Understanding the Appraisal ProcessA home purchase can be the most significant financial decision many people could ever encounter. Whether it's where you raise your family, a second vacation property or a rental fixer upper, purchasing real property is a complex transaction that requires multiple parties to pull it all off. You're likely to be familiar with the parties having a role in the transaction. The most known face in the exchange is the real estate agent. Next, the mortgage company provides the money required to finance the exchange. The title company sees to it that all areas of the sale are completed and that the title is clear to transfer to the buyer from the seller. So, who's responsible for making sure the value of the real estate is consistent with the purchase price? In comes the appraiser. We provide an unbiased estimate of what a buyer might expect to pay — or a seller receive — for a parcel of real estate, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. A licensed, certified, professional appraiser from All City Appraisal will ensure, you as an interested party, are informed. Inspecting the subject propertyTo determine an accurate status of the property, it's our responsibility to first complete a thorough inspection. We must see features hands on, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location, living areas, etc, to ensure they indeed exist and are in the condition a reasonable buyer would expect them to be. To ensure the stated square footage is accurate and illustrate the layout of the home, the inspection often requires creating a sketch of the floorplan. Most importantly, the appraiser identifies any obvious features - or defects - that would have an impact on the value of the house. Following the inspection, we use two or three approaches to determining the value of the property: a paired sales analysis, a replacement cost calculation, and an income approach when rental properties are prevalent. 
Cost ApproachHere, we gather information on local building costs, the cost of labor and other factors to figure out how much it would cost to construct a property comparable to the one being appraised. This estimate often sets the maximum on what a property would sell for. It's also the least used method. 
Paired Sales AnalysisAppraisers can tell you a lot about the neighborhoods in which they work. They innately understand the value of specific features to the residents of that area. Then, the appraiser looks up recent sales in close proximity to the subject and finds properties which are 'comparable' to the real estate being appraised. Using knowledge of the value of certain items such as fireplaces, room layout, appliance upgrades, additional bathrooms or bedrooms, or quality of construction, we adjust the comparable properties so that they more accurately match the features of subject.
A true estimate of what the subject might sell for can only be determined once all differences between the comps and the subject have been evaluated. At All City Appraisal, we are an authority when it comes to knowing the worth of particular items in Woodland Hills and Los Angeles County neighborhoods. This approach to value is usually given the most weight when an appraisal is for a real estate sale. Valuation Using the Income ApproachIn the case of income producing properties - rental houses for example - the appraiser may use a third way of valuing a property. In this scenario, the amount of revenue the real estate generates is taken into consideration along with other rents in the area for comparable properties to give an indicator of the current value. The Bottom LineCombining information from all approaches, the appraiser is then ready to put down an estimated market value for the property in question. The estimate of value at the bottom of the appraisal report is not necessarily the final sales price even though it is likely the best indication of what a property is worth. Depending on the individual situations of the buyer or seller, their level of urgency or a buyer's desire for that exact property, the closing price of a home can always be driven up or down.Regardless, the appraised value is typically 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. The bottom line is, an appraiser from All City Appraisal will help you discover the most accurate property value, so you can make the most informed real estate decisions. |