Contact Your Lender to Dispute the Appraisal
If you have the comps and other supporting information that demonstrate the appraisal is inaccurate, contact your lender to dispute the home appraisal, often known as a reconsideration of value, or ROV.
A sales contract with a kick-out clause allows you to continue marketing and showing the property. If by the kick-out clause date you find another buyer willing to pay the sales price despite the lower appraised value, you can 'kick out' the original buyer and accept the new offer.
If the appraisal comes in lower than your offer, it means the lender may not be willing to finance the full amount you agreed to pay because they consider the property to be worth less than that amount. In such cases, there are generally a few options:
If you don't agree with the original appraiser's valuation, you and your real estate agent can request another appraiser. Typically, you'll have to pay for this yourself. However, the downside is that it doesn't guarantee a different nor higher market value of your house.
Just keep your communication to the appraiser about the facts of the home and neighborhood, how you priced the house, and any other relevant information you think the appraiser should know. And remember, don't discuss value. Don't pressure the appraiser to 'hit the value' and you'll be fine.
These are common questions that many appraisers have. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers. They are all dependent on the specifics of the situation. That being said, appraisers can be sued for several reasons, including negligence, errors and oversight, failure to notice underlying issues, or even fraud.
In the world of property purchases, it's pretty standard for the sales price listed on the contract to be on par with the appraised value. This makes sense, as the agreed price usually mirrors the going rates in the current market.
If a home is appraised to be higher than the asking price, the lender will only issue a mortgage for the appraisal amount. This leaves the borrower to either cover the remaining cost on their own or return to searching for a home with a listed price that matches the appraised value.
The above issues might seem concerning but, according to Fannie Mae, “the vast majority of appraisals confirm contract price.” In fact, they come back low less than 10% of the time. So, chances are, you won't run into this issue.
Yahoo Finance tip: Your purchase contract must include an appraisal contingency, which states you can back out if the appraised amount is too low. Otherwise, you will forfeit the earnest money you put into the deal if you walk.
Buyers get the appraisal report close to the closing date (at least 3 days before closing day). After the appraiser inspects the home, he submits the appraisal report to the lender. The lender reviews the report and will send it to the buyer.
Utilize An Appraisal Contingency And Walk Away
If the buyer can't come up with more cash and the seller won't lower the price, the buyer may have no choice but to back out of the sale.
Consumers have the option of filing a complaint regarding their appraisal or evaluation directly with their lender, or through the lender's federal regulator. Visit HelpWithMyBank.gov for more information about how to contact your lender's regulator and how to file an appraisal complaint.
If you review the assessment objectively and feel it is off-base, write a rebuttal or provide comments on your performance appraisal. State clearly why you disagree with the evaluation. A rebuttal aims to add a permanent record to your current review.
The seller often does not generally get a copy of the appraisal, but they can request one. The CRES Risk Management legal advice team noted that an appraisal is material to a transaction and like a property inspection report for a purchase, it needs to be provided to the seller, whether or not the sale closes.
Can the seller back out if the appraised value is too high? The conditions of the offer contract will determine when the buyer and seller can back out of the purchase. However, the seller may simply want to renegotiate if the appraised value comes back significantly higher than the selling price.
More often than not, an appraisal comes in around what the seller expected. According to Fannie Mae, the vast majority of appraisals confirm contract price, with the share peaking at 98% in 2007. Following increased appraisal scrutiny, the share dropped towards 90% and is now closer to 95%.
Do appraisers look in cabinets? No, appraisers typically don't look inside cabinets, but they do need to check the condition and functionality of the kitchen and other rooms. Any visible signs of damage or wear can affect the appraisal value.
If your appraised value is lower than the agreed upon sales price, you'll have to make up the difference in cash, or cancel the deal.
The appraiser will most likely know the selling price of a home. Why? Because the standard appraisal forms require the appraiser to enter the information, thus the appraiser will have a copy of the purchase contract. However, unlike the purchase price, an appraiser does not know the loan amount.
If you have the evidence to prove the appraisal is inaccurate, contact your lender and request a value appeal. Although appraisers rarely change their valuation, providing the proper documentation to prove your case will help.
Some of the factors that make a performance appraisal unfair are personal biases, comparing employees, changing standards, limited feedback, and a lack of training. Performance appraisals can have a detrimental effect on employees if unfairly conducted.