Appraisal Blog
Articles on residential real estate appraisals in Phoenix / Maricopa County, Arizona: estate and date-of-death appraisals, pre-listing and private appraisals, desktop and exterior appraisals, and the local market.
-
Estate & Date-of-Death Appraisals: What Families Need to Know
What a date-of-death (retrospective) appraisal is, when an estate may need one, and what families can expect from the process in the Phoenix area.
-
The Biggest Change to Residential Appraisals in Years: Understanding UAD 3.6
What the UAD 3.6 redesign of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac appraisal reporting means for homeowners, buyers and lenders, and what it does not change.
-
Residential Solar Panels or Solar Systems; Do They Add Value to the Appraisal?
How leased, financed and owned residential solar systems are treated in an appraisal, and when solar can add contributory value to an Arizona home.
-
Computer Generated Residential Real Estate Appraisals, Have They Failed?
Why AI and computer-generated home valuations fell short, and why an individual appraisal still matters for buyers and homeowners in Maricopa County.
-
Ordering a Personal Appraisal for your Home "Who Needs Them?"
The pros and cons of ordering a private appraisal before listing or buying a home, from an appraiser who works in the Maricopa County market.
-
The Real Estate Market Is Changing, Part II
Why rising mortgage rates, not a housing bubble, pushed home prices down in 2022, with a worked affordability example at 3.5% and 7% rates.
-
The Real Estate Market Is Changing
The 2022 housing frenzy appears to be over. What appraisers were seeing in Maricopa County as multiple offers, bidding wars and fast sales slowed down.
-
Desktop Appraisal Sketches Take Two
We tested a smartphone floor plan app against our own ANSI-standard measurement of the same home. The results, with both sketches side by side.
-
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Desktop Appraisal Option (Is this a Disaster for Consumers)
An appraiser's opinion on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac desktop appraisal option: how it works, why it was offered and what it may mean for consumers.
-
Exterior Appraisals, How to Maximize the Value of Recent Interior Improvements, by Jason Clow
How homeowners can share recent interior improvements with the appraiser when a lender orders an exterior-only appraisal, so the work is considered.
-
COVID 19, Appraisals, and Appraisal Inspections
Our March 2020 guidance on appraisal inspections during COVID-19: what the appraiser does and how homeowners can help keep everyone safe.
-
Appraisal Waivers (Risks and Rewards)
What appraisal waivers are, when lenders use them, and the risks a buyer takes when a home is purchased without an appraisal, with local examples.