A home appraisal is an independent opinion of your home's value, performed by a licensed home appraiser. Appraisals are part of the traditional home purchase process, and lenders require them for most refinances, too. Appraisers Are Trained Professionals First, they derive a base for your home's value based on the recent sales prices of homes that are comparable to yours in terms of bedrooms, bathrooms, style, and square footage. Then, accounting for features and amenities that make your home different, the appraiser applies "adjustments" to that base value. This methodology is called the "Sales Comparison" approach and the result is your home's appraised value. It's the most common … [Read more...]