Home Appraisals: A Primer

Getting a home can be the most important investment most might ever encounter. Whether it's where you raise your family, a seasonal vacation home or a rental fixer upper, the purchase of real property is an involved financial transaction that requires multiple parties to pull it all off.


	To learn more about appraising, click here to see a short video or call us today to talk about your specific property.

Most of the participants are quite familiar. The real estate agent is the most recognizable entity in the transaction. Next, the bank provides the financial capital needed to finance the transaction. The title company sees to it that all requirements of the transaction are completed and that the title is clear to pass to the buyer from the seller.

So who's responsible for making sure the value of the real estate is in line with the amount being paid? In comes the appraiser. We provide an unbiased estimate of what a buyer could expect to pay - or a seller receive - for a parcel of real estate, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. A professional Georgia General Certified Real Property Appraiser from Appraisals and Consultation Incorporated will ensure you as an interested party are informed.

The inspection is where an appraisal begins

Our first task at Appraisals and Consultation Incorporated is to inspect the property to determine its true status. We must see features hands on, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location, living areas, etc., to ensure they indeed are present and are in the shape a reasonable buyer would expect them to be. The inspection often includes a sketch of the property, ensuring the square footage is accurate and conveying the layout of the property. Most importantly, we look for any obvious amenities - or defects - that would affect the value of the property.

Once the site has been inspected, we use two or three approaches when determining the value of real property: paired sales analysis and, in the case of a rental property, an income approach.

Replacement Cost

Here, the appraiser pulls information on local building costs, the cost of labor and other elements to derive how much it would cost to replace the property being appraised. This figure usually sets the upper limit on what a property would sell for. It's also the least reliable indicator of value, unless the home is relatively new and the market is in balance.

Analyzing Comparable Sales

Appraisers become very familiar with the neighborhoods in which they appraise. We thoroughly understand the value of certain features and locational characteristics to the residents of that area. Then, the appraiser researches recent sales in the vicinity and finds properties which are 'comparable' to the subject in question. By assigning a dollar value to certain items such as upgraded appliances, additional bathrooms, an additional living area, quality of construction, lot size, we add or subtract from each comparable's sales price so that they are more accurately in line with the features of subject.

If, for example, the comparable has a pool and the subject doesn't, the appraiser may deduct the estimated contributory value of a pool from the sales price of the comparable.
But, in the case where the subject has something such as an extra half bath that a comparable doesn't have, the appraiser would add the contributory value of that bath to the comparable property.

A valid estimate of what the subject might sell for can only be determined once all differences between the comps and the subject have been evaluated and reconciled. This approach to value is most often given the most weight when an appraisal is for a residential property or vacant land.

Valuation Using the Income Approach

In the case of income producing properties - rental houses for example - the appraiser may use a third method of valuing a house. In this scenario, the amount of revenue the property produces is taken into consideration along with income produced by comparable properties to derive the current value.

Putting It All Together

Weighting indications of value from all approaches, the appraiser is then ready to provide an estimated market value for the subject property. The estimate of value at the bottom of the appraisal report is not always the final sales price even though it is likely the best indication of a property's value There are always mitigating factors such as seller motivation, urgency or 'bidding wars' that may adjust an offer or listing price up or down. Regardless, the appraised value is often used as a guideline for lenders who don't want to loan a buyer more money than they could get back in the event they had to sell the property again. Here's what it all boils down to: An appraiser from Appraisals and Consultation Incorporated will help you discover the most fair and balanced property value, so you can make informed real estate decisions.