Gearing up for an appraisal from Greater Houston Appraisal Group, Inc.

	To appraise a property, an appraiser is legally required to be licensed by the state when the transaction involves any federal financial regulatory agency such as Fannie Mae, FDIC, etc. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To facilitate the appraisal process, it's beneficial to have these documents ready for the appraiser:

• A plot plan or survey of the house and land (if readily available).

• Records on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years.

• Information on any written private easements, such as a shared driveway with a neighbor.

• 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.

• Any paperwork, such as a title policy with information on encroachments or easements encroachments or easements.

• A bill for your most recent real estate taxes which should also contain a legal description of the property.

• Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, your septic system and wells.

• A list of any major home improvements and enhancements, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of central air conditioning or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

• Locate copies of the current listing agreement, broker's data sheet and, in the event of a pending sale.

• Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo agreements or fees.

• A list of "proposed" improvements when the property is being appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser arrives, you do not need to accompany him or her along on the entire site inspection, but generally you'll want to be available 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 thorough in their inspections. Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.

• Housekeeping: Appraisers see quite a few of homes a year and are no strangers to clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can mean a better value for your home.

• Maintenance: We generally recommend repairing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower trying to apply for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are extra things that should be done before they come. Some items they may recommend might be: installing handrails on all stairways, ensuring there are electrical receptacles in every room and that each receptacle functions, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.