• Overview
A real estate appraisal is one of the most important aspects of selling or buying a home. The opinion of value in the appraisal can sometimes make or break your ability to get the maximum value out of your home on the open market. If you're selling your home, getting a quality appraisal is important, so you should be as involved in the process as possible. If you're buying a home, having a local unbiased appraiser provide a written report can be a strong negotiating tool when presenting an offer.



Here are some helpful hints and advice to assist you along the way:

• Check Credentials
Whether you hire an appraiser on your own or a lender hires the appraiser, make sure the appraiser is licensed and credible. Every state's requirements for appraiser education and licensing are different, and you want to be sure you get a quality appraisal from someone who knows what he is doing. Check an appraiser's license here. ChicagoAppraisals.com is a good place to start the search to determine the appraiser's proximity and qualifications. Be sure to ask the appraiser how much experience he/she has. We recommend asking questions like- How long have you been doing this?
• Proceed with caution
Confirm the payment terms and when the completed report will be delivered. Make sure you have clearly explained the purpose of the appraisal and ask the appraiser if there would be any additional charge if you, your lender, attorney etc. have questions about the report after it has been completed and delivered. It is a good idea to clearly explain what your expectations are and what you intend to do if those expectations are not met. For example telling the appraiser I intend to use this report for a divorce situation my attorneys handling. I will be leaving a comment of my experience and rating your performance on appraisersurvey.com Please notify me if there's going to be a delay or problem with what we have agreed to.
• Warning!
If you are setting an appointment with an appraiser, and he or she asks- What are your cross streets? This appraiser may be unfamiliar with your area. Your next question should be- Where you coming from? We recommend asking questions to gauge the appraiser's level of expertise and local market knowledge. Questions like- Do you know how to get here? Or, Where are you coming from? These type of probing questions will offer insight if the appraiser is familiar with the area.
• Check I.D.'s
Ask to see the appraiser's driver's license or other form of identification when he/she arrives. Make sure the name on the drivers license matches the name of the person you scheduled the appointment with or were told would be meeting you. Make sure the appraiser provides a business card and the name matches the driver's license or identification provided.
• The survey says…
Please complete our Survey. When you use ChicagoAppraisals.com, there's no obligation. We only ask that you fill out a survey to let us know what we can do better. Please go to AppraiserSurvey.com and complete the feedback satisfaction survey. We request this from all homeowners and clients after every appraisal is completed. The feedback survey is reviewed and provides an overall satisfaction rating. We publish our appraiser's past performance and customer reviews to our site, so new users get the data to make an informed performance-based decision. We reward the appraisers that are providing continued quality service.

Have a question or opinion about appraisals? Need some help? Contact Us with any questions or feedback you may have.