What Is an Appraisal?A home purchase is the biggest investment some of us could ever encounter. Whether it's where you raise your family, a seasonal vacation home or an investment, the purchase of real property is a detailed transaction that requires multiple parties to make it all happen. Most of the parties participating are very familiar. The most recognizable face in the exchange is the real estate agent. Then, the lender provides the money needed to fund the deal. The title company makes sure that all details of the transaction are completed and that a clear title transfers from the seller to the buyer. So, who's responsible for making sure the real estate is worth the purchase price? This is where the appraiser comes in. We provide an unbiased opinion 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 licensed, certified, professional appraiser from All City Appraisal will ensure, you as an interested party, are informed. The inspection is where an appraisal startsTo ascertain an accurate status of the property, it's our duty to first complete a thorough inspection. We must actually view aspects of the property, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location, amenities, etc., to ensure they truly are present and are in the shape a reasonable person would expect them to be. The inspection often includes a sketch of the property, ensuring the square footage is accurate and illustrating the layout of the property. Most importantly, the appraiser looks for any obvious amenities - or defects - that would have an impact on the value of the property. Following the inspection, an appraiser uses two or three approaches to determining the value of the property: sales comparison and, in the case of a rental property, an income approach. 
Cost ApproachHere, we gather information on local building costs, the cost of labor and other factors to ascertain how much it would cost to replace the property being appraised. This estimate commonly sets the upper limit on what a property would sell for. The cost approach is also the least used predictor of value. 
Sales ComparisonAppraisers become very familiar with the neighborhoods in which they work. They innately understand the value of particular features to the people of that area. Then, the appraiser looks up recent sales in close proximity to the subject and finds properties which are 'comparable' to the property in question. By assigning a dollar value to certain items such as upgraded appliances, extra bathrooms, additional living area, quality of construction, lot size, we add or subtract from each comparable's sales price so that they more accurately portray the features of subject.
In the end, the appraiser reconciles the adjusted sales prices of all the comps and then derives an opinion of what the subject could sell for. At All City Appraisal, we are an authority in knowing the value of particular items in Woodland Hills and Los Angeles County neighborhoods. This approach to value is most often given the most importance when an appraisal is for a home exchange. Valuation Using the Income ApproachA third method of valuing approach to value is sometimes used when a neighborhood has a measurable number of rental properties. In this situation, the amount of revenue the property yields is taken into consideration along with income produced by comparable properties to determine the current value. Coming Up With The Final ValueAnalyzing the data from all applicable approaches, the appraiser is then ready to state an estimated market value for the subject property. The estimate of value at the bottom of the appraisal report is not always what's being paid for the property even though it is likely the best indication of a property's valueDepending 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 often used as a guideline for lenders who don't want to loan a buyer more money than the property is actually worth. 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. |