Single-Family Home Appraisals

When it comes to real estate, single-family home appraisals account for the vast majority of all properties.  Both buyers and sellers are in a holding pattern until the appraiser arrives at the property, looks it over, and comes back with a figure for what he/she thinks the property is worth. The appraiser's valuation is his or her opinion of what the property is worth.  It doesn't matter what th...

Appraising a multi-family property is usually more complicated than appraising a single-family home.  Two-, three-, or four-unit buildings are sometimes subject to confusion when it comes to arranging a loan for purchase or refinancing.  Generally, appraisers use the 'market value' approach when appraising these properties, but also must consider the 'income' approach. The purpose of an apprais...

An appraisal is a formal process that establishes the estimated fair market value of a condominium property. This is what your investment is objectively worth at that point in time. Appraisals are usually required by banks before they approve a mortgage. This is to make sure the loan amount isn’t beyond what the lender can expect to recoup if the buyer defaults on the mortgage. Sale isn’t the o...

Appraising cooperatives requires a unique skill set different from appraising single-family houses. You probably think of the market value of your co-op as the price you could sell it for on the open market. However, State law requires us to value residential cooperative apartment buildings as if they were rental apartment buildings. This means that we look at the income and expense statements of ...