The appraiser and the REALTOR® are the same person. That's the point.
Cardwell Thaxton has spent more than twenty years putting a number on New Jersey homes, and thirteen years helping people sell them. Here's how that combination changes the way he works.
Two decades of "what's it actually worth."
Cardwell Thaxton is a New Jersey State-Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser with more than 20 years in the field, and a REALTOR® with Keller Williams with 13 years of practice representing sellers across central and south Jersey.
That dual background is unusual, and it matters. Most agents estimate value with a market analysis pulled from recent comparable listings. An appraiser is trained, licensed, and bound by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) to reach an independent, defensible opinion of value — the same standard banks, courts, and taxing authorities require. Cardwell brings that discipline to every listing he represents, and that appraiser's eye to every valuation question a client brings him.
His appraisal practice operates as Tight & Right Real Estate Appraisal, LLC, based in Princeton, serving Mercer, Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington counties.
Why the focus shifted to seniors
After years of appraising and selling homes across generations of the same families, Cardwell's attention turned to a specific, underserved need: the 55-and-older homeowner facing a life transition — downsizing, relocating to be near family, moving into a senior living community, or a family settling an estate after a loss.
He earned the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation from the National Association of REALTORS® and has taken additional coursework in taxes and probate to better serve this work. He also participates in a weekday mastermind with senior-industry professionals from across the country, focused specifically on supporting older adults and their families through these transitions.
His belief, plainly: this work isn't just a property transaction. It's a life transition, and the real estate part is only one piece of it.
What clients and families can expect
Client needs come first
Not the transaction, not the commission — the actual outcome the client and their family need.
The whole transition, not just the sale
Personal belongings, logistics, finding the right next home — the property sale is one piece of a bigger picture, and it's treated that way.
Partner, not agent
Trusted referral partners — elder law attorneys, movers, estate liquidators, CPAs — are vetted before they're ever introduced to a client.
Problems get named early
Transitions rarely go perfectly. The goal is to spot where things might go sideways before they do, and work out a win-win together.
- New Jersey State-Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser (20+ years)
- REALTOR®, Keller Williams (13 years)
- Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®), National Association of REALTORS®
- Additional coursework in taxes and probate
- Principal, Tight & Right Real Estate Appraisal, LLC
- Brokerage License #0124251
Have a property that needs an honest number?
Whether it's a listing, an estate, or a tax appeal, let's start with a conversation.
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