Getting ready for an appraisal from AccuRight Appraisals

	To appraise a property, an appraiser needs to be licensed by the state when the transaction involves any federal financial regulatory agency such as OTS, FDIC, etc... Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

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

• A plot plan or survey of the house and land (if available).

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

• Information on any written private easements, such as a shared driveway with a neighbor.

• List of personal property to be sold with the building.

• Title policy that lists 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, septic systems and your well.

• Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and enhancements, the amount of their purchase and date of their installation (for example, the addition of energy efficiency upgrades or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

• Locate copies of the current listing agreement, broker's data sheet and, in the event of a pending sale.

• Information on "Homeowners Associations" or condominium covenants and fees.

• A list of "suggested" improvements if the property is to be appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser has arrived, you do not need to accompany him or her along on the entire site inspection, but you should be available to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are a few other helpful tips:

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

• Housekeeping: Appraisers see a lot 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 recommend 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 additional things that should be done before they come. Some things they may recommend might be: putting 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 works, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.