Harmon Appraisal & Consulting, LLC's appraisal checklist

To appraise a property, an appraiser is legally required to be licensed by the state when the transaction involves any federal financial regulatory agency such as Freddie Mac, Office of Thrift Supervision, and the like. 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 survey or plot map of the property and building (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.

  • 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.

  • Title policy that describes encroachments or easements.

  • Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.

  • Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, your septic system and wells.

  • A list of any 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".

Once your appraiser has arrived, you do not need to escort them along on the entire site inspection, but generally you'll want to be available to answer questions about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are a few other 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 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 applying 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 arrive. Some things they may recommend might be: installing a banister on all stairways, where paint is peeling it should be scraped and repainted, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.