Appraisal- A written justification of the price paid for a property,
primarily based on an analysis of comparable sales of similar homes nearby.
Appraised value- An opinion of a property's fair market value, based
on an appraiser's knowledge, experience, and analysis of the property. Since an appraisal
is based primarily on comparable sales, and the most recent sale is the one on the
property in question, the appraisal usually comes out at the purchase price.
Appraiser- An individual qualified by education, training, and
experience to estimate the value of real property and personal property. Although some
appraisers work directly for mortgage lenders, most are independent
Appraisal Fee- The appraisal fee covers the cost of a professional
appraiser evaluating your home to estimate its fair market value. The appraisal is used to
calculate the loan amount as a percent of the property value. This loan-to-value (LTV)
ratio is one of the factors that dictates whether a lender is willing to approve the
mortgage application and whether additional fees may be required (e.g., mortgage
insurance). The cost of the appraisal will depend on the location of your property (rural
vs. urban), the complexity of the appraisal and the going rates for appraisers in that
area. |
