidentiality agreement, and any price estimate comes with TREC's required statement in writing.
How engagements work
- We are retained by counsel, not by a party directly.
- A conflict check comes first, every time.
- Start as a consulting expert and decide later whether to designate.
- Neutral, jointly retained engagements are welcome in family cases.
- One role per case: we never serve as both receiver and expert in the same case, and once one side retains us, we never work for the other.
- A written engagement letter and retainer come before any work starts.
Rates
| Item | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Case review and consulting | $300 per hour | Document review, research, calls with counsel, and report writing. Billed in quarter-hour increments. |
| Deposition and trial testimony | $400 per hour | 2-hour minimum per appearance. Preparation is billed at the consulting rate. |
| Retainer | $1,500 | Due at engagement and applied to the final invoice. |
| Travel | IRS standard mileage rate | Only for properties outside Williamson and Travis counties, measured from Round Rock, Texas. |
Mediation support
| Item | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Half day | $1,000 | Up to 4 hours at the mediation, in person or on Zoom, plus up to one hour of review beforehand. |
| Full day | $1,800 | Up to 8 hours at the mediation, plus up to one hour of review beforehand. |
| Additional time | $300 per hour | Beyond the booked block, or extra review before the mediation. |
| Travel | IRS standard mileage rate | In-person mediations only. Only for properties outside Williamson and Travis counties, measured from Round Rock, Texas. |
Final terms are set in the engagement letter, and fees are billed to the retaining firm. Written CMAs and broker price opinions are brokerage work, so they're prepared under a separate engagement with a licensed Texas brokerage and are never billed through Vern Services. When a case needs an appraisal, we'll say so.
Have a case that needs a real estate expert?
Tell us about the case and who you represent. We run a conflict check and respond within one business day.