Zim Appraisals: The Appraisal To-Go List


	To appraise a property, an appraiser is legally required to be licensed by the state when it's a federally related transaction. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed up the appraisal process, it's beneficial to have these documents ready for the appraiser:

A plot plan or survey of the house and land (if readily available).
Records 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 reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, your septic system and your well.
Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and enhancements, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of energy efficiency upgrades or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).
Find copies of the current listing agreement, broker's data sheet and, if the sale is "pending", the purchase agreement.
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 has arrived, you do not need to accompany them along on the entire site inspection, but is usually helpful be available to answer questions about your property and be willing to point out any home improvements.

Here are a few other helpful tips:

Accessibility: Appraisers are very thorough in their inspections. We recommend that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.
Housekeeping: Appraisers see quite a few of homes a year and are no strangers to clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impact can translate into a higher home value.
Maintenance: We generally suggest repairing minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower applying 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 arrive. Some things they may recommend might be: installing smoke detectors on every floor of the home and especially near bedrooms, ensuring there are electrical receptacles in every room (note: GFI outlets are no longer required) and that each outlet functions, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, replacing broken glass.