What is a home appraisal? An appraisal is a written document by a Licensed Appraiser hired by the Lender that will give you the mortgage on your home.

The Appraiser’s responsibility is to make sure the home is worth what you are paying for it and the Lender is loaning on it. It might surprise you to know that your down payments may also be taken into consideration. The Appraisal is not necessarily the value of what the home is worth.

The major determining factor is based on sales in the neighborhood of similar homes in size, condition and style, for the previous six to twelve months. These figures are derived from the same MLS system that REALTORS® use.

If your home purchase is a non-qualifying assumption or a cash sale, an appraisal is not required and in most cases, one is not done.

However in highly competetive markets where multiple offers are the rule, and offers above list are common, the mortgage lenders appraisal policies can become a dominant factor in making a succesful offer. In such cases, it is not uncommon practice for a motivated buyer to offer to pay the differece between the offered price and appraiser's value.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Realtor”? Do you think only of dry statistics like commission rates and closing costs, or do you see the exceptional value of the help and experience a truly Professional Realtor will offer you?

I wonder sometimes if it isn’t more helpful to think of your Realtor as a co-investor in the sale of your property because a good realtor adds and provides services that enhance the value and saleability of your property. Our relationship to you is so much more than that of a mere commissioned salesperson. Frankly, I am a co-investor and business partner of every client we service. So what is it that Makes the Best Collin County Realtor for Your Needs? It is the experience of a proven successful Realtor that turns us into one of the greatest assets you’ll ever use.