How to Locate a Reliable House Appraiser
People who are thinking of selling their home, pricing it for a divorce settlement or refinancing may hire an appraiser to value the home. Appraisers are bound by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), which provides guidelines for the appraisal process and the fees involved. Each state has its own laws about the licensing and certification of home appraisers, but the USPAP acts as a code of conduct. Hiring an unreliable appraiser can cause both inconvenience and unnecessary expense.
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Instructions
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Contact local real estate agents and lenders and ask for real estate appraiser recommendations. Realty firms and banks normally work with reliable appraisers who can keep deadlines and comply with state laws. Try and get a list of three or four appraisers in your area. If you are unable to find out about local appraisers from banks and real estate agents, look in the local phone book or perform an online search to find appraisers in your area.
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Go to the website of the Appraisal Subcommittee (see "Resources"). The Appraisal Subcommittee maintains records of appraisers for the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and keeps updated records of state specific licensing requirements for appraisers. Enter the names of appraisers into the Appraisal Subcommittee directory to ensure that the appraisers are still active.
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Go to the website of the Better Business Bureau (see "Resources"). In the search field you must enter your ZIP Code. You can enter the names of the appraisers on your shortlist into the Better Business Bureau search engine to read reports and customer ratings. Take down relevant notes about each appraiser.
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Contact two or three of the appraisers by phone. Ask them about the fees they charge, the hours they can work and about any negative remarks you read about them on the Better Business Bureau website. Based on your research and your one-on-one conversations, choose which appraiser you want to hire and set an appointment time for the appraiser in question to visit your property.
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Tips & Warnings
If you just want to get a rough idea of your home's value, you can use an online home estimate calculator. These free calculators, found on many financial websites, provide estimates based on recent comparable sales.
If you take out a loan, your lender may require you to use the services of a particular appraiser. Do not assume that if you pay for an appraisal that your lender will accept it. Generally, banks order appraisals directly but require the borrower to pay for the inspection.
