O'Malley Real Estate Appraisal Company's appraisal to-do list


	By law, you, as a borrower, are are entitled to obtain a copy of the finished appraisal report from the lender. 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).
Information on the latest purchase of the property in 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.
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 wells.
Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and enhancements, the amount of their purchase and date of their installation (for example, the addition of insulation 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".
Information on "Homeowners Associations" or condominium covenants and fees.
A list of "proposed" improvements when the property is being appraised "as complete".

When the 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 some other helpful recommendations:

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 hundreds 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 higher home value.
Maintenance: We often suggest repairing small 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, be sure to ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they come. Some things they may recommend might be: installing smoke detectors on all levels and especially near bedrooms, scraping and repainting where there's paint peeling, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.