Some helpful tips to expedite your appraisal from Midlands Appraisal Group, LLC

To appraise a property, an appraiser needs 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 8036003836 if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed the appraisal process along as quickly as possible we generally recommend to have these documents, if available, ready for the appraiser:

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

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

  • Information on any written private easements, such as a shared driveway with a neighbor.

  • List of personal property to be sold with the building.

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

  • Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.

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

  • A list of any major home improvements and enhancements, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of energy efficiency upgrades 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 agreements or fees.

  • A list of "suggested" improvements if the property is to be appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser has arrived, you do not need to accompany them along on the entire site inspection, but it's helpful be present to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are some other 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 quite a few of homes a year and aren't surprised at seeing a bit of clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impact can mean a higher value for your home.

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

  • FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is trying to apply for either an FHA or VA loan, definitely ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they come. Some items they may recommend might be: having smoke detectors on every floor of the home and especially near bedrooms, scraping and repainting where there's paint peeling, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.