Real Property Appraisals: A Primer

Buying a home is the most serious investment some people might ever make. It doesn't matter if it's where you raise your family, an additional vacation home or an investment, the purchase of real property is a detailed transaction that requires multiple parties to make it all happen.


	To learn more about appraising, click here to see a short video or call us today to talk about your specific property.

You're probably familiar with the parties taking part in the transaction. The real estate agent is the most known entity in the transaction. Next, the mortgage company provides the money needed to bankroll the deal. The title company ensures all requirements of the transaction are completed and that a clear title transfers from the seller to the buyer is the title company.

So who's responsible for making sure the value of the real estate is consistent with the amount being paid? This is where you meet the appraiser. We provide an unbiased opinion of what a buyer might expect to pay - or a seller receive - for a property, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. A professional Alabama licensed appraiser from Wiregrass Appraisal Services, Inc. will ensure you as an interested party are informed.

The inspection is where an appraisal starts

Our first responsibility at Wiregrass Appraisal Services, Inc. is to inspect the property to determine its true status. We must see aspects of the property hands on, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location, living areas, etc., to ensure they indeed are there and are in the shape a typical person would expect them to be. The inspection often includes a sketch of the floor plan, ensuring the square footage is proper and conveying the layout of the property. Most importantly, the appraiser looks for any obvious features - or defects - that would have an impact on the value of the house.

Back at the office, an appraiser uses two or three approaches to determining the value of the property: a sales comparison, a replacement cost calculation, and an income approach when rental properties are prevalent.

Cost Approach

Here, we gather information on local construction costs, labor rates and other factors to determine how much it would cost to construct a property similar to the one being appraised. This estimate usually sets the maximum on what a property would sell for. The cost approach is also the least used predictor of value.

Sales Comparison

Appraisers are intimately familiar with the subdivisions in which they work. They thoroughly understand the value of certain features to the residents of that area. Then, the appraiser looks up recent transactions in the area and finds properties which are 'comparable' to the real estate being appraised. By assigning a dollar value to certain items such as square footage, additional bathrooms, hardwood floors, fireplaces or view lots (just to name a few), we adjust the comparable properties so that they more accurately portray the features of subject.

For example, if the comparable has an irrigation system and the subject does not, the appraiser may subtract the value of an irrigation system from the sales price of the comparable.
But, in the case where the subject has something such as an extra half bath that a comparable doesn't have, the appraiser might add the value of that bath to the comparable property.

An opinion of what the subject might sell for can only be determined once all differences between the comps and the subject have been evaluated. At Wiregrass Appraisal Services, Inc., we are an authority when it comes to knowing the worth of particular items in Dothan and Houston County neighborhoods. This approach to value is usually awarded the most consideration when an appraisal is for a home sale.

Valuation Using the Income Approach

In the case of income producing properties - rental houses for example - the appraiser may use an additional way of valuing a property. In this situation, the amount of revenue the property yields is taken into consideration along with other rents in the area for comparable properties to derive the current value.

Coming Up With the Final Value

Combining information from all approaches, the appraiser is then ready to stipulate an estimated market value for the property in question. Note: While this amount is probably the most accurate indication of what a house is worth, it probably will not be the final sales price. Depending on the individual circumstances of the buyer or seller, their level of urgency or a buyer's desire for that exact property, the closing price of a home can always be driven up or down. But the appraised value is typically used as a guideline for lenders who don't want to loan a buyer more money than the property is actually worth. Here's what it all boils down to: An appraiser from Wiregrass Appraisal Services, Inc. will help you attain the most fair and balanced property value, so you can make the most informed real estate decisions.