Preparing for an appraisal from Grantham Appraisal & Realty, Inc.

	To appraise a property, an appraiser is legally required to be licensed by the state when the transaction involves any federal financial regulatory agency such as Freddie Mac, Office of Thrift Supervision, and the like. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To help the appraisal go as smoothly as possible we generally recommend to have these documents, if available, ready for the appraiser:

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

• Information on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years.

• Information on any written private easements, such as a shared driveway with a neighbor.

• A list of any personal property that is part of the home and you intend to be sold with the home, such as an oven, or a washer and dryer.

• Title policy that lists encroachments or easements.

• A bill for your most recent real estate taxes which should also contain a legal description of the property.

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

• Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and enhancements, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of energy efficiency upgrades or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

• Locate copies of the current listing agreement, broker's data sheet and, if the sale is "pending", the purchase agreement.

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

• A list of "proposed" improvements if the property is to be appraised "as complete".

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

Here are some other helpful suggestions:

• 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 many of homes a year and are no strangers to clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impact can mean a better value for your home.

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

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is trying to apply 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 arrive. Some things they may recommend might be: installing smoke detectors on all levels and especially near bedrooms, ensuring there are electrical receptacles in every room and that each receptacle works, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.