What to expect when your home is being appraised.

First, we will do a careful physical inspection of your home. Don't worry about the kids, toys or household disorder. We are looking at the structure, condition and features of your home. This is only the beginning of the appraisal process. The typical report requires 12 1/2 combined hours by appraiser and staff to complete.

Second, for the next several hours you may see our appraiser driving up and down the streets of your neighborhood.

We will be searching your neighborhood for homes that are similar to yours in location, size, design, number of rooms and extra features. We call these homes "Comps" or "Comparable Sales." Our appraiser makes dollar adjustments to reflect differences in "Comp" properties. Upgrades like fireplaces, air conditioners, recent decorating or home improvements add value to a property. (See how much value an improvement can add.)

Finally, we are ready to prepare our report and submit it to your loan officer. At that time, your mortgage company will be contacting you with the results.

Our appraisers are friendly, courteous and interested in providing any information you may need. Ethically, we have a client relationship with your lender. All of our communication must go through your loan officer. However, feel free to ask questions while we are in your home.