• Newer and older homes and condos as well as custom and luxury homes and proposed homes, if plans are available.

• Manufactured Homes on Permanent Foundations.   Manufactured homes that are not on permanent foundations are usually classified as "personal" rather than "real" property.

• Vacant Land: Lots or acreage - in the city, the desert, or in the mountains.  We can locate even the most remote property using a combination of parcel maps, aerial photos and GPS.

• Industrial Buildings: Single or multi tenant, warehouses, factories, industrial condominiums.

• Office Buildings: Single or multi-tenant, single or multi storied, medical buildings and office condominiums.

• Retail Buildings: Free-standing buildings,small neighborhood centers, larger community centers.

• Apartment Buildings: From duplexes and triplexes to large apartment complexes.

• Special Purpose Buildings: Properties with limited, highly specialized uses.

• Estates:  A substantial portion of our work involves appraising property for estate-settling purposes.  Often, executors can be under considerable pressure from the heirs to move quickly to resolve an estate.  We can assist in this task by providing fair and unbiased appraisals of both residential and commercial property, as well as vacant land.  We can provide the current value or the value as of the date of death, going back months or even years.  No estate is too small or too large for us.

• Divorces and Partnership Dissolution:  Our goal is to provide a fair, unbiased and supportable appraised value that reflects a reliable and  current market value of your property.  We are not influenced by either party, nor do we take sides in these situations. 

• Bankruptcy : Should you become involved in a bankruptcy, the bankruptcy court may require you to provide an appraisal of the real estate you own.  We can be of assistance in this regard, and also provide the additional Appraiser's Declaration form that is required by most courts.

• Selling: Avoid selling your property below its market value by having it professionally appraised before placing it on the market. Properties are frequently undersold by owners who are not aware of current market conditions. An appraisal will also help you avoid overpricing your property, which may discourage offers.

• Buying: To help avoid overpaying, many buyers request an appraisal prior to making an offer to purchase.

• Reverse Mortgages: This is a relatively new concept that is gaining in popularity and acceptance. Your lender will require an FHA approved appraiser for this type of program. (We are FHA approved).

• IRS Purposes: Examples include: Establishing the basis for inheritance, divorce, or partnership dissolution; establishing fair market value for gifting or donating. For donating, IRS form 8283 must be completed. If we do your appraisal, we will provide the form. It can also be downloaded at the following IRS site: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov

• PMI Removal: A certified appraisal is needed for persons applying to their lender to have their Private Mortgage Insurance removed from their monthly house payment.  

• Financing: Conventional bank or S & L financing, seller financing, private party financing.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Home Value Checks

We receive  frequent calls for comp checks or value checks.  We understand that occasionally there is a need to have a "ball-park" idea of what a house might be worth.  The following links are provided as a courtesy, but because these are fully computerized systems they do not take the place of an actual appraisal - which involves a qualified appraiser physically inspecting your property. 

Values obtained through these computer-generated systems are generally given as a range rather than a specific number.   The major flaw with these systems is that a computer cannot determine the condition of your property, if it has a view,  if it is on a golf-course or lake, if it is in a flood zone, if it is adjacent to a noisy freeway, etc.  Every property is unique. Because of this, we do not endorse computer-generated "values" nor can we be responsible for problems you encounter due to your reliance on them. State law and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice prohibit appraisers from making a value judgment without performing an appraisal.