Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier seen from a residential deck

Rate and term, cash out and HELOC

Refinance
appraisals

We appraise homes for refinance loans and home equity lines across five Puget Sound counties, and homeowners can hire us privately before they apply. Call (425) 967-3498 or send the address through our quote form.

Who orders it

Who orders a refinance appraisal?

The lender or its AMC orders it to set the loan to value ratio, and we take those assignments throughout King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap and Thurston Counties. A homeowner can also hire us first, privately, to test whether a cash out amount is realistic. The lender will still order its own report.

A refinance has no contract price, so the appraisal carries the whole value question. Expect 7 to 10 days depending on scope, progress updates along the way, and the finished report on the day we commit to.

Condos and townhomes

Refinancing a condo or townhome?

We are very experienced with condos, townhomes and every other attached type. On these files the comparable search starts inside the same building or complex, because floor level, view and HOA dues can separate two sales by more than their square footage does.

For homeowners

How do I prepare for the appraiser?

List improvements since you bought, with rough dates: roof, windows, kitchen, baths, heating, finished space.
Have permits ready for additions and finished basements.
Open every room, the garage and any outbuildings.
Point out what can't be seen from the living room, such as a new sewer line, a seismic retrofit or a replaced electrical panel.

Clean and tidy is enough. Staging does not change the condition rating.

Questions

Refinance appraisal questions

How is a refinance appraisal priced?

By quote, since the property and scope drive the fee. Turn time runs 7 to 10 days for a typical file; call (425) 967-3498 or send the address through the quote form.

Will I get a copy of the report?

Yes. Under the CFPB's Regulation B rule (12 CFR 1002.14), on a first lien home loan the lender must give you a copy promptly when it is done or three business days before closing, whichever comes first.

Why did the value come in under what I expected?

Online estimates often run high, nearby sales may have softened, or an improvement returned less than it cost. If the report missed closed sales, ask the lender for a reconsideration; our reconsideration article explains how.

How long does a refinance appraisal stay valid?

The lender and loan program set that, not the appraiser. Ask your loan officer for the date that applies to your file.

Can I order one before I apply?

Yes, as a private appraisal. You get a number before paying for an application, and the lender orders its own report later.

Service areas