Getting ready for an appraisal from Accu Value Appraisals

	To appraise a property, an appraiser is legally required to be licensed by the state when the transaction involves any federal financial regulatory agency such as Freddie Mac, Office of Thrift Supervision, and the like. Just give us a call at 3233899181 if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To aid the appraisal process, it's helpful to have these documents ready for the appraiser:

• A survey or plot map of the property and building (if readily available).

• Any records on the purchase of the property for the last three years.

• Written property agreements, such as a maintenance easement for a shared driveway.

• A list of any personal property that will be left behind and sold with the home, such as an oven, or a washer and dryer.

• Any paperwork, such as a title policy with information on encroachments or easements encroachments or easements.

• A bill for your most recent real estate taxes which should also contain a legal description of the property.

• Home inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, septic systems and your well.

• Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of insulation or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

• A copy of the current listing agreement with broker's data sheet and purchase agreement if a sale is "pending".

• Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo covenants or fees.

• A list of "suggested" improvements when the property is being appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser has arrived, you do not need to escort him or her along on the entire site inspection, but generally you'll want to be available to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are a few other helpful tips:

• Accessibility: Appraisers are very thorough in their inspections. Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.

• Housekeeping: Appraisers see hundreds of homes a year and will look past most clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can translate into a better value for your home.

• Maintenance: We often recommend repairing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower applying for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are specific things that should be done before they arrive. Some items they may recommend might be: putting smoke detectors on every floor of the home and especially near bedrooms, scraping and touching up where there's paint peeling, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.