What Is a Home Appraisal?

A home appraisal is a process of which a certified appraiser evaluates and studies a residential home to assess the property’s value in fair market conditions. To determine a single-family home’s value, our appraisers use the data they have gathered on the property and input it into Fannie Mae’s Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR) to develop an opinion of value.

What happens when the appraiser arrives at the property?

An appraiser will visit the home,  visually inspect the interior and exterior of the property.  The appraiser will start their inspection outside of the home by taking front, street and rear photos followed by measurements of the exterior of the property.  Once they have taken exterior photos, exterior measurements and made any notes needed in regards to the exterior they will begin the interior part of their inspection.  Once inside the property the appraiser will measure each room, take photos of each room and for some loan types they are required to test your faucets, check the flushing of all toilets, etc.   An appraiser will also consider the size of the plot of land, as well make note of the number of bedrooms and bathrooms the property has.  A typical appraisal inspection will take a little under an hour.  

What are appraisers looking for?

Appraisers have strict guidelines they must use when evaluating a property.  Generally, appraisers will examine the location of the property, size of the property which includes the square footage in addition to the acreage of the overall plot of land, physical condition which includes observable features such as foundation, walls, floors, basements, attics, crawl spaces and the material used in building them.  The appraiser may take note of general maintenance flaws such as broken door handles or leaky faucets.  Our appraisers do not consider your décor or furniture when inspecting the property.

How to prepare for an appraisal?

There are many things that property owners can do to prepare for the appraisal such as; make a list of all past home improvements and repairs to give to the appraiser, address any minor repairs such as chipped paint or stained flooring, clean and declutter so the appraiser can see the condition of the property clearly as well show that your home is well kept, tidy up the exterior of the property which includes landscaping, any damage to gutters or garage doors, etc.

What happens after the appraisal inspection?

After the appraisal inspection process, the appraiser will use all the data they have obtained to provide an in-depth analysis and conclusions about the opinion of value based on their research and observations.  Once complete the appraiser will send a copy of the appraisal to their client electronically.

Who pays for the appraisal?

We are paid by our client for the appraisal, our client is the person who engages us for service.  In most lending cases the lender will require the buyer to pay them directly for the appraisal or have the fee paid at closing and they then pay us.

How do I order an appraisal?

To order an appraisal all you need to do is complete our appraisal request form below and we will contact you for scheduling.