Chris Leister Appraisals, LLC's appraisal to-do list

	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 Freddie Mac, Office of Thrift Supervision, and the like. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed up the appraisal process, it's recommended to have these documents ready for the appraiser:

• A plot plan or survey of the house and land (if available).

• Any information on the purchase of the property for the last three years.

• Information on any written private agreements, such as a shared driveway with a neighbor.

• List of personal property to be sold with the home.

• Title policy that lists 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, septic systems and your well.

• A list of any major home improvements and upgrades, the date of their installation and their cost (for example, the addition of insulation 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 agreements or fees.

• A list of "proposed" improvements when the property is being appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser has arrived, you do not need to accompany them along on the entire site inspection, but is usually helpful be available to answer inquiries about your property and identify any home improvements.

Here are some other tips:

• Accessibility: Appraisers are very meticulous in their inspections. We recommend 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 will look past most clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can translate into a higher home value.

• Maintenance: We often recommend repairing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower applying for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are additional things that should be done before they come. Some things they may recommend might be: installing a banister on all stairways, ensuring there are electrical receptacles in every room and that each outlet functions, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.