Royalty Appraisals Inc. has answers to "Frequently Asked Questions"
Describe an appraisal Describe an appraisal (List of questions)An appraisal is an inspection that concludes with an opinion of value. There are three "common approaches to value" which assists the real estate appraiser arrive at this opinion or estimate. The Cost Approach is one of the approaches that appraisers use to find value; it involves concluding what the improvements would cost less physical degradation, plus the land value. The Sales Comparison Approach involves searching for comparable homes in close proximity and discerning value based on comparing those prior sales to the house in question. Being the most commonly used approach, the Sales Comparison Approach tends to be the most accurate and best indicator of market value for a property. The Income Approach is primarily used for finding the market value of income-producing properties based on what an investor would pay based on the amount of capital a property produce.Describe what an appraiser does (List of questions)An appraiser produces a professional, unbiased assessment of market value, in the support of real property exchanges. Appraisers document their professional findings in appraisal reports.What would cause me to need your services? (List of questions)There are a lot of reasons to order an appraisal with the usual reason being real estate and mortgage transactions. A few other reasons for purchasing an appraisal report include:
How is an appraiser different than a home inspector? (List of questions)The appraiser is not a home inspector and does not do a comprehensive home inspection. A third-party home inspector will investigate the structure of the property, from the top to the bottom. The stereotypical home inspector's report will include an evaluation of the condition of the home's heating systems, central air conditioning system (temperature permitting), interior plumbing and electrical systems, the roof, attic, and visible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, the foundation, basement, and visible structure.Is an appraisal the same as a comparative market analysis(CMA)? (List of questions)Frankly, it's apples and oranges. What the CMA relies upon are superficial trends. Appraisals use similar sales which are verifiable resources. Area and construction costs are also important in an appraisal. The CMA will provide a non-specific figure. An appraisal delivers a defensible and carefully documented opinion of value.But the largest differentiator is who's doing the report. A CMA is created by a real estate agent who may or may not be trained in technical valuation concepts or even have a handle on market trends. The appraisal is created by a licensed, certified professional who has made a career out of valuing properties. Moreover, the appraiser is an independent party, with no conditional interest in the value of a home, unlike the real estate agent, who gets a commission based upon the value of the home. What are the contents of an appraisal report? (List of questions)The main purpose of an appraisal report is to provide a value opinion, and depending on the scope of the report, one will customarily see the following:
Once the appraisal is done, how can I have confidence that the value indicated is accurate? (List of questions)In the documentation of an appraisal, each appraiser must make sure of the following:
Who do appraisers work for? (List of questions)Commonly, appraisers are called upon by mortgage lenders to render a value opinion on a home involved in a loan transaction. Attorneys and CPAs also retain the services of appraisers for divorce and estate settlements.Where does an appraiser get the information used to estimate values in Washington County or other areas? (List of questions)Compiling data is one of the primary roles of an appraiser. Data can be divided into Specific or General. Specific data is taken from the property itself; Location, condition, amenities, size and other specifics are documented by the appraiser while on site.General data is collected from a many places. To research recent sales to be used as "comps", an appraiser will often use the local Multiple Listing Service. To verify actual sales prices, we look at tax records and other public documents. Appraisers often need to report when a property lies in a flood zone, and that information is retrieved from a FEMA data outlet such as a la mode's InterFlood service. And most importantly, the appraiser assimilates general data from his or her past experience in doing assignments for other houses in the same market. How can a licensed appraiser help me? (List of questions)Any time the value of your home or other real property is being used to make a significant financial decision, an appraisal helps. When selling your home, an appraisal assists you in setting the most appropriate price. If you're buying, it makes sure you don't overpay. For people settling an estate or divorce, an appraisal from Royalty Appraisals Inc. is the best way to ensure assets are divided fairly. Simply put, a home is often the single, largest financial asset anybody owns. Don't make decisions in the dark with a professional appraisal.What exactly is PMI and how can I get rid of it? (List of questions)PMI is the common abbreviation for for Private Mortgage Insurance. This additional plan protects the lender in case a borrower defaults on the loan and the value of the house is less than what the borrower still owes on the loan. You can have your PMI dropped once you've achieved 20% equity in your home through appreciation and principal payments.
Does the appraiser need anything from me in advance? (List of questions)The first step in most appraisals is the home inspection. During this process, we will come to your home and measure it, determine the layout of the rooms inside, confirm all aspects of the home's general condition, and take several photos of your house for inclusion in the report. Inside, pick up any clutter and make sure we can access things like furnaces and water heaters. On the outside, trim any bushes so we can be free to get an accurate measurement of outside walls.You can make our visit go faster and improve the accuracy of the appraisal report by having the following things on hand:
What is "Market Value?" (List of questions)In real estate appraising, Market Value is commonly defined as:
Who has rights to the appraisal report? (List of questions)For mortgage transactions, the lender requests the appraisal, either directly or through a third party. While the buyer pays for the report as part of the closing costs, the lender retains the right to use the report or any information contained within. The buyer is certainly entitled to a copy of the appraisal - it's usually included with all the other closing documents - but is not allowed to use the report for any other purpose without permission from the lender.It's different when it's the homeowner engaging the appraiser for things outside securing a mortgage. In these situations, the appraiser may state the purpose of the appraisal; for PMI removal, or estate planning or tax challenges, for example. If not stated otherwise, the home owner can use the appraisal for any purpose. How can I get the most ROI out of home improvements? (List of questions)It really depends on the market. For example, if you're in a neigborhood of small to medium priced homes, a media room may not be something people in that price range wantAs a rule, the most value returned from renovating a home comes in the kitchen. According to one national survey, kitchen remodels returned an average of 88% of the investment. In other words, a $10,000 kitchen remodeling project would add approximately $8,800 to the value of the home. Bathrooms weren't far behind, yielding 85%. On the contrary, something that may not increase your value would be painting just for the sake of redecorating. |