Lenders, Brokers and Loan Officer: Another Reason to Choose S. Brown & Company Appraisers

While I have over 20 years experience as a certified residential appraiser, I also had a fair amount of success as a mortgage broker from 1994 to 1999. Supervising 10 loan officers and brokering thousands of loans I understand what your needs are and those of your borrowers as well.

I know that you need to have your clients contacted promptly and that the process of setting the appointment should be with the utmost professionalism and courtesy. It’s also important to make the appraisal appointments as convenient as possible. When all possible, no one should have to take off a day from work to schedule an appraisal appointment. The appraiser should make appointments and be on time. It is unprofessional to be too late or too early. Phone calls avoid this problem. Appraisers should spend enough time in the home so that the client can see some real professional care and approach to gathering data to be used in evaluating the report. Maybe an appraiser can run through a house in 10 or 15, but that does not mean an appraiser should. Spending ten extra minutes in a home may not make the value any higher but it is guaranteed to make for a more thorough report and better appreciation of our service to the public. Appraisers when possible should engage the homeowner when completing performing an inspection. Compliment some aspect of the home. Let them know that this is not just another home and that you recognize some unique and appealing features. Sometime appraisers forget that we are guests in someone’s home and we need to be gracious, patient and friendly.

In my 20 years of appraisal experience I truly enjoy the inspection process. I enjoy meeting homeowners, and homebuyers and spending a little time getting to know not just the home but the people who made it a home. In some strange way as much as so many homes appear so similar there are so many unique things about homes once people live in them and make them their own.

When it comes to estimating the market value of a home…the good news is, is that I have never been blacklisted from any lender, nor reprimanded for unethical practice. I believe that I have a healthy philosophy of estimating the market value of the homes that leans toward the benefit of all parties. What does that mean? It means that there is a means of practicing the art of real estate appraising while helping achieve the goals and desires of the borrower, lender and or broker we maintain the integrity of the profession.