Some great hints to save you time on your appraisal from Gregg Appraisal Company (605) 870-3005


	To appraise a property, an appraiser needs 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 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 home.
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.
Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, septic systems and wells.
A list of any 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).
Locate copies of the current listing agreement, broker's data sheet and, in the event of a pending sale.
Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo covenants or fees.
A list of "proposed" improvements when the property is being appraised "as complete".

When the appraiser arrives, you do not need to accompany him or her along on the entire site inspection, but you should be available to answer questions about your property and be willing to point out any home improvements.

Here are some other tips:

Accessibility: Appraisers are very detailed in their inspections. 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 impact can translate into a better home value.
Maintenance: We often suggest repairing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is trying to apply for either an FHA or VA loan, be sure to ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they arrive. Some things they may recommend might be: installing handrails on all stairways, scraping and repainting where there's paint peeling, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, replacing broken glass.