Understanding the Home Appraisal Process When Selling Your Home

1. Engaging an Appraiser:
   Once you've decided to sell your home, your real estate agent or the buyer's lender will typically be responsible for hiring an appraiser. Working with a licensed and experienced appraiser is crucial to ensure an accurate and credible valuation.
2. Property Inspection:
   The appraiser will visit your home to conduct a thorough inspection. During the inspection, the appraiser will assess various aspects, such as the property's size, condition, layout, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, improvements, and any unique features that might add value.
3. Market Analysis:
   The appraiser will then research the local real estate market to gather information on recent comparable home sales (also known as "comps"). These recent sales serve as the basis for determining the fair market value of your home.
4. Adjustments:
   Not all homes are identical, and differences between the subject property and the comparable sales must be considered. The appraiser will adjust the comparable sales data to account for variations in square footage, lot size, amenities, and other relevant factors.
5. Final Appraisal Report:
   Once the appraiser has gathered all the necessary data and made the appropriate adjustments, they will compile a final appraisal report. This report will include the appraised value of your home and an explanation of how the appraiser arrived at that value.
6. Submitting the Appraisal Report:
   The appraiser's report is submitted to the party that engaged their services, whether it's the buyer's lender or the seller's real estate agent. The appraisal report is crucial for determining the property's fair market value and helps guide the pricing and negotiation.

1. Setting the Right Price:
   The appraisal provides an unbiased and expert opinion on the fair market value of your home. It helps you and your real estate agent set a competitive and reasonable listing price, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential buyers.
2. Negotiation Tool:
   If the appraisal comes in lower than the agreed-upon sale price, it can be used as a negotiation tool. The parties involved can reevaluate the terms of the sale, make adjustments, or renegotiate the price based on the appraised value.
3. Lender's Decision:
   For most homebuyers, securing a mortgage is crucial to financing their purchase. Lenders use the appraisal report to determine whether the property's value aligns with the loan amount. A low appraisal can lead to financing challenges or require the buyer to make a larger down payment.
4. Protecting Buyers and Lenders:
   Appraisals help protect buyers from overpaying for a property and protect lenders from providing mortgages that exceed a property's actual value.