A real estate appraisal is simply an unemotional look at the property by an unattached professional, and takes into consideration factors that most homeowners would not.  We tend to base our opinion on something like what the neighbor got for their house, and how much better we know our house to be than theirs was.  Or, we err on the side of just knowing there is no way in the world that our house is worth so much!  But the fact is, without knowing the market conditions and key data, we really have no good idea what a property is worth.

Whether buying, selling, or refinancing your home, a real estate appraisal is an important part of the process.  It is not simply just another expense in the process, it is a validation for all parties that the deal is sound, and that nobody will wake up the next morning feeling sorry for what they have done.

We need to face reality.  As a homeowner, most of us will have an emotional perspective when we consider the value of our current, or “we hope to soon be our current” home.  That emotion can get you in all sorts of trouble, and set you up for disappointment.  In order to avoid over-financing, or under-pricing, we need a real estate appraisal.

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