• Overview
Outside influences and factors can affect a properties value in a positive or negative way. A properties value can be impacted a view, access to amenities, a nearby stigma, noise, smell or other issue. Regardless of what affects the value, the appraiser will offer an unbiased opinion of the home's market value.
• Location
It stands to reason that a property in a high-crime area will not appraise for as much as similar property in a safer area, but there are other, more subtle, reasons location determines the value of a home. Proximity to shopping, schools, medical facilities and major highways all play a role in determining a properties value. Few people want to have any of these in their backyard, but would like to cut down on their commute time by having them near. A home in an area with services available nearby is likely to appraise at a higher value than a comparable home in a more rural area.
• Comparables
The value of your property is directly impacted by the nearby similar comparable properties that have sold in the recent past. An appraiser will take a critical look at those properties using information available from tax records, the Multiple Listing Service and county assessor records. The appraiser will likely do a drive-by inspection of the exterior of the homes that have sold to check how they compare to your property. The price at which the most similar homes sold for will be the basis for how he/she determines the value of yours.
• Amenities
The appraiser will compare the upgrades and amenities of your home to those in the comparable homes he/she locates. Upgrades you have made may increase the value of your property. Every upgrade the other homes have that yours does not, will decrease its value. An updated kitchen and bathrooms, energy-saving central air, and even hardwood flooring may increase your value.
• Condition
The overall condition of your property is vital to the appraised value. The appraiser will look at the home through the eyes of a potential buyer, seeking issues that may cause a buyer to want to pay less for it. Your home's market value can be increased simply by making sure it is clean, uncluttered, and that minor issues like outdated light fixtures and peeling paint have been addressed.
• Neighborhood
The neighborhood you live in makes a difference. An appraiser will take into account what the homes to either side of yours look like. He will check the quality of your neighborhood schools, if there is a homeowner's association and how well they help maintain the quality of the neighborhood. A comparable home in a nearby, but better kept, neighborhood could appraise at a higher value than a home located in a neighborhood on the decline.

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