Some nice hints to expedite your appraisal from GED Appraisal

	Legally, an appraiser must be state licensed to perform appraisals prepared for federally related transactions. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

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

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

• Any information on the purchase of the property for the last three years.

• Written property agreements, such as a maintenance easement for a shared driveway.

• List of personal property to be sold with the building.

• Title policy that lists encroachments or easements.

• Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.

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

• A list of any 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".

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

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

Once your appraiser has arrived, you do not need to accompany him or her along on the entire site inspection, but is usually helpful be present to answer questions about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are some other helpful recommendations:

• Accessibility: Appraisers are very meticulous in their inspections. You should make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.

• Housekeeping: Appraisers see a lot of homes a year and will look past most clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can mean a better home value.

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

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower applying for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they come. Some items they may recommend might be: installing smoke detectors on every floor of the home and especially near bedrooms, removing and repainting where there's paint peeling, repairing any faucets that leak or drip, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.