Transfer of ownership typically involves a mortgage, and an appraisal usually is required before a home loan is approved. Lending institutions may require an appraisal of property that will be used as security for a mortgage, and this opinion of value plays a key role in mortgage application approval and the amount of down payment required. A recent bulletin from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recommends new guidelines for national banks and federal savings institutions regarding their

In our over twenty-five years of appraisal experience, we have noticed that we are often involved in the happiest and, unfortunately sometimes, the saddest events of many peoples’ lives. We are with you when you buy your first home. We are there when you move up to the home large enough for your growing family, and finally, we are there when you buy that retirement home in the country or on the beach. Sometimes though, life throws an un-expected curve

Should you trust an appraisal that was ordered by your spouse? That depends. Do you trust your spouse to order a fair and impartial appraisal? Do you know the appraiser? Can you verify, through knowledgeable appraisal users, the appraiser’s reputation for honesty and integrity? If not, it may be in your best interest to have Brubaker and Associates send out one of our knowledgeable real estate appraisers. Ask around. You’ll hear about our reputation for honesty, objectivity and integrity. We

The complexity of the values associated with REO appraisals requires significant skill and market knowledge by the appraiser. Additionally, REO appraisals may present some rather unique access challenges. Most of the time REO properties have been abandoned by the owners and are now vacant. Since they are often un-occupied, some of these properties have been vandalized and may be hazardous to enter. Some are no longer locked and secured. A few, particularly in the winter, have picked up some “un-authorized