Homeowner Appraisal Services

Homeowners need appraisals for a variety of reasons - a mortgage refinance, home equity loan or equity line of credit, Pre-listing appraisal to understand the market value in relation to an asking price, an inter-family sale without Realtor involvement, PMI removal, value contribution of proposed remodeling projects or additions, trust asset valuation, etc. When you order an independent appraisal from me, you can rest assured that you will get a high degree of professional service, quality and courtesy.

Refinance / Home Equity

Be sure to request me if your lender should ask you for a choice of appraisal firms...sometimes they do. More than likely I am already on their "approved list" if they are a reputable lender with a fee panel of appraisers. If they are a mortgage lender who outsources appraisal services to an appraisal management company that typically seeks out fast and cheap appraisers, I will not accept their solicitation. To me, it is not about price or speed, but rather competency and diligence from an independent Appraiser.

For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) / Pre-Listing Services

It's very hard to be objective about your own home because of your emotional attachment to it. A professional Appraiser is objective and impartial and will provide you what you need to know; not just what you want to hear.  In addition to helping you understand the market value of your property, a professional appraisal report is very useful as a negotiating tool once you have a potential buyer serious about purchasing your property. But recognize that potential buyers recognize that you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be far more likely to give credibility to a professional Appraiser's value opinion than to yours. It gives you something concrete to show to your buyer if necessary, but is not recommended you do so during the negotiation process. If the appraisal report is presented to a potential buyer, be sure to state that it's an independent opinion of the market evidence supporting a value conclusion and not the Appraiser just saying how much your home is worth without support for that opinion. Sometimes non-Appraisers claim they did an appraisal when in fact they are not qualified or licensed to represent themself as an Appraiser. We've all heard the story of uncle Charlie who knows everything about houses and values and the interested buyer who watches real estate TV shows and plays on the internet to become more expert at buying houses.  Sigh!

PMI Waiver Appraisals

A popular money saver for homeowners is to have PMI removed from their mortgage loan, thus saving them on their monthly payments.  PMI stands for "Private Mortgage Insurance". In most cases, once your outstanding mortgage loan amount is down below 80% of the market value of your home, you can apply to the lender to have the PMI removed from your loan. That could be a savings of over $200 each month! I am experienced in providing independent appraisals which may help you in waiving the PMI requirement due to an increase in market value since the time of the original loan and the associated market value appraisal relied upon as of that previous point in time.