Sacramento Appraisal Blog | Real Estate Appraiser

Real estate appraisals for divorce, estate settlement, loans, property tax appeal, pre-listing and more. We cover Sacramento, Placer and Yolo County. We're professional, courteous and timely.

Appraisal Stuff

Can I Use an Appraisal for a Loan Modification? (Question from Search Engine)

By Leave a Comment

Someone found this blog last night by typing in the question, “Can I Use an Appraisal for a Loan Modification?” In case the answer was not found, I’d like to shed some light on the matter. The answer is maybe. When you are doing a loan modification you’ll need to consult with your agent, attorney or bank and do what they say. If you already have an appraisal in your hands that demonstrates fair market value for your property and it was recent (and reliable), you may be good to go. However, if you have an outdated appraisal, it might not be acceptable for your loan modification needs since the market has changed so rapidly over the past several years (and months). An older real estate appraisal is often no longer reliable because the market has very likely shifted down or up since the time the appraisal was completed (down most of the time lately).

I hope this helps to answer the question. Please let me know if you need any clarification and if there is anything I can do for you. I am very familiar with doing loan modification appraisals for attorneys and home owners, so I am glad to provide my services to households in the Greater Sacramento Region. Feel free to contact me at 916-595-3735 or www.lundquistcompany.com or LundquistCompany@gmail.com

What types of repairs does HUD require for an FHA loan in the Sacramento Area?

By Leave a Comment

images1I find myself doing quite a few FHA appraisals these days in light of the enormous popularity of FHA loans in the Greater Sacramento Region. Sometimes properties are able to easily meet FHA minimum standards, but other times houses might need just a little work (or quite a bit) to bring them up to the level required by HUD.

The primary concern of HUD as it pertains to a property is with safety, soundness and security. The basic gist is that for HUD to guarentee a loan, a property must not have any issues that present a threat to safety, security or soundness.  Minor cosmetic issues don’t fall under this category, so a crack in a window or a stain on carpet or a missing doorknob are not a big deal for FHA loans (so long as there is no threat to safety, security or soundness). Other condition issues though such as peeling or chipping paint, an inoperable heating system or a leaking roof are a big deal to HUD because they do impact safety, security or soundness.

At times it is easy to think that appraisers are being knit-picky over minor issues that could easily be overlooked while inspecting a property, but take a look firsthand what FHA requires for repairs (click HERE).

If you ever have questions about FHA-related required repairs or FHA real estate appraisals in the Sacramento Area (multiple counties surrounding Sacramento), you are welcome to contact me at 916-595-3735 or www.lundquistcompany.com or LundquistCompany@gmail.com  Lastly, you may find HUD to be very helpful when you call (800)CALL-FHA

Fannie Mae’s Definition of Market Value

By 3 Comments

As an FYI for any readers, this is Fannie Mae’s definition of market value, which is contained in the Fannie Mae appriasal form (1004) that is used for most conventional loans:

imagesMarket value is the most probable price which a property should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus. Implicit in this definition is the consummation of a sale as of a specified date and the passing of title from seller to buyer under conditions whereby: (1) buyer and seller are typically motivated; (2) both parties are well informed or well advised, and each acting in what he considers his own best interest; (3) a reasonable time is allowed for exposure in the open market; (4) payment is made in terms of cash in U.S. dollars or in terms of financial arrangements comparable thereto; and (5) the price represents the normal consideration for the property sold unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with the sale.

Examples: If you sell your house and include your red corvette in the garage as part of the sale, it probably wouldn’t fit the definition above because the buyer very likely paid a higher price for the house because of the machine parked in the garage (#5). Or if there are $50,000 of concessions contained in the purchase price, chances are that the buyer paid more for the house to get the benefit of money back, right? (#5) Or if a property is listed on the market for 1 day only, it may have been under-priced and not reflective of the market, right? (#3) (not always the case if a property goes quickly, but often so). Or consider when a family member sells to another family member and how the sales price is often much lower than it would have been if a non-family member purchased the house. This would very likely not be an arms-length transaction where each party is acting in his own best interest (#4). Or imagine a couple is getting divorced and they need to sell their house quickly. The house sells $30,000 below other recent sales in the neighborhood and so it does not fit the definition of market value (# 2 & # 3).  These are the types of issues that appraisers must consider constantly (and these are the reasons why speaking with local Realtors is a crucial part of our job. Having reliable and accurate information leads to better appraisals). 

If anyone has questions, feel free to contact me at 916-595-3735 or www.lundquistcompany.com

Can a Realtor also be an Appraiser? (question from search engine yestesrday)

By Leave a Comment

Someone found this blog through a search yesterday by typing in the following: “Can a Realtor also be an Appraiser?” In case the answer was not found, I wanted to chime in briefly. The answer is “yes”. It is entirely legal for an appraiser to be a real estate broker, Realtor, loan officer or whatever else he/she wants to be. The key though is that the appraiser can only act as an appraiser when appraising. When working as a Realtor, the appraiser takes off his/her appraiser hat and wears the Realtor hat and makes sure to keep the two trades separate. An appraiser who is a Realtor cannot be doing appraisals for his/her own deals either because there would be a big conflict of interest, don’t you think?