A word for those thinking of buying or selling their homes.
One of the most important things to remember when you are thinking of purchasing a home in whether it be in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino of Orange County is the value is always changing. Whether a home increases or decreases in value depend on a number of factors including changing market conditions, how well the house has been maintained and any improvements made. Because there are so many variables it makes electronic appraisals often inaccurate.
A home or parcels value can only truly be valued by following the home appraisal procedure. The most important part of most real estate transactions is determining the value of a home. Pacific Hills Appraisal recommends that every homeowner whether they be in Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino or Orange County hire a licensed appraiser to perform an appraisal prior to placing there home on the market. In this way homeowners get an unbiased opinion of the value of your home.
When choosing an appraiser you should select the appraiser who is the most qualified to meet your appraisal needs. The most important step is to make sure the appraiser is currently licensed by the State of California. There are currently four appraiser license levels in the State of California. The licenses are:
Appraiser Trainee (needs a supervising appraiser to sign off on everything)
Residential Appraiser (this level can complete the appraisal of all residential properties up to four units and up to transaction value of 1 million dollars, can complete the appraisal non residential properties under $250,000)
Certified Residential Appraiser (this level can complete the appraisal of all residential properties up to four units and can complete the appraisal non residential properties under $250,00)
Appraiser General (Can complete the appraisal of all types of real estate)
Most lenders require an appraiser to have error and omissions insurance up to $500,000 so it always good to ask if an appraiser has this especially if the appraisal is for a loan. It always good that you make sure an appraiser is a member of at least one professional appraisal organizations such as the Appraisal Institute, the Appraisal Foundation of the American Society of Appraisers. If your looking for an appraiser in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino or Orange County a good place to look is the Southern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute.
Los Angeles County US Census Data
San Bernardino County US Census Data
Riverside County US Census Data
Real Estate Appraisal Resources
Having trouble finding data for your property? The links below have been provided to assist you in finding information about your property and the appraisal process. We hope you find these links helpful. Please email us if links are not working properly.
