Currently, it’s a relatively great time to get a home appraised. For example, in the last year, home values have risen by 30.1% in Orlando, Florida, and by 19% nationally! So, if you’re one to keep an eye on the ever-fluctuating trends, you may be pleasantly surprised by your home’s worth in 2022.
The home appraisal process begins with contacting a qualified Orlando property appraiser. You can contact an Orlando real estate appraiser directly, or you can go through an appraisal company to hire one. Many companies have qualified Florida home appraisers in Orlando on staff.
This article has compiled information that will help you if you are wondering how to get an appraisal for your home in Orlando.
Home appraisal process in Orlando
An appraisal is a professional estimate of a home’s value. This estimate is based on an appraisal report conducted by a real estate appraiser qualified in Orlando, Florida. For this reason, it may be ideal to go through an appraisal company when hiring a property appraiser.
You may use an agency to seek an Orlando real estate appraiser. Once you’ve contacted an Orlando, FL property appraiser, they are sent out to conduct an appraisal report, which will help determine the value of your property. The appraisal report must include six things:
- A street map including the property and other properties sold at similar price ranges
- A sketch of the building’s exterior
- A report of how the property’s square footage was calculated
- Photographs of the front, back, and street view of the house
- Street view of the property from the comparable sales used
Other relevant information (such as public tax records, market data, land records, and rights) will help determine the home’s reasonable market value.
Along with the appraisal report, other factors that may influence a property’s final appraisal value include the home’s amenities, the bed and bath count, the functionality of the floor plan, and the square footage of the house.
How to find an appraiser in Orlando
Going through an appraisal agency is probably the best option when it comes to finding a certified and qualified Orlando, Florida property appraiser.
Thankfully, you’ll have many appraisal agencies operating out of Orlando to choose from. These agencies guarantee that the appraiser conducting the report on your property has the proper certifications and is qualified to objectively assign a value to a home.
Some opt to find freelance appraisers through public listings on social media, like Facebook or Twitter. Some even find appraisers who are not associated with an agency through posted advertisements.
However, the drawback to this option is that it is much harder for the average person to determine if someone is certified or qualified to assign an objective value to a home in your state. Therefore, it is highly recommended that those seeking a proper appraisal go through a professional company.
Additionally, if you have a mortgage, you can likely contact your loan servicer or loan originator to inquire about a home appraisal. From there, your lender can decide, based on various factors, if it would be appropriate to hire an appraiser.
Cost of home appraisal in Orlando
A home appraisal in Orlando typically costs between $300 and $500, but the price can vary. Factors such as property type can play into the cost of the appraisal. Because future rental properties require certain conditions to be suitable for leasing, appraisals for rental properties tend to be more expensive.
Thus, a much more extensive examination is necessary for the appraisal report to be as accurate as possible. The location of your property can also contribute to an increased price. Your location within the city may also contribute to the price of your appraisal. Prices may vary if your home is in a high market area or an area that has recently undergone a lot of changes.
The age and condition of the property also play a role in the cost of your Orlando home appraisal. However, it does help to do some minor renovations and a thorough cleaning of the property before meeting with your property appraiser—even seemingly inconsequential things like a fresh coat of paint, a mowed lawn, and a well-tended flower bed.
Even steam-cleaning the carpeting and putting tiled flooring rather than vinyl in the kitchen can greatly reduce your appraisal cost. Essentially, getting your home “show ready,” as if you were showing it to a potential buyer, may help sway the appraiser in the direction you want them to go.
In addition to the age and condition of your home, your loan status plays a key factor in appraisal cost. A fully paid-off home has the potential to decrease your appraisal rate.
Orlando home appraisal timeline
So, you contacted your Orlando real estate appraiser. Now what? You may be asking yourself what to expect, and what the appraisal timeline will look like. You may be wondering when you will receive your property appraisal. Well, it only takes a few hours, and in some cases, even less, to prepare the appraisal report.
Conducting the appraisal itself only consists of a few steps and doesn’t take very much time at all. First, the appraiser carefully examines the internal and external areas of the house, taking pictures as they do so. The amount of time this takes can vary depending on the size of the home and the property. Then, all the information collected by the appraiser is compiled into an appraisal report.
However, keep in mind that it takes between two and ten business days to receive the appraisal results. Again, the size of the home and property will contribute to how long it takes for you to get the results.
The appraiser has to take all the information they have collected while conducting their report and examine that alongside market data in your area to determine a fair market value for your property.
What to know before hiring an Orlando home appraiser
Before reaching out to any agency, you need to know what type of appraiser you need to hire. Your choice should be based on factors such as residence type, budget, loan status, and location. Clients should feel free to browse listings and read customer reviews carefully.
Extensively researching appraisers’ posting listings rather than working through an agency is imperative, especially when considering the fact that, for an appraisal to be valid, it is mandatory for the appraiser conducting it to have the proper certifications and qualifications for the state of Florida.
If someone without the proper certification conducts an appraisal for you, it will not be viewed as a valid appraisal by the state of Florida.
While agencies are the safest option, they are not the only option, especially for lower-income sellers who are trying to budget as efficiently as possible. However, the safety net of an agency is not there, so you will need to take your own precautions.
Appraisal agencies do thorough background checks on their employees to ensure that they have the proper certifications to protect themselves from liability. If you choose not to go through an agency, it is critical to hire someone certified to appraise homes in the state of Florida.
There are various ways to protect yourself from scammers when looking through listings online. The easiest way to do this is to contact the Florida licensing board. It has a list of all the licensed appraisers in the state of Florida, and that list is publicly available.
Florida also has public records of any complaints filed against anyone on that list and the corresponding disciplinary action. Use that to your advantage. It can help greatly, especially if you aren’t going through an agency. Many would even recommend reading reviews for people working through appraisal agencies.
Summary of how to get an appraisal for your home in Orlando
With property values increasing in Orlando by as much as 30.1% in the last year, it is important to know how to get your home appraised, whether you are selling it or not.
The appraisal report process can be conducted entirely through appraisal agencies or by hiring a person who is certified and qualified to appraise homes in the state of Florida. The appraisal report is short and often takes only a matter of hours, if not less than that. Receiving your appraisal will take from two to ten business days.
The price for your appraisal can range from $300 to $500, with factors such as property conditions, location, loan status, and the type of residence taken into account. Small adjustments can make a difference in your property value! General upkeep and minor renovations can go a long way toward increasing your home’s market value.
