Some great hints to speed your appraisal along from McGraw Appraisals LLC

	By law, an appraiser must be licensed by the state to perform appraisals prepared for federally related transactions - i.e. transactions related to Fannie Mae, FDIC, etc. Contact us if you have any questions about the appraisal process.

To speed the appraisal process along as quickly as possible we generally recommend to have these documents, if available, ready for the appraiser:

• A survey or plot map of the property and building (if readily available).

• Records on the latest purchase of the property in the last three years.

• Written property agreements, such as a maintenance agreement for a shared driveway.

• List of personal property to be sold with the home.

• Any documents, such as a title policy with information on encroachments or easements encroachments or easements.

• Most recent real estate tax bill and or legal description of the property.

• Any inspection reports, or other recent reports for termites, EIFS (synthetic stucco) wall systems, septic systems and your well.

• A list of any major home improvements and upgrades, the amount of their purchase and date of their installation (for example, the addition of insulation or roof repairs) and permit confirmation (if available).

• A copy of the current listing agreement with broker's data sheet and purchase agreement if a sale is "pending".

• Any "Homeowners Associations" agreements or, if applicable, condo covenants or fees.

• A list of "proposed" improvements if the property is to be appraised "as complete".

Once your appraiser arrives, you do not need to escort them along on the entire site inspection, but is usually helpful be available to answer questions about your property and be willing to point out any home improvements.

Here are a few other tips:

• Accessibility: Appraisers are very thorough in their inspections. You should make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially the attic and crawl space.

• Housekeeping: Appraisers see quite a few of homes a year and will look past most clutter, but they're human beings too! A good impression can translate into a higher home value.

• Maintenance: We generally suggest repairing small things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

• FHA and VA Inspection Items: In the case of your borrower applying for either an FHA or VA loan, we strongly recommend to ask your appraiser if there are extra things that should be done before they come. Some items they may recommend might be: having handrails on all stairways, where paint is peeling it should be scraped and repainted, eliminating pull-chain lights in areas other than the basement or attic.