Frustration with Appraisals!

I know every agent in this country is feeling the same pain that I feel when it comes to appraisals!

At my weekly Rotary Club meeting I had a friend share his frustration. He recently had his home appraised for refinancing.

His frustration was in the fact that, in his opinion, the appraiser had no idea about the details of the home. When my friend had his home built he spared no expense. Extra insulation, upgraded hardwoods, top of the line fixtures, counter-tops, and extra energy efficiencies throughout.

In a normal market all of these upgrades would weigh on the price of the home. In this market all bets are off!

I told my friend that my home was appraised for $50,000 less than I paid for it in 2001! I have put in a new Kitchen, new Master Bathroom, and screened in the porch! My reward? $50,000 in lower value!

What I saw on my appraisal is that a home is rated excellent, good, fair, or poor. A higher rating is the most you can expect and I do not know how much that adds or subtracts to the value of the home.

Bottom line: I told my friend that I agree with him. Until the appraisers take more factors into account when appraising a home, our values will stay the same