Green Mountain Valuations

PREPARE FOR AN APPRAISAL

DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

Important, but only if you have them on hand.

To get the most out of your appraisal, it would be great to supply as many of these documents as you have available to you before your appraiser arrives:

  •  A plot plan or survey of the house and land
  • Information on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years
  • Written property agreements (such as a maintenance agreement for a shared driveway)
  • List of personal property to be sold with the home
  • Title policy that describes encroachments or easements
  • Most recent real estate tax bill and/or legal description of the property
  • Home inspection reports, or other recent report for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, septic systems and wells
  • Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of central air conditioning or roof repairs) and permit confirmation
  • A copy of the current listing agreement and 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 if the property is to be appraised “As Complete”

ONCE YOUR APPRAISER ARRIVES

You do not need to accompany your appraiser while they are inspecting your property.

Be as involved as you want to be. We always welcome our clients to stick around to answer questions and point out any home improvements to us that they think of while we’re inspecting.

We want you to get the most out of your appraisal. Make sure all rooms, closets, attics, and crawl spaces are accessible to us.

Good first impression. Less clutter means higher home value. If there are any minor repairs like leaky faucets, missing door handles or trim, it would be best to take care of those.

FHA/VA Inspection Items. If your borrower is applying for an FHA/VA loan, be sure to ask your appraiser if there are specific things that should be done before they come. Some items they may recommend might be: Install smoke detectors on all levels (especially near bedrooms); install handrails on all stairways; remove peeling paint and repaint the effected area; provide inspection access to the attic and crawl.