Home Appraisal

Understanding the Real Estate Appraisal Process

Home Appraisal 

The real estate appraisal process is a critical component of any property transaction, whether you’re buying, selling, or refinancing a home. It’s a complex procedure that requires a deep understanding of the real estate market and a keen eye for property details. This article aims to demystify the appraisal process, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of what it entails, why it’s important, and how it can impact your real estate transaction.

What is a Real Estate Appraisal?

A real estate appraisal is a value analysis of a property conducted by a certified or licensed appraiser. This process is typically initiated by the lender during the home purchase or refinance process to ensure an accurate valuation of the property. The primary purpose of an appraisal is to ascertain the fair market value of a home, providing assurance to both the buyer and the lender that the agreed-upon price for the property is fair and reflective of its true worth.

The Appraisal Process: A Step-by-Step Overview

Property Inspection

The appraisal process begins with a thorough inspection of the property. The appraiser conducts a visual assessment of both the interior and exterior of the home, walking through the property and its grounds. This inspection allows the appraiser to evaluate the condition of the home, noting any significant features or issues that could impact its value.

Neighborhood Assessment

In addition to inspecting the property itself, the appraiser also assesses the surrounding neighborhood. They drive around the area, observing the condition and characteristics of nearby properties, the proximity to amenities, and any other factors that could influence the property’s value.

Comparative Market Analysis

The next step in the appraisal process is the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). This involves researching recently sold comparable homes in the vicinity of the subject property, typically within a certain timeframe, usually about six months. These comparable properties, or “comps,” provide a benchmark against which the appraiser can evaluate the subject property’s market value.

Adjustments and Calculations

Given the unique nature of each property, especially in areas with diverse property types like mountain regions, adjustments to the comps are often necessary. These adjustments aim to make the comparables more like the subject property, accounting for differences in factors like land size, home size, number of bedrooms, garage size, square footage, age of the home, and many other parameters. This is a time-consuming process, but it’s crucial for an accurate CMA.

Final Appraisal Report

After all the data is adjusted and analyzed, the appraiser will provide a final appraisal report. This report presents an approximate range of the home’s value. Where the property falls within this range depends on its condition and any unique features it may have.

Understanding Low Appraisals

There are several reasons why an appraisal might come in under the contract price. One common issue is the appraiser’s unfamiliarity with the local market, especially in areas with unique property characteristics. Another challenge is the fast-moving market conditions, which can result in lagging comps that don’t reflect the current market value. Additionally, the subjective nature of certain property features, like views or proximity to open spaces, can also complicate the appraisal process.

What to Do if Your Home Doesn’t Appraise

If your home doesn’t appraise for the contract price, there are a few options to consider. The simplest solutions are for the seller to lower the price or for the buyer to bring the difference in cash to the closing table. Alternatively, the buyer and seller could agree to split the difference. However, the best course of action will depend on the specific circumstances of the transaction and the current market conditions.

Home Appraisals 

The real estate appraisal process is a complex but crucial part of any property transaction. It requires a deep understanding of the real estate market, meticulous attention to detail, and a thorough analysis of comparable properties. While it may be tempting to navigate this process independently, the expertise and experience of a professional real estate broker can be invaluable in ensuring an accurate and fair property valuation.

Remember, this article is not intended as legal or real estate advice. It’s always recommended to consult with a professional real estate broker, attorney, or accountant for guidance tailored to your specific circumstances.

Appraisals and inspectionsOh No! The House Didn’t Appraise!

Hitting the sale price with on the appraisal is sometimes challenging in slow moving markets. The markets we have today in the Denver Foothills makes it even more challenging for homes to appraise. The appraisal process has gotten more expensive, cumbersome and frankly annoying since Dodd Frank. I am going to explain conventional loan appraisals here. FHA and VA are much more complicated and deserve their own post some day (just not today). I will also only talk about a comparable appraisal and not a cost appraisals since those are rarely used in the lender world.

The appraisal process

As I mentioned the appraisal process has changed over the last few years. Now the appraiser is treated almost like an underwriter. They have added a third party to separate the appraisers and the lenders. This has not only made it harder for the communication process it has almost doubled the cost of appraisals. So how the process goes is the lender calls the 3rd party to order the appraisal. Then the appraiser goes and does his thing at the property, checks the condition the area, access things that would come into their formula for figuring value. They then go back to their office and work diligently (we hope) to find the closest comparables in the area. The idea of the best comparables are homes that are as close to subject property in every way. They look at the neighborhood, same age home, number of bedrooms, baths, garage, view, condition, location, lot size and everything else they can fin to make the perfect assessment. The issue we have up here in the mountains, as apposed to the city where they have lot and block and a neighborhood has 5 floor plans all the same, is that not one property in the Denver Foothills is the same. That presents a slight challenge when finding the value of a home.

Understanding low appraisals

There are a ton of reasons why the appraisal came in under contract price. Up here we find one of the major reasons is the appraiser is not from the area and just doesn’t understand mountain properties. There are so many differences between mountain and city values. For example a great deal of properties have walk out basements. Why? Because they are built on a freaking mountain. Now in the city you hear a basement and you think of a musty old room that has low ceilings and is unfinished. Up here they have high ceilings, completely finished and a walkout usually to another outside living area. If you have a city appraiser they will most likely give it a much lower value than someone that know the market. Keep in mind these appraisers are picked out of a pool and you don’t know who you are going to get. Another challenge we are seeing is that this market is moving so fast that the comps don’t keep up with sales. Meaning demand is so high people are offering over asking and that is lagging a month to two months behind. Hopefully your appraiser is familiar with market conditions and takes this into account. As I mentioned before comps are extremely important. If an appraiser just can’t find close comps then it will skew the results of his calculations. You might want to ask your broker to find comps to get to him that support the offer price. Hopefully he has some. Sometimes you put too much value on home improvements done before listing.  This is also something that would be great to talk to your broker about before spending too much cash on a remodel. Sometimes you just don’t get the ROI on some things like you think you should. Some people think it is the best investment to own the best and biggest home in the hood. This is rarely the case. Location, location, location!!! It is almost always better to own the least expensive home in the best area. That way your value rides the coat tales of the other homes in the area. Another challenge we have here is that no one really knows how to value a view or backing to open space. This is a challenge for mountain appraisers as well as city ones. Is there such a thing as a million dollar view? How about the luxury of knowing that the 10000 acres you back up to will never be built on and you can use it anytime you like because it is a national forest? How valuable is that to you and the market? Well the appraiser doesn’t know either. There is also the one answer that no one likes to talk about. You are paying too much. Maybe you were caught up in a bidding war, maybe you had a city broker or a broker that just didn’t advise you properly. Or maybe they just couldn’t find good comps…It has happened to me. Any broker that says it hasn’t either hasn’t sold many homes or isn’t being honest with you.  

What can I do if my home doesn’t appraise?

This is the part that you might not like to hear. The easiest ways to fix a bad appraisal is either for the seller to adjust the price or for the buyer to bring the difference in cash to the table.  The most diplomatic way to do this is to have them split it 50/50. That is not always easy especially if the market is tilted one direction or the other. In the current Denver Foothills Market the seller really doesn’t need to offer much to the buyer. This is not advice just the view of a Realtor. Consult with your attorney, accountant or real estate broker

 

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50
5237 Bear Mountain Drive
Evergreen, CO 80439
$2.65m
For Sale
5
Beds
5
Baths
4,771
square feet,
Welcome to 5237 Bear Mountain Dr, a breathtaking 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom sanctuary nestled on 3.91 private acres in Evergreen, Co… (more)
# 2519283
Coldwell Banker Realty 28
$2,650,000
For Sale
Residential
5 days on this site
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Demonstration Only
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50
32651 Buffalo Creek Road
Evergreen, CO 80439
$3m
For Sale
4
Beds
4
Baths
3,982
square feet,
Welcome to this exquisite four-bedroom, four-bathroom custom home built on 5.6 private acres. It was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wrig… (more)
# 8290652
Dominion Realty Group LLC
$2,999,999
For Sale
Residential
6 days on this site
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Dec 14th, 10:00AM to 1:00PM

Demonstration Only
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39
32217 Buffalo Park Road
Evergreen, CO 80439
$1.625m
For Sale
5
Beds
6
Baths
5,552
square feet,
Nestled on 3 private acres with breathtaking views of Elephant Butte and Buffalo Creek flowing through, this stunning 5, 500 sqft… (more)
# 4524381
Modus Real Estate
$1,625,000
For Sale
Residential
9 days on this site
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