To aid the appraisal process, it’s recommended to have these documents ready for the appraiser:
- A plot plan or survey of the house and land (if readily 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.
- A bill for your most recent real estate taxes which should also contain a legal description of the property.
- Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, septic systems and wells.
- Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and enhancements, the amount of their purchase and date of their installation (for example, the addition of central air conditioning 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”.
- Information on “Homeowners Associations” or condominium covenants and fees.
- A list of “proposed” improvements when the property is being appraised “as complete”.
Once your appraiser arrives, you do not need to escort them along on the entire site inspection, but generally you’ll want to be present to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.
Here are some other helpful recommendations:
- 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 are no strangers to clutter, but they’re human beings too! A good impact can mean a higher home value.
- Maintenance: We generally recommend fixing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
- FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower trying to apply for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they come. Some things they may recommend might be: having smoke detectors on all levels and especially near bedrooms, scraping and repainting where there’s paint peeling, repairing any faucets that leak or drip, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.
