Question 1

What is a Home Appraisal?

Accepted Answer

A home appraisal from Statewide Property Valuation Services Inc. is a unbiased legally permissible  evaluation of the current or retrospective market value of a real property. A real property is defined as real estate. It is any improvement such as a residential or commercial building that is directly affixed to the land as well as the land it self.
 
 So when you get an appraisal done for your property the assessment takes into account the value of the land along with the value of the improvement (real estate).

Question 2

Why do I need an Appraisal

Accepted Answer

Among other reasons an appraisal primarily needs to be conducted in order for lenders to objectively assess a homes market value in order to ensure the money requested by a borrower is appropriate during the mortgage loan process.

Question 3

When do I have to pay for the Appraisal?

Accepted Answer

Desktop appraisals require full payments immediately after the request is sent due to the lack of need for a site visit for this type of appraisal and very low turn-around time. 
 
Drive-By and Full Appraisals require the Full appraisal fee immediately after the appraisal inspection has been conducted. To ensure a fast turn-around time for your appraisal please have payments ready upon completion of the inspection.
 
For faster turn-around times for reports you can pay upon completeion of the appraisal request.

Question 4

How can I pay for the Appraisal?

Accepted Answer

All appraisal’s can be paid for in 5 ways, Cash, Electronic E-mail Transfers, Credit Cards, Certified Cheque or Paypal. 
 
Please note that all Credit card and Paypal payments are subject to a 3% surcharge.

Question 5

What is invovled in the Appraisal Process?

Accepted Answer

Desktop:
After the initial appraisal request we will get in contact with you to confirm the details of your request. Once confirmed the appraisal research will begin and completed as soon as possible and sent to the appropriate party.
 
Drive-by:  
Once the details of the request are confirmed a licensed appraiser will begin their preliminary market research after which they will visit the site as soon as possible to conduct the exterior inspection. No appointment is necessary for this type of appraisal as the inspection is limited to only the exterior. Once the inspection is done they will then complete the market research necessary to finalize the report and submit it to the appropriate party. 
 
Full: 
Once the details of the request are confirmed we will use the details provided in the request to get in contact with the necessary party in order to set up a date and time that works best to allow the licensed appraiser to visit and inspect the interior and exterior of the property.Prior to visiting the site the appraiser will conduct preliminary market research and once the inspection is complete they will then complete the market research necessary for finalizing the report and submitting it to the appropriate lender/party.

Question 6

How can I prepare for an Appraisal

Accepted Answer

(only applies to Full Service Residential Appraisals) 
Due to the fact that the appraiser must enter the property to fulfill the requirements of a Full Service Appraisal Report, please ensure that every room and floor is accessible and all interior doors are unlocked. Please be advised inaccessible areas that are necessary to inspect for the completion of the report will be required to be visited at another scheduled date when they are accessible and the clients are subject to a revisitation fee. 
 
If there are tenants living within the residence it is your responsibility to ensure they are aware of an inspection at least 24 hours prior to the visit. If an appraiser is denied access to the tenanted property or tenanted living corridors the inspection will not be complete and a revisit will most likely be necessary. 
 
The appraiser will have to inspect all utilities such as the Furnace, Electrical panel, etc. so it is best to ensure they are accessible during the visit.
 
Lastly, please familiarize yourself with our appraisal arrangemnts page. It includes details not provided in this answer.

Question 7

How do I know which type of appraisal is best for my needs?

Accepted Answer

The type of appraisal that is best for your needs all depends on the needs of your lender. Please refer to them when inquring which type of appraisal you should order.

Question 8

What is your service area?

Accepted Answer

The areas we service are Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Orangeville, Milton, Oakville, Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge,  Vaughan, Barrie, New Market, Richmond Hill, Markham, Scarborough, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa.

Question 9

What if the property to be appraised is not in the service area?

Accepted Answer

If the property you wish to have appraised is not listed in our service area, is not a subdistrict within the service areas listed and is not within the highlighted service map please send us an email at XXXXXXX@XXXX.com and provide some detail regarding the property you wish to have appraised and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Question 10

How can I cancel an appraisal request?

Accepted Answer

All appraisal cancelation requests must be sent in by e-mail to XXXXXXX@XXXX.com. Please be advised that all cancellations are not confirmed until you receive a reply in the form of a confirmation email regarding the cancellation.

Question 11

What if I don't agree with the appraisal report?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately many times clients are un happy with the valuation given for the subject property and it is very common among the appraisal profession. We assure you that valuation given is always the most honest and accurate assessment of market value. 
 
We cannot offer a refund based on the discontent a client may have on the assessment given for the reason that we cannot refund the service given to the client. 
 
We are more than happy to discuss the appraisal report with all clients to help them understand how and why the specific valuation was given so they are more aware of the influences on value for future reference.

Question 12

My lending institution is sending their own appraiser, can I hire you instead?"

Accepted Answer

Many banks already have many appraisal companies they are affiliated with and all requests for appraisals by the bank are randomly sent to one of the appraisers from these companies to help remove and biases. However, it is best to ask your bank representative whether you can use an appraisal report from our company for lending purposes. Or if you disagree with the valuation given to your property by the bank appraiser you can hire us to help challenge that report.

Question 13

Why do you take pictures inside the property?

Accepted Answer

We primarily take pictures within the subject property to help convey a better understanding of the fixtures, amenities and overall condition of the property to the lenders.

Question 14

Do you need to take pictures of the property?

Accepted Answer

Exterior photos of the property are always a necessary aspect of the appraisal. However, it is not necessary to take pictures within the property for a full appraisal. Although it is generally beneficial for the client to allow the appraiser to photograph the subject property as it allows them to refer back to the photos to get a better understanding of the property and help gauge a more accurate value. Furthermore it provides lenders with an in depth view of the property to better meet your lending needs. If you wish to not have the interiors of the subject property photographed then you must indicate so in writing during the inspection. We are not held responsible for anything that my occur as a result of declining to have the property photographed.

Question 15

Do you appraise commercial buildings as well?

Accepted Answer

We do not appraise commercial buildings. We focus our expertise solely on the appraisal of residential properties at this time.

Question 16

How long is the appraisal inspection?

Accepted Answer

This only applies to full residential appraisals. The inspection can last anywhere from 15-45 minutes or more. Depending on the size of the property larger homes and lots can generally take longer as the appraiser must complete a sketch map of the residence on site. To ensure a fast and smooth inspection please ensure all rooms are accessible for the appraiser to visit and if there are tenants to let them know at least 24 hours prior to the visit of the inspection.

Question 17

What is the average turn around time for an appraisal report?

Accepted Answer

After the initial inspection is completed the appraisal report can take anywhere from 2-5 business days to complete to ensure that a thorough level of market research is conducted to help ensure the accuracy of the valuations given to each and every report.

Question 18

What are the methods used to assess property values?

Accepted Answer

There are two common appraisal methods used for residential properties:
 
Sales Comparison Approach 
The appraiser estimates a subject property's market value by comparing it to similar properties that have sold in the area. The properties used are called comparables.
No two properties are exactly alike, so the appraiser must compare the comparables to the subject property, making paperwork adjustments to the comparables in order to make their features more in-line with the subject property's. The result is a figure that shows what each comparable would have sold for if it had the same components as the subject.
 
Cost Approach 
The cost approach is most useful for new properties, where the costs to build are known. The appraiser estimates how much it would cost to replace the structure if it were destroyed.

Question 19

What does an appraisal report include?

Accepted Answer

Appraisals are very detailed reports, but here are a few things they include:
Details about the subject property, along with side-by-side comparisons of three similar properties.
An evaluation of the overall real estate market in the area.
Statements about issues the appraiser feels are harmful to the property's value, such as poor access to the property.
Notations about seriously flawed characteristics, such as a crumbling foundation.
An estimate of the average sales time for the property.
What type of area the home is in (a development, stand alone acreage, etc.).

Question 20

What is Market Rent?

Accepted Answer

Upon Request all appraisal reports can be accompanied by specific market rent data for the property being appraised. Market Rent is the rent amount a willing landlord might reasonably expect to receive, and a willing tenant might reasonably expect to pay, for a tenancy. It is based off of detailed market research of similar properties in similar areas  to justify the plausible rent charged.
Market rent is a useful guide for applicants/ladlords who wish to be aware of the possible rent that could be retained for a given property and/or its second living unit.

Question 21

Is the appraisal inspection similar to a home inspection?

Accepted Answer

Typically they have some similarities but in their purpose and impact, they are different.  A Home Inspection is conducted to prepare a report for the interested parties to identify issues, concerns, maintenance & repairs required with the property.  A qualified home inspector will be familiar with electrical, plumbing, construction and HVAC features, will test and  make specific comments and recommendations on the function and condition of the various components of the property.  An appraisal inspection generally will be less intrusive and will make note of required repairs, age and apparent functioning of the components of the property but generally will do so to form an opinion required in comparing the subject property to other sold dwellings in the neighbourhood in order to contribute to a conclusion of Subject current market value.

Question 22

What is livable floor area?

Accepted Answer

Finished livable area above grade and with a room or crawl space beneath it.  For example, finished area on slab above grade and with nothing but concrete and earth beneath it is not considered livable Floor Area;  Cathedral ceiling foyer or family room is only counted as Livable Floor Area on the one level, not the level above.

Question 23

How does property assessed value differ from the appraised value?

Accepted Answer

For Ontario, assessed value is arrived at by Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) and it is determined by a statistical model with input of information concerning your property called inventory and MLS sales from Ontario Multiple Listing (MLS) Services.  The recent Assessment date was January 1, 2008 and the Assessment Value of all property at this time is used to determine property tax shares.  Appraised value will be typically for the date inspected and is conducted by a qualified Appraiser to arrive at a conclusion of Final Estimate of Value or Appraised Value.

Question 24

What is a Expedited/Rush appraisal request?

Accepted Answer

An Expedited/Rush appraisal request is simply a request with extremely low turn-around time. The purpose of this is to ensure appraisal reports are submitted in a timely manner within the strict time constrainst of the client. An example would be expediting an appraisal in order to submit a report prior to closing to ensure financing is received.

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