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Transfer CMA

Use: An attorney asks for a CMA to support moving property into a company (transfer duty minimisation). This is a legal document supporting the declared value.

Key rules

  1. Weight toward the lower end of market evidence — the CMA should be defensible but not deliberately low. The value must be market-supported.
  2. No "conservative" wording — Sebastiaan's explicit call. The report must not look like the value was trimmed to save duty. Motivate purely from market evidence.
  3. No transfer-duty note — do not mention duty savings. It's a market evidence document, not a tax advisory.
  4. Lightstone registered sales FIRST — the Deeds Office comparable schedule is the primary evidence. Current listings are secondary/supporting.

Evidence chain

  1. Lightstone Property Report — full comparable analysis schedule transcribed verbatim (address, erf, reg date, sale date, erf size, floor size, B/B/G, price). Labeled "registered sales — Deeds Office data".
  2. Lightstone subject facts — erf no, registered land size, floor estimate, municipal value, last sale price + date, registered owner names.
  3. Current portal listings — supporting only, placed AFTER the registered sales table.

Content template

  • H1 + price block: INDICATIVE MARKET VALUE = [value] in big type.
  • Purpose: "prepared at the request of [attorney firm] in respect of [property] for transfer-related purposes."
  • Property overview table: Lightstone verbatim — address, erf/extent, floor area, accommodation, municipal valuation, rates, zoning, last sale (price + date + owner), purchase date/price.
  • Comparable sales — registered (Lightstone): verbatim table, R/m² column, source note with report date and set average.
  • Current listings (supporting): 2–3 close comparables showing the market's current pricing.
  • Analysis & motivation:
  • Evidence from the Deeds Office shows registered sales in [range].
  • The subject's features position it at the [X] end of this range.
  • The INDICATIVE MARKET VALUE of R[X] is supported.
  • Disclaimer: comparative analysis by a property practitioner, NOT a formal sworn valuation. Not legal/tax advice. Final duty computed by the conveyancer at registration.
  • Prepared-by panel (navy). No Signature/Date lines.

Worked example

305 Geoff Street, Garsfontein — CPA-pending transfer into the seller's company. Lightstone comparable schedule transcribed verbatim. Owner name cross-check: Lightstone recorded "STEENEKAMP ELMARIE" (maiden surname); Sebastiaan confirmed "Chris & Elmarie Els" (married names).