Cornerstone Appraisal Services, LLC has answers to "Frequently Asked Questions"


	Cornerstone Appraisal Services, LLC is happy to elaborate on any questions you might have about appraisals or real estate in Greene County. Contact Cornerstone Appraisal Services, LLC today to see how we can help you with your valuation problems.

What is an appraisal?
Describe what an appraiser does
What would cause me to request a real estate appraisal?
What is the difference between an appraisal and a home inspection?
What is the difference between an appraisal and a comparative market analysis (CMA)?
What can I expect to see in my appraisal report?
Once the assignment is done, how can I have confidence that the value conclusion is legitimate?
What does it mean for an appraiser to be licensed?
Who are an appraiser's customers?
Where does an appraiser get the data used to estimate values in Greene County or other areas?
How can a licensed appraiser help me?
My mortgage statement has an item on it for PMI? Can I get rid of that?
Does the appraiser need anything from the homeowner in advance?
What does "Market Value" mean?
Who has rights to the appraisal report?
Which home renovations add the most to the price?

What is an appraisal? (Go to list of questions)

The method of producing an appraisal deals with an estimation which leads to an opinion of value. The appraiser will use a number of "approaches," typically three, to come to the estimation of market value. One of the methods in use is the Cost Approach, which finds what it would cost to replace the improvements to the property, less the depreciation and physical deterioration, plus the land value. Easily the most common approach in figuring the value of a house is the Sales Comparison Approach which involves figuring a comparison to similar properties close by. Being the most popular approach, the Sales Comparison Approach tends to be the most precise and best indicator of market value for a residential property. The Income Approach is generally used for figuring out the market value of income-producing properties based on what an investor would pay based on the amount of capital a property would bring in.

Describe what an appraiser does (Go to list of questions)

An appraiser offers a professional, unbiased opinion of market value, in the support of real estate transactions. Appraisers reveal the details of their expert analysis in appraisal reports.

What would cause me to request a real estate appraisal? (Go to list of questions)

There are a lot of reasons to purchase an appraisal with the most common reason being real estate and mortgage transactions. Other reasons for ordering an report include:

If you are applying for a loan.
To reduce your tax burden.
To demonstrate a homeowner's acquired equity and remove Primary Mortgage Insurance.
To contest inflated property taxes.
To handle an estate.
To offer you an edge when purchasing real estate.
To figure out a likely sales price when putting your home on the market.
To ensure parties are provided just compensation in eminient domain cases.
Government agencies such as the IRS need an appraisal on every home.
It's possible you could be involved in a lawsuit - an appraisal will definitely help.

Click here for a more detailed explanation of the process involved in getting an appraisal.

What is the difference between an appraisal and a home inspection? (Go to list of questions)

Appraisers do not do provide home inspections and are not home inspectors. The purpose of a home inspection is to investigate the structure of the home from foundation to top. The archetypal home inspector's report will contain an evaluation of the condition of the home's heating system, central air conditioning system (temperature permitting), interior plumbing and electrical systems, the roof, attic, and accessible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, the foundation, basement, and visible structure.

What is the difference between an appraisal and a comparative market analysis (CMA)? (Go to list of questions)

Simply put, it's like comparing opera to country. The CMA relies on indefinite local market trends. An appraisal utilizes comparable sales that can be proven by public record. Also, the appraisal looks at other factors like condition, neighborhood and construction costs. A CMA delivers a "ball park figure." Delivering a defensible and careful analysis, an appraisal will give a clear opinion of value.

Who's creating the report is frankly the biggest difference between a CMA and an appraisal. Real estate agents, who may not have a complete understanding of valuation methods or the entire market, write CMA's. The appraisal is produce by a licensed, certified professional who has made a career out of valuing properties. Moreover, the appraiser is an independent party, with no vested interest in the property's value, unlike the agent, whose income is tied to the price of the home.

What can I expect to see in my appraisal report? (Go to list of questions)

The main point of an appraisal report is to provide a value opinion, and depending on the scope of the report, you'll usually see the following:

Who engaged the appraiser and other intended users.
How the appraisal is supposed to be used.
The reason for the assignment.
Precisely what "value" attribute is being reported and what that value means.
The effective date of the value opinion.
Relevant property attributes, including: location, physical attributes, legal attributes, economic attributes, the real property interest valued, and non-real estate items included in the valuation, such as personal property, permanent equipment installations and even intangible items.
Any known easements, restrictions, encumbrances, leases, reservations, covenants, contracts, declarations, special assessments, ordinances, and other items of a similar nature.
Division of interest, such as fractional interest, physical segment and partial holding.
What was included in the activity of completing the assignment.

For a more detailed look at the work that goes into an appraisal report click here: Sample Appraisal Report

Once the assignment is done, how can I have confidence that the value conclusion is legitimate? (Go to list of questions)

In the documentation of an appraisal, each appraiser must ensure the following:

That the information analysis contained in the appraisal was appropriate.

That substantial errors of omission or commission were not committed individually or collectively.

That appraisal services were done in a careful and judicious fashion.

That a believable, substantiated appraisal report was conferred.

To become a state licensed appraiser, we must satisfy considerable education and experience requirements that prepare us to formulate an unbiased opinion. In addition, appraisers must abide by a meticulous industry code of ethics and respect national standards of practice for real estate appraisal. The rules for working up an appraisal and documenting its results are guaranteed by enforcement of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).

(Go to list of questions) Regulations regarding licensing and certification of Real Estate Appraisers vary from state to state. However, licensing and certification is most often associated with many hours of classroom study, tests and real world experience. Once licensed, he/she must then engage in continuing education courses so that the license doesn't expire. To see the specific requirements for any state click here.

Who are an appraiser's customers? (Go to list of questions)

Mortgage lenders are an appraiser's most likely client, requesting their services to ensure real estate involved in a mortgage transaction is adequate collateral for a loan. Attorneys and CPAs also hire appraisers for asset division and estate settlements.

Where does an appraiser get the data used to estimate values in Greene County or other areas? (Go to list of questions)

Collecting data is one of the primary things an appraiser engages in. Data can be described as either Specific or General. Specific data is from the property itself; Location, condition, amenities, size and other specific data are gathered by the appraiser during an inspection.

General data is collected from a many places. To research recently sold homes to be used as "comps", we typically use the local Multiple Listing Service. Tax records and other courthouse documents verify actual sales prices in a market. Flood zone data is retrieved from FEMA data outlets, such as a la mode's InterFlood product.

And last but not least, the appraiser assembles general data from his or her past experience in doing assignments for other houses in the same market.

How can a licensed appraiser help me? (Go to list of questions)

If you're involved in some sort of financial decision and the value of your home matters, you'll want to hire a licensed appraiser. For those selling a home, you'll want to figure out the price that gets you the most profit but doesn't leave your home on the market too long; an appraisal can help with that. When buying, be sure you're not overpaying by commissioning an independent appraisal. For those settling an estate or divorce, an appraisal from Cornerstone Appraisal Services, LLC is the best way to ensure assets are divided fairly. A house is often the single, largest financial asset anybody owns. Knowing its true value is essential to making the right financial decisions.

My mortgage statement has an item on it for PMI? Can I get rid of that? (Go to list of questions)

PMI is an acronym for Private Mortgage Insurance. This added policy protects the lender if a borrower doesn't pay on the loan and the market price of the house is lower than the balance of the loan. Once you reach the point where your home's equity plus the amount you've paid is at least 20% of your loan balance, you can have your PMI dropped.


	The money you keep from cancelling the PMI required when you got your mortgage pays for the appraisal in no time. Nobody is more qualified than Cornerstone Appraisal Services, LLC when it comes to analyzing real estate appreciation in Springfield and Greene County. Contact us today.

Does the appraiser need anything from the homeowner in advance? (Go to list of questions)

The first step in most appraisals is the home inspection. What this entails is the appraiser, after setting up an appointment, personally going through the home - recording the layout of the rooms, taking photos and documenting the general condition of its amenities. On the home's interior, pick up any clutter and make sure we can find our way to things like furnaces and water heaters. On the outside, trim any landscaping so we can be free to get an accurate measurement of outside walls.

To help speed things along plus ensure a more accurate report, try if possible to have the following items:

Records on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years.
A list of any personal property that will be left behind and sold with the home, such as an oven, or a washer and dryer, if applicable.
Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, septic systems and wells.
A copy of the current listing agreement and broker's data sheet and Purchase Agreement if a sale is "pending".
A bill for your most recent real estate taxes which should also contain a legal description of the property.

What does "Market Value" mean? (Go to list of questions)

In real estate appraising, Market Value is commonly defined as:

"The most probable price (in terms of money) which a property should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller each acting prudently and knowledgeably, and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus. Implicit in this definition is the consummation of a sale as of a specified date and the passing of title from seller to buyer under conditions whereby: the buyer and seller are typically motivated; both parties are well informed or well advised, and acting in what they consider their best interests; a reasonable time is allowed for exposure in the open market; payment is made in terms of cash in United States dollars or in terms of financial arrangements comparable thereto; and the price represents the normal consideration for the property sold unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with the sale."

Who has rights to the appraisal report? (Go to list of questions)

For mortgage transactions, the lender orders the appraisal, either directly or through a third party. While the buyer pays for the report as part of the closing costs, the lender retains the right to use the report or any information contained within. The buyer is entitled to a copy of the report - it's usually included with all the other closing documents - but is not allowed to use the report for any other purpose without permission from the lender.

The exception to this rule is when a home owner engages an appraiser directly. In these cases, the appraiser may state the purpose of the appraisal; for PMI removal, or estate planning or tax challenges, for example. If not stipulated otherwise, the home owner can do whatever they want with the appraisal.

Which home renovations add the most to the price? (Go to list of questions)

A home's location - what city it is in and even what part of that city - is key to this popular question. For example, while quality appliances are attractive, a $7000 built-in refrigerator won't pay off in a neighborhood of moderately priced homes

No matter where you go, however, renovating a kitchen is almost always a safe investment. One recent study revealed that putting $20,000 into a kitchen remodel would add about $17,500 to the value of the home - or about an 88% return on investment. Bathrooms weren't far behind, yielding 85%. Adding bedrooms and baths can also increase the value of your home (when done well) as long as your home doesn't then become overbuilt for your neighborhood in terms of size.