How to Get a Home Appraisal in Bexar County, Texas

A home appraisal is a market valuation of real estate or property by a professional. Before a bank or lender will invest their money in your home loan, they will require an appraisal to ensure the property is as valuable as you say it is. The collateral for the loan must be valued at no less than the amount of the loan you are requesting. The bank will usually choose the appraiser if you are buying. If you'll be selling your Bexar County home, you can hire an appraiser to help set a price.

Instructions

1. Interview appraisers, seeking one with experience appraising real estate in your anticipated price range and area.

2. Check with the Texas Real Estate Commission to ensure your chosen appraiser has a valid, current license.

3. Ask about rates and timelines. Timelines should include how long the appraisal will take, how quick an appointment is available and when the report should be ready.

4. Before the appraisal, clean and repair the property. Scrub dingy areas and remove clutter both inside and out. Touch up paint where needed, repair any woodwork in disrepair and fix leaky faucets. Spend a few dollars on flowering potted plants to dress up the entryways.

5. Make sure all parts of the house and property are accessible. They will need to see the inside as well as out, so keep all entries and exits easy to get to.

6. Upgrades like recently replaced wood floor or carpet, heated floors, new wood stove or solar power capabilities may not be part of the closing record but can significantly alter the selling price of a home. Make sure you let your appraiser know about these. A bullet-point list of improvements and upgrades is handy to have, if you have time.

7. Be on time to your appraisal appointment. Professionalism on your part will reflect positively on your report.

8. Require a completed report before full payment. You may be asked to pay a partial payment upon appraisal but a true professional will wait until they have completed their research and valuation before submitting a bill to you.

9. Inform your appraiser if a home in your area sold far under or over market value and why. Upgrades may not be part of the closing record, but can significantly alter the selling price of a home.

10. When your report is completed, make sure there are at least three market comparisons that are similar to your real estate included.

Tips & Warnings

• Bexar County, Texas, is comprised of rural, suburban and urban areas. Be aware that the value of your home will depend not only upon age and condition, but also upon the neighborhood in which you live.

• The largest city in Bexar County is San Antonio. It is likely that the closer the home being appraised is to the city limits of San Antonio, the higher its value will be.

• San Antonio is a rapidly growing city in commerce, and as a result, suburban areas around San Antonio are growing quickly. This is causing a steady rise in housing values among suburbs including Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights and Castle Hills.

• San Antonio is home to many military installations. Although these installations provide housing for many servicemen, communities close to bases that include Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base and Fort Sam Houston are growing rapidly. This is especially true on the north side of San Antonio, where reasonable housing values are the norm.

• Before beginning the appraisal process, review what the local appraisal district has on record as the property and improvement value for the home you own or wish to buy. The Bexar Appraisal District Web site is a good resource (see link below).

• After receiving your certified home appraisal, compare the results with other properties of similar size, age and condition within your neighborhood. The Bexar Appraisal District Web site allows for searching by owner name, property address or property account number.

• Keep in mind that due to real estate market factors, a property's appraised value may not be the same as its market value.

• Ensure that your appraisal is being performed by a reputable appraiser. It is unreliable to simply pick a name out of the yellow pages. Instead, rely upon the referral from your appraisal district, lending institution or real estate agency.