William Trigg Appraisal, LLC's appraisal checklist


	By law, an appraiser must be state licensed 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 361-727-1921 if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To make your appraisal process go as smoothly as possible we generally recommend to have these documents, if available, ready for the appraiser:

A survey or plot map of the property and building (if available).
Information on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years.
Written property agreements, such as a maintenance agreement for a shared driveway.
A list of any personal property that is part of the home and you intend to be sold with the home, such as an oven, or a washer and dryer.
Title policy that lists 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 wells.
Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and enhancements, 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).
A copy of the current listing agreement with broker's data sheet and purchase agreement if a sale is "pending".
Information on "Homeowners Associations" or condominium covenants and 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 generally you'll want to be present to answer inquiries about your property and be willing to point out any home improvements.

Here are a few other suggestions:

Accessibility: Appraisers are very detailed in their inspections. We recommend that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.
Housekeeping: Appraisers see hundreds of homes a year and aren't surprised at seeing a bit of clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impact can mean a higher value for your home.
Maintenance: We often suggest repairing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is applying for either an FHA or VA loan, definitely ask your appraiser if there are specific things that should be done before they arrive. Some items they may recommend might be: having handrails on all stairways, removing and repainting where there's paint peeling, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, replacing broken glass.