Services

Our company is on the FHA Roster of approved residential appraisers. We're qualified and approved to do appraisals for FHA-insured loans. We're trained and understand the rules and procedures in FHA's guidance and policy documents.

If you need an appraisal for an FHA loan, don't hesitate to get in touch with us, and we'll be able to help you immediately.

 An FHA loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The FHA does not loan money to borrowers; instead, it provides lenders protection through mortgage insurance (MIP) in case the borrower defaults on their loan obligations. Available to all buyers, FHA loan programs are designed to help creditworthy low-income and  moderate-income families who do not meet the requirements for conventional loans. Remember, the FHA differs from the VA appraiser panel because the lender can choose the appraiser.

FHA loan programs are particularly beneficial to those buyers with less available cash.   The rates on FHA loans are generally market rates, while down payment requirements are lower than for conventional loans.

The UAD is a standardized industry dataset for appraisal information that is communicated electronically through the Uniform Collateral Data Portal® (UCDP®). At  the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs) jointly developed the first UAD in 2010 using the Mortgage Industry standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO®) Reference Model 2.6, providing consistent data standards for the loans the GSEs purchase.

The UAD specifically focuses on real estate appraisals and consists of a set of standard rules for classifying appraisal data, and a standard set of abbreviations to use in most common types of appraisal reports. It also specifies a new XML electronic format for   delivering appraisals, based on the MISMO standard (with specific extensions added.)           

Our appraisers have taken additional CE coursework above State Board mandates that specifically covers the Fannie Mae Appendix D UAD valuation protocol. As a result, our firm is adept at providing our Clients with high quality XML appraisal reports via MISMO electronic delivery, that meet FNMA's stringent UAD guidelines and ultimately mean no “Hard Stop 401” messages when our reports are uploaded to the UCDP.      

Our appraisers are considered to be “Tier 1” by their Clients due to requiring fewer call-backs, needing fewer corrections, and always providing proof of adjustments within our reports. In addition, our appraisal reports put the Lender at ease by answering questions before they are asked, and always looking both professional and competent. This can be attested by prior professional recognition from Clients identifying us as “Extraordinary Appraisers” with numerous awards won “for outstanding performance,     customer service and commitment to quality.”

Be sure to request us if your lender asks you for YOUR choice of local appraisal firms. More than likely, we are already on their "approved list." If not, we will quickly provide your lender with the necessary documentation to become approved.

It's tough to be objective about your own home because of your emotional attachment to it. A professional Appraiser is objective and will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. In addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract buyers, a professional appraisal is valuable as a  negotiating tool once you have a potential buyer. It gives you something concrete to show your buyer. It's an independent third party's opinion of your home's value, not just you saying how much your home is worth. Potential buyers know you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be far more likely to give credibility to a professional appraiser's value opinion than yours.

A popular money saver for homeowners in the last few years is to get the PMI removed  from their mortgage loan, thus saving them money on their monthly payments. PMI stands for "Private Mortgage Insurance." Once your mortgage loan amount is down below 80% of the value of your home, in most cases, you can apply to the lender to have the PMI removed from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. We are experienced in helping folks rid themselves of unneeded and unwanted PMI insurance.

Property tax assessments help determine how much property taxes you'll pay based on several valuation factors. Appealing your assessment can sometimes help lower your tax liability, especially if your taxes have increased considerably. But you must prove that your home's value is less than the assessor initially estimated.  

Have you just received a copy of your appraisal, and you'd like to have a professional "double-check" it for accuracy, or do you need a second opinion without the expense and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal?

• Appraisal Field Reviews: We'll check your appraisal for accuracy and provide exterior "field inspections" of the subject and comparable properties for maximum appraisal certainty. Perfect for any situation demanding a second opinion on value.
  
  
• Appraisal Desk Reviews: In a hurry and want to "double-check" the facts? Well, use our extensive Internet research capabilities and office files to deliver reviews with the highest degree of precision in the industry.

More and more homeowners today are choosing to sell their homes FSBO (For Sale By Owner) and foregoing the help of a real estate agent. Selling your home by this method can save you a potential "hefty" commission (the industry average is 5- 7% of the home's selling price). Plus, many FSBO sellers feel they have more control in selling their homes since they're essentially making all the rules. But selling your home on your own will require a significant amount of "homework" if you're going to do it right. One piece of advice that the experts consistently give in selling your home FSBO....Do NOT "Overprice" Your Home! It's tough to be objective about your own home because of your emotional attachment to it. A professional appraiser is objective and will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear.

If you're working with a real estate agent to list your property, more than likely, they'll provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that lists selected sales in your area as one of the first steps in determining what to set as the "Listing Price." This step is vital if you're going to maximize your profit and minimize the home's time on the market.

But even if you're working with the most experienced real estate agent, it's probably in your best interest to have an "objective" third party's opinion of value before signing a  Listing Agreement. And that's where we come in. We can provide you with a pre-listing appraisal so you and your agent have an accurate description of your home's features and a detailed analysis of the most recent and similar "comparable sales," or as they're commonly called, "Comps." In addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract buyers, a professional pre-listing appraisal can:

• Give you and the buyers an accurate GLA and property description.
• Be a very valuable negotiating tool once you have a potential buyer.
• Make you aware of problems and eliminate last-minute repair hassles that might delay a closing.
• Decrease the chances of unknown problems that cause sales to fall through

Many people are surprised when they find out that the market value of their home is much more than they thought, so investing in a professional appraisal allowed these people to receive several thousand more dollars than they thought they would when their home was sold. Others have an inflated opinion of their home's value, and an appraisal helped them price their home to sell realistically. An overpriced home will not attract buyers, which means no offers and no closing and that you have wasted valuable time, money, and effort.

In addition to "how much?" there may be other important questions to ask yourself before listing your home. Questions like "Would it be better to paint the entire house before we sell it?", "Should I put in that third bathroom?", "Should I complete my kitchen remodel?" Many things which we do to our houses have an effect on their value. Unfortunately, not all of them have an equal effect. While a kitchen remodel may improve the appeal of a home, it may not add nearly enough to the value to justify the expense.

We can step in and help make these decisions. Unlike a real estate agent, an appraiser has no vested interest in what amount the house sells. Our appraisal fees are based on efforts to complete the report and not a percentage of the sales price. So a professional appraisal can often help homeowners make the best decisions on investing in their homes and setting a fair sales price.