"What is an Appraisal?

An appraisal is a professional appraiser's opinion of value.  The preparation of an appraisal involves research into appropriate market areas; the assembly and analysis of information pertinent to a property; and the knowledge, experience, and professional judgement of the appraiser.  Appraisals may be required for any type of property, including single-family homes, apartment buildings and condominiums, office buildings, shopping centers, industrial sites, and farms.  The reasons for performing a real property appraisal are just as varied.  They are usually required whenever real property is sold, mortgages, taxed, insured, or developed.  For example, appraisals are prepared for:

• Mortgage lending purposes
• Tax assessments and appeals of assessments
• Negotiation between buyers and sellers
• Government acquistion of private property for public use
• Business mergers or dissolutions
• Lease negotiations

What is the Role of the Appraiser?

The role of the appraiser is to provide objective, impartial, and unbiased opinions about the value of real property--providing assistance to those who own, manage, sell, invest in, and/or lend money on the security of real estate.  Appraisers assemble a series of facts, statistics, and other information regarding specific properties, analyze this data, and develop opinions of value.  Each appraisal assignment challenges the appraiser's ability to put analytical skill into practice, excerise sound judgment, and communicate effectively."

- The Appraisal Institute