Appraising LA has answers to "Frequently Asked Questions"


	Appraising LA is always ready to talk to you about any concerns you might have about appraisals in Sherman Oaks and Los Angeles County. Feel free to contact us today.

Describe an appraisal

What does an appraiser do?

What are the reasons I would need services from Appraising LA?

What is the difference between an appraisal and a home inspection?

My agent performed a CMA for me. Is that the same as an appraisal?

What are the contents of an appraisal report?

Upon completion of the report, what guarantee is there that the final number is veritable?

How are appraisers certified?

Who engages the services of appraisers?

Where does an appraiser get the data used to estimate values in Los Angeles County or other areas?

Why do I need a professional appraisal?

What exactly is PMI and how can I get rid of it?

Should I do anything in advance of the appraisal appointment

What is "Market Value?"

Who has rights to the appraisal report?

Are some home improvements more worthwhile than others?

Describe an appraisal (Go to list of questions)

An appraiser performs an evaluation that produces an opinion of value. There are three "common approaches to value" which assists the real estate appraiser come to this opinion or estimate. One of the processes in use is the Cost Approach, which is what it would cost to replace the improvements to the home, less the age and physical dilapidation, plus the land value. The Sales Comparison Approach involves searching for similar houses in close proximity and discovering the value based on making a comparison of those houses to the home being investigated. Being the most commonly used approach, the Sales Comparison Approach is generally the most precise and best indicator of market value for a residence. The third approach is the Income Approach, which is of most importance in appraising income producing properties - it deals with estimating what an investor would pay based on the income generated by the property.

What does an appraiser do? (Go to list of questions)

An appraiser forumlates a professional, unbiased determination of market value, often in the context of a real estate sale. Appraisers document their professional analysis in appraisal reports.

What are the reasons I would need services from Appraising LA? (Go to list of questions)

There are many reasons to purchase an appraisal from Appraising LA with the most common reason being real estate and mortgage transactions. A few other reasons for getting an report include:

If you are applying for a loan.
If you would like to reduce your property tax obligations.
To help a homeowner realize if they owe less than 80% of their home's value and remove PMI.
To fight high property taxes.
To deal with an estate.
To provide you a leg-up when purchasing a home.
To determine a likely price when selling real estate.
To ensure parties are provided just compensation in eminient domain cases.
Because a government agency such as the IRS requires it.
It's possible you could be involved in a lawsuit - an appraisal will help.

Click here for a more extensive explanation of the process about getting an appraisal.

What is the difference between an appraisal and a home inspection? (Go to list of questions)

Home inspectors do not come to an opinion of value and are not appraisers. The purpose of a home inspection is to evaluate the structure of the home from foundation to top. The archetypal property inspector's report will contain an evaluation of the integrity of the home's heating systems, central air conditioning system (temperature permitting), interior plumbing and electrical systems, the roof, attic, and accessible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, the foundation, basement, and visible structure.

My agent performed a CMA for me. Is that the same as an appraisal? (Go to list of questions)

To be blunt, it's night and day. What the CMA depends on are superficial trends. An appraisal utilizes comparable sales that can be verified by records. In addition, the appraisal verifies other factors like condition, neighborhood and building costs. The CMA will provide a non-specific figure. Delivering a defensible and careful analysis, an appraisal will give a clear opinion of value.

Who's creating the report is hands down the most significant difference between a CMA and an appraisal. Real estate agents, who may not have a true grasp of valuation methods or the entire market, generate CMA's. The appraisal is produce by a licensed, certified professional who makes a living out of valuing properties. Likewise, the agent has a vested interest in the property's selling price whereas the appraiser is bound by a code of ethics to accept a flat sum for assignments, regardless of their outcome.

What are the contents of an appraisal report? (Go to list of questions)

The main point of an appraisal document is to let the reader know the value of the real estate in question, and depending on the scope of the report, you'll usually see the following:

Who engaged the appraiser and other intended users.
The intended use of the appraisal.
The purpose of the assignment.
The type of value contained and a definition of that value.
The effective date of the appraisal.
Characteristics of the property that have a bearing on the value, including: location, physical characteristics, legal attributes, economic factors, the real property interest in question, and non-real estate items included in the valuation, such as personal property, permanent equipment installations and even intangible factors.
Any known easements, restrictions, encumbrances, leases, reservations, covenants, contracts, declarations, special assessments, ordinances, and other items of a similar nature.
Division of interest, such as fractional interest, physical segment and partial holding.
What was included in the activity of completing the assignment.

For a more comprehensive look at what goes into an appraisal report click here: Sample Appraisal Report

Upon completion of the report, what guarantee is there that the final number is veritable? (Go to list of questions)

In the documentation of an appraisal, each appraiser must ensure the following:

That the information analysis utilized in the appraisal was proper.

Whether individually or collectively, there were no major errors contained in the appraisal, nor any material details left out.

That appraisal services were not executed in a careless or negligent fashion.

The final appraisal report was clear, sound and defensible.

To become a state licensed appraiser, there are education requirements as well as on the jobexperience that must be logged - all with the end goal of gaining the skills required to render unbiased value opinions. Likewise, appraisers must follow a stringent industry code of ethics and respect national standards of practice for real estate appraisal. The rules for working up an appraisal and communicating its results are insured by enforcement of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).

(Go to list of questions) Regulations regarding licensing and certification of Real Estate Appraisers are different from state to state. In general, licensing and certification is most often associated with many hours of coursework, tests and real world experience. Once licensed, he/she is required to complete continuing education courses so that the license doesn't expire. To see the specific requirements for any state click here.

Who engages the services of appraisers? (Go to list of questions)

Mortgage lenders are an appraiser's typical customer, needing their services to ensure property involved in a mortgage transaction is adequate collateral for a loan. Attorneys and CPAs also hire appraisers for divorce and estate settlements.

Where does an appraiser get the data used to estimate values in Los Angeles County or other areas? (Go to list of questions)

Collecting information is one of the primary things an appraiser does. Data can be classified as either Specific or General. Specific data is taken from the home itself; Location, condition, amenities, size and other specific data are documented by the appraiser during an inspection.

General data is gathered from a number of sources. To find out about recently sold homes to be used as "comps", we typically go to the local Multiple Listing Service. Tax records and other public documents verify actual sales prices in a market. Appraisers routinely need to report when a property lies in a flood zone, so that information is retrieved from a FEMA data outlet such as a la mode's InterFlood product.

And last but not least, the appraiser assimilates general data from his or her collective knowledge gained from creating appraisals for other houses in the same market.

Why do I need a professional appraisal? (Go to 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. For those selling a home, you'll want to determine a price that gets you the most profit but doesn't leave your home on the market too long; an appraisal can help with that. When buying, you can avoid overpaying by getting an independent appraisal. For parties settling an estate or divorce, an appraisal from Appraising LA is the best way to ensure assets are divided fairly. A home is often the single, largest financial asset anybody owns. Without knowing its real value, wise financial decisions are impossible.

What exactly is PMI and how can I get rid of it? (Go to list of questions)

PMI is the common abbreviation for for Private Mortgage Insurance. PMI guards the lender if a borrower is unable to pay on the loan and the market price of the house is less than what is owed on the loan. Once you can prove the amount you owe on your home is less than 80% of the home's market value, you can make a case to your lender to drop the PMI.


	Does your monthly mortgage payment include a fee for PMI?Call Appraising LA today at 8187931510 or send us an e-mail. A current appraisal could save you thousands.

Should I do anything in advance of the appraisal appointment (Go to list of questions)

The first step in most appraisals is the home inspection. What this entails is the appraiser, after setting up an appointment, personally going through the home - recording the layout of the rooms, taking photos and documenting the general condition of its amenities. Is there anything you can do to help? Yes there is! First, be sure we have easy access to the exterior of the house . Trim any shrubs and move any items that would get in our way while we measure the structure. Indoors, make sure we can easily access items like furnaces and water heaters.

The following items, if available, will help your appraiser to provide a more accurate appraisal in a shorter period of time:

Any information on the purchase of the property for the last three years.
List of personal property to be sold with the building.
Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo agreements or fees .
Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of Energy efficiency upgrades or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).
Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.

What is "Market Value?" (Go to list of questions)

In real estate appraising, Market Value (as opposed to Fair Market Value) is commonly defined as:

"The most probable price (in terms of money) which a property should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller each acting prudently and knowledgeably, and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus. Implicit in this definition is the consummation of a sale as of a specified date and the passing of title from seller to buyer under conditions whereby: the buyer and seller are typically motivated; both parties are well informed or well advised, and acting in what they consider their best interests; a reasonable time is allowed for exposure in the open market; payment is made in terms of cash in United States dollars or in terms of financial arrangements comparable thereto; and the price represents the normal consideration for the property sold unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with the sale."

Who has rights to the appraisal report? (Go to list of questions)

For mortgage transactions, the lender orders the appraisal, either directly or through a third party. Even though it's the buyer that eventually pays for the report, the lender is the intended user. The buyer is entitled to a copy of the report - 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.

This rule doesn't apply when a home owner hires an appraiser directly. 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 noted otherwise, the home owner can do whatever they want with the appraisal.

Are some home improvements more worthwhile than others? (Go to list of questions)

This really depends on where the home is. For example, adding a central air conditioner in to a home in the South may add significant value, while putting one in a home near the Pacific Northwest might not have much impact.

No matter where you go, however, renovating a kitchen is almost always a safe move. One recent study revealed that putting $20,000 into a kitchen remodel would add about $17,500 to the value of the home - or about an 88% return on investment. Bathrooms weren't far behind, returning 85%. Adding bedrooms and baths can also increase the value of your home (when done well) as long as your home doesn't then become atypical for your neighborhood in terms of size.