By Eagle Home Appraisal Birmingham
Published · Updated
These are fair things to ask anyone, including us. Ask them on the phone and expect straight answers.
Is this person actually qualified?
- What is your license or certification number, and is it current for this state? You can check it with the issuing authority, and a good appraiser will not mind.
- Do you hold any professional designations (e.g., SRA, MAI, IFA) from recognized appraisal organizations?
- Have you ever been disciplined by a licensing board or professional body? If so, for what and when?
Do they know homes like yours?
- How long have you been appraising, and how many appraisals have you completed in this area or ZIP code in the last year?
- Have you appraised properties like mine before (same type: condo or house, size, price range, rural or urban, special features)?
- Where is your office located, and how well do you know this neighborhood’s market and its recent comparable sales?
How will they reach the number?
- Which approach will you lean on for this assignment (sales comparison, cost, income), and why does it fit my property?
- What matters most when valuing a home like mine (condition, upgrades, land value, rental potential, and so on)?
- Do you follow USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) and current local regulations for appraisals?
What happens once you say yes?
- How long does it usually take from the property being documented to a finished report, and is there an extra fee for rush work?
- Who will personally document the property, and how much time does that step usually take?
- If I do not understand the final value, or disagree with it, who do I talk to and how is that handled?
What will it cost, and who else is involved?
- What is your fee, what exactly does it cover, and is there any situation where it could go up?
- Do you have any financial or personal relationship with the buyer, seller, lender, or agent that could affect your independence?
- Can you share recent client or agent references for similar assignments (same area or property type)?
Ask these before you hire anyone, and ask them out loud. How someone answers tells you as much as what they say. Once you decide, get the scope, fee, intended users, effective date and delivery estimate down in writing so nobody is guessing later.
In Birmingham
Two Birmingham questions tell you quickly whether someone knows the ground. Do they know which of Jefferson County’s two courthouses, Birmingham or Bessemer, holds the deed and any probate file for your property? And do they ask whether the house sits in one of the city’s 44 historic districts or in a creek floodplain? An appraiser who raises those unprompted has probably worked here before. If you would like to hear how we answer all of this, calling (205) 732-7383 is the easy next step.
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