Greenaway Appraisals's appraisal checklist


	By law, an appraiser must be licensed by the state to perform appraisals prepared for federally related transactions - i.e. transactions related to Freddie Mac, Office of Thrift Supervision and the like. Just give us a call at 8054663210 if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed the appraisal process along as quickly 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 readily available).
Records on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years.
Written property agreements, such as a maintenance easement for a shared driveway.
List of personal property to be sold with the home.
Any documents, such as a title policy with information on encroachments or easements 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, septic systems and your well.
A list of any major home improvements and upgrades, 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, if the sale is "pending", the purchase agreement.
Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo agreements or fees.
A list of "proposed" improvements if the property is to be appraised "as complete".

When the appraiser has arrived, you do not need to accompany him or her along on the entire site inspection, but you should be present to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are a few other helpful suggestions:

Accessibility: Appraisers are very thorough in their inspections. You should make sure 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 translate into a higher home value.
Maintenance: We generally recommend repairing minor 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, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they come. Some items they may recommend might be: installing smoke detectors on all levels and especially near bedrooms, where paint is peeling it should be scraped and repainted, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.