What is an appraisal

A home purchase is the largest, single investment most people will ever make. Whether it's a primary residence, a second vacation home or an investment, the purchase of real property is a complex financial transaction that requires multiple parties to pull it all off.

Most of the people involved are very familiar. The Realtor is the most common face of the transaction. The mortgage company provides the financial capital necessary to fund the transaction. The title company ensures that all aspects of the transaction are completed and that a clear title passes from the seller to the buyer.

So who makes sure the value of the property is in line with the amount being paid? There are too many people exposed in the real estate process to let such a transaction proceed without ensuring that the value of the property is commensurate with the amount being paid.

This is where the appraisal comes in. An appraisal is an unbiased estimate of what a buyer might expect to pay - or a seller receive - for a parcel of real estate, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. To be an informed party, most people turn to a licensed, certified, professional appraiser to provide them with the most accurate estimate of the true value of their property.

The Inspection
So what goes into a real estate appraisal? It all starts with the inspection. An appraiser's duty is to inspect the property being appraised to ascertain the true status of that property. The appraiser must actually see features, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, the location, and so on, to ensure that they really exist and are in the condition a reasonable buyer would expect them to be. The inspection often includes a sketch of the property, ensuring the proper square footage and conveying the layout of the property. Most importantly, the appraiser looks for any obvious features - or defects - that would affect the value of the house.

Once the site has been inspected, an appraiser uses two or three approaches to determining the value of real property: a cost approach, a sales comparison and, in the case of a rental property, an income approach.

Cost Approach
The cost approach is the easiest to understand. The appraiser uses information on local building costs, labor rates and other factors to determine how much it would cost to construct a property similar to the one being appraised. This value often sets the upper limit on what a property would sell for. Why would you pay more for an existing property if you could spend less and build a brand new home instead? While there may be mitigating factors, such as location and amenities, these are usually not reflected in the cost approach.

Sales Comparison
Instead, appraisers rely on the sales comparison approach to value these types of items. Appraisers get to know the neighborhoods in which they work. They understand the value of certain features to the residents of that area. They know the traffic patterns, the school zones, the busy throughways; and they use this information to determine which attributes of a property will make a difference in the value. Then, the appraiser researches recent sales in the vicinity and finds properties which are ''comparable'' to the subject being appraised. The sales prices of these properties are used as a basis to begin the sales comparison approach.

Using knowledge of the value of certain items such as square footage, extra bathrooms, hardwood floors, fireplaces or view lots (just to name a few), the appraiser adjusts the comparable properties to more accurately portray the subject property. For example, if the comparable property has a fireplace and the subject does not, the appraiser may deduct the value of a fireplace from the sales price of the comparable home. If the subject property has an extra half-bathroom and the comparable does not, the appraiser might add a certain amount to the comparable property.

In the case of income producing properties - rental houses for example - the appraiser may use a third approach to valuing the property. In this case, the amount of income the property produces is used to arrive at the current value of those revenues over the foreseeable future.

Reconciliation
Combining information from all approaches, the appraiser is then ready to stipulate an estimated market value for the subject property. It is important to note that while this amount is probably the best indication of what a property is worth, it may not be the final sales price. There are always mitigating factors such as seller motivation, urgency or ''bidding wars'' that may adjust the final price up or down. But the appraised value is often used as a guideline for lenders who don't want to loan a buyer more money that the property is actually worth. The bottom line is: an appraiser will help you get the most accurate property value, so you can make the most informed real estate decisions.

 

                      



Tips on Reading an Inspection Report

When interviewing a home inspector, ask the inspector what type of report format he or she provides. There are many styles of reports used by property inspectors, including the checklist, computer generated using inspection programs, and the narrative style.

Some reports are delivered on site and some may take as long as 4 - 6 days for delivery. All reporting systems have pros and cons.

The most important issue with an inspection report is the descriptions given for each item or component. A report that indicates the condition as "Good", "Fair" or "Poor" without a detailed explanation, is vague and can be easily misinterpreted. An example of a vague condition would be:

Kitchen Sink: Condition - Good, Fair, or Poor.

None of these descriptions gives the homeowner an idea what is wrong. Does the sink have a cosmetic problem? Does the home have a plumbing problem? A good report should supply you with descriptive information on the condition of the site and home. An example of a descriptive condition is:

Kitchen sink: Condition - Minor wear, heavy wear, damaged, rust stains, or chips in enamel finish. Recommend sealing sink at counter top.

As you can see, this narrative description includes a recommendation for repair. Narrative reports without recommendations for repairing deficient items may be difficult to comprehend, should your knowledge of construction be limited.

Take the time and become familiar with your report. Should the report have a legend, key, symbols or icons, read and understand them thoroughly. The more information provided about the site and home, the easier to understand the overall condition.

At the end of the inspection your inspector may provide a summary with a question and answer period. Use this opportunity to ask questions regarding terms or conditions that you may not be familiar with. A good inspector should be able to explain the answers to your questions. If for some reason a question cannot be answered at the time of the inspection, the inspector should research the question and obtain the answer for you. For instance, if the inspector's report states that the concrete foundation has common cracks, be sure to ask, "Why are they common?" The answer you should receive will be along these lines: common cracks are usually due to normal concrete curing and or shrinkage. The inspector's knowledge and experience is how the size and characteristics of the cracking is determined.

We recommend that you accompany your inspector through the entire inspection if possible. This helps you to understand the condition of the home and the details of the report.

Read the report completely and understand the condition of the home you are about to purchase. After all, it is most likely one of the largest investments you will ever make.



On the front lines against mortgage fraud

Mortgage fraud has made headlines locally and nationally. Most of the time, mortgage fraud involves identity theft or fraud — making a borrower appear to be somebody else, with a better job, more income or fewer debts. Somebody more creditworthy.

But some mortgage fraud involves a broker or loan officer telling the mortgagee — the lender — and the borrower that the house is worth more than it is. This way, they can close a larger loan and make a bigger commission. Since real estate agents also usually make a percentage of the sale as commission, sometimes they can be involved. In reality, most loan officers, mortgage brokers and real estate salespeople are ethical and would never think of engaging in mortgage fraud. But mortgage fraud of this type always originates with one of the parties who makes a commission on a closed sale.

Sometimes, fraud like this can be accomplished without an appraiser involved. Honest, professional appraisal reports are simply altered, or honest, professional appraisers' signatures forged. But in reality, a complicitous appraiser often makes it easier to perpetrate mortgage fraud. At the same time, appraisers are also homeowners', lenders' and the economy's best defense against mortgage fraud.

Appraisers are paid a set fee for their work whether a deal is closed or not. Appraisers are hired by and work for the lender that is considering loaning the money to buy a house. That lender is interested in an objective, third party, professional opinion of the true value of the home. The lender needs to know that if the borrower defaults, the collateral used to secure the loan — the house — is valuable enough to cover their loss.

Appraisers do not work for individual, commissioned loan officers, mortgage brokers or real estate agents. If they did, there would be too much pressure to "make the deal work," rather than arrive at a professional, considered opinion of the market value of the property. Appraisers also do not work for borrowers, at least in the context of a mortgage loan. But borrowers work closely with mortgage brokers, loan officers and real estate agents, and benefit the most from a third party, objective valuation of the home they want to buy.

If something catastrophic happens, such as a job loss, illness, divorce or death, and a borrower can no longer make payments on the home they've mortgaged, they will need to be able to sell the home for enough money to cover the balance of their mortgage. So, nobody benefits more from an appraiser's professional opinion of value on a home than the new homeowner, even though there is no direct client relationship.

Like some mortgage brokers, loan officers and real estate salespeople, some appraisers are "bad apples" and will agree to go along with a scheme to defraud lenders and homebuyers so bigger commissions can be had. Not us, and not the vast majority of appraisers. Again, the appraiser is paid a set fee whether the loan closes or not, and does not work for any of the commissioned parties to the transaction. Appraisers are therefore a homeowner's, and a lender's, best front line defense against mortgage fraud.



Condemnation appraisal

It's not just a good idea -- and it's not just the law -- it's your constitutional right that if the government wants to condemn your property, or take it from you by means of "eminent domain," it must give you "just" compensation. That's where we come in.


The government is likely to have its own idea of "just" compensation, maybe based on a professional appraisal.  But an appraisal on your behalf, performed under the standards of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), is powerful -- and useful -- evidence of what you're entitled to, and protects your rights. 

 

It works the other way, too. We perform work for government clients needing to offer and provide "just" compensation in eminent domain cases. A USPAP-compliant appraisal is the best way to determine fair market value of any property.

 

If the above makes condemnation appraisals sound simple, that's not the case. There are many legal and procedural issues involved in an accurate condemnation appraisal. A federal condemnation will require a different analysis and report format than a state or local taking. And in any event, the jurisdiction proposing to condemn the property is likely to have its own rules for appraisal that must be followed. It is important to hire an appraisal firm that has experience and training in these types of valuations.

 

An eminent domain action may reserve certain rights in the property to the current owner. The government may petition to take only part of, or a partial interest in, the property. This requires the appraiser to value the "larger parcel" -- the currently undivided, contiguous property -- and the "remainder" of the property, or rights to use the property, that will be held by the owner after condemnation and factor that into the overall value of the taken property. For an added wrinkle, it will often be necessary for the appraiser to determine his or her opinion of value on the "remainder" before the taking and after the development or use prompting the taking, because they are likely to be very different.

 

Likewise, appraisers always consider a property's "highest and best use" when formulating an opinion of value. For many condemnation appraisals, it is necessary to consider the highest and best use of the property before taking and after the development or use resulting from the taking. Again, it is important to have a professional appraiser with experience and training.

 

Because an appraiser may often have to testify about his or her condemnation appraisal, it is important that certain steps in valuation methodology -- such as selecting and analyzing comparable sales -- be performed more thoroughly. You rely on your appraiser to know what's necessary, so again, it's important to select an appraiser/company that has experience and training.

 

Here at Area Appraisal Services, Inc., we are ready and able to perform your condemnation/eminent domain appraisal. Browse our website to learn more about our qualifications, expertise and services offered.

We specialize in: