Flint Hills Appraisals's appraisal to-do list

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

To make your appraisal process 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 readily available).

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

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

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

• Title policy that describes encroachments or easements.

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

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

• Brag sheet that lists major home improvements and upgrades, 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).

• 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 covenants 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 them along on the entire site inspection, but generally you'll want to be present to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are a few other helpful tips:

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

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

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

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is applying for either an FHA or VA loan, be sure to ask your appraiser if there are specific things that should be done before they arrive. Some items they may recommend might be: having smoke detectors on every floor of the home and especially near bedrooms, scraping and touching up where there's paint peeling, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.