Some great hints to save you time on your appraisal from Associate Appraisers of America

	To appraise a property, an appraiser is legally required to be licensed or certified by the state when it's a federally related transaction. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed up the appraisal process, it's beneficial to have these documents 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.

• Title policy that lists encroachments or easements.

• Most recent real estate tax bill and or 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).

• Find 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 agreements or fees.

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

When the appraiser arrives, you do not need to accompany them along on the entire site inspection, but you should be present to answer questions about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are some other helpful recommendations:

• Accessibility: Appraisers are very thorough 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 better home value.

• Maintenance: We often recommend 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 specific things that should be done before they arrive. Some items they may recommend might be: installing a banister on all stairways, ensuring there are electrical receptacles in every room (note: GFI outlets are no longer required) and that each outlet functions, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.