Houston Home Appraisals - FAQs

Home FAQs Service Area Appraisal Request Form

When Do I Need a Real Estate Appraiser?
You need a real estate appraiser when:

You are dividing your assets for a divorce and you need to know how much your house is worth.
You are planning to update your house and you want to know how much your house is worth before and after the updates.
Or, you want to know what updates the market will support.
Your house flooded or was damaged and you want to prove the loss to the IRS.
You are buying or selling a house and you want extra assurance that your real estate agent is on the right track.
The value of your house is a deciding factor in a bankruptcy or foreclosure.
FSBO
Cash buyer
Family transfer
Estate basis

When Should I NOT Hire a Real Estate Appraiser?
If you are applying for a mortgage, the lender is going to want to select the appraiser. Likewise, if you want to remove private mortgage insurance (PMI), the lender will want to select the appraiser.

How Much Does an Appraisal Cost
A typical appraisal costs $425 to $525 depending on complexity. Figure on $475 as an average.

How Long Does an Appraisal Take and What Is Involved
The typical appraisal calls for an inspection of the property with some research both before and after the inspection followed by a report. The process typically takes a week.

How Do I Get the Report
Most reports are sent by email as an Adobe Reader compatible pdf. Special arrangements at extra cost can be made for hard copy and overnight delivery.

When Do You Expect Payment
Typical payment arrangements call for payment at time of inspection – the halfway mark - by check.

How Do I know What I Am Getting
The first step in the process is a telephone conversation with you to understand the purpose and other details of the appraisal. Next is an Engagement Letter to which we both agree. After the Engagement Letter is signed, the research and inspection are done. Next a draft report is sent to you and we schedule a sit-down meeting to go over the details and answer any questions you may have. Last, the final report is sent to you.