Gearing up for an appraisal from Greg Scorza Real Estate Appraiser

	By law, you, as a borrower, are are entitled to receive a copy of the final appraisal report from the lender. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To make your appraisal process go as smoothly as possible we generally recommend to have these documents, if available, ready for the appraiser:

• A survey or plot map of the property and building (if available).

• Any information on the purchase of the property for the last three years.

• Written property agreements, such as a maintenance easement for a shared driveway.

• A list of any personal property that is part of the home and you intend to be sold with the home, such as an oven, or a washer and dryer.

• Any paperwork, such as a title policy with information on encroachments or easements encroachments or easements.

• A bill for your most recent real estate taxes which should also contain a 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 upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of central air conditioning or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

• A copy of the current listing agreement with broker's data sheet and purchase agreement if a sale is "pending".

• Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo covenants or fees.

• A list of "proposed" improvements when the property is being appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser arrives, you do not need to accompany them along on the entire site inspection, but generally you'll want to be present to answer inquiries about your property and be willing to point out any home improvements.

Here are a few other tips:

• Accessibility: Appraisers are very meticulous in their inspections. You should make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.

• Housekeeping: Appraisers see many of homes a year and aren't surprised at seeing a bit of clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can mean a better value for your home.

• 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 trying to apply for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are extra things that should be done before they come. Some things they may recommend might be: having smoke detectors on every floor of the home and especially near bedrooms, ensuring there are electrical receptacles in every room and that each outlet works, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.