Some helpful hints to speed your appraisal along from Mahoney Appraisal Services, Inc


	To appraise a property, an appraiser is required to be licensed by the state when the transaction involves any federal financial regulatory agency such as Fannie Mae, FDIC, etc. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed the appraisal process along as quickly 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).
Any records on the purchase of the property for the last three years.
Information on any written private easements, such as a shared driveway with a neighbor.
A list of any personal property that will be left behind and sold with the home, such as an oven, or a washer and dryer.
Title policy that describes encroachments or easements.
Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.
Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, your septic system and wells.
A list of any major home improvements and upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of central air conditioning or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).
A copy of the current listing agreement with broker's data sheet and purchase agreement if a sale is "pending".
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 arrives, you do not need to accompany them along on the entire site inspection, but generally you'll want to be available to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are a few other suggestions:

Accessibility: Appraisers are very detailed 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 aren't surprised at seeing a bit of clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can translate into a higher value for your home.
Maintenance: We often suggest fixing minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
FHA and VA Inspection Items: If your borrower is trying to apply 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 handrails on all stairways, where paint is peeling it should be scraped and repainted, fixing leaky or dripping faucets, fixing broken windows or other glass like doors.