"The process was easy, and pricing options were provided up fromt. They gave clear instructions about what they needed for the appraisal. They provided an appraisal quickly, with a nice turn around time. I would call this company again next I need an appraisal."
"Martin's Appraisals conducted a professional and thorough appraisal in an expedient manner. I would highly recommend this business as a good value for your money."
We are committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests, and make their concerns the basis of our business.\n
"did a very thorough job. wasn't in any rush and explained the reason for everything she did.I felt very much at ease with this person,and would not hesitate to use this service again"
"I hired Jeffrey to give me an appraisal after I perform the number of upgrades on my home. Jeffrey was realistic, informative and very fair in his appraisal. I appreciated his willingness to walk me through the appraisal and to give me a true sense of the value of the property. I especially appreciated that he was conservative and fair. I'm certain this appraisal will stand the scrutiny of USDA and any Federal Bank. Sometimes appraisers work for the bank. I felt Jeffrey was protective of my interest. Jeffrey gave me confidence in me potential investment."
"Bob called almost as soon as we put our request into Home Advisors. We explained that we needed our rental home appraised but due to COVID-19, we needed an appraisal without entering the property. Bob said he could use pictures of the inside to complete the appraisal. Within 3 days we had a very thorough appraisal."
"Excellent service. Responsive, on-time, professional. No problems. Pricing was competitive but it was more about the quality of work for me. Good company. I think they are definitely worth recommending. I would hire them again."
"I wasn’t rushing into my home purchase and David was patient during the two years it took to land my home. I wasn’t sure what I wanted at the outset and David encouraged me to see a variety of property types and conditions. That helped hone in on what I wanted and we submitted a couple of offers along the way. The whole experience informed me of what was important to me and emphasized the need to act fast. So when a home I really liked went on the market just as I was headed out of town, David and I developed a strategy to make sure I didn’t lose out. Six months later and I still smile and think how much I love my new home every time I open the front door. (And I have great neighbors, too.) On top of his real estate expertise and familiarity with the area, David also leverages the technology to complete a contract quickly online. He took the time to answer every question and really walked me through the home-buying process."
Basement bedrooms can count toward your room count and the square footage of your home on an appraisal if they’re fully legal, which means they have proper ventilation and points of egress, as defined by your local building code. Simply partitioning off a space for a bedroom in an otherwise unfinished basement that isn’t a legal living space won’t affect your appraisal value.
Estate shutters are considered a high-end window treatment that increases home value. As previously mentioned, this project comes with an ROI of up to 75%. Shutters can also improve your home’s energy efficiency, especially if you choose PVC or faux wood shutters, which will lead to long-term savings on your energy bills.
While a finished basement adds value to your home, it is assigned a different value than space on the main floors. An appraiser will assess the square footage of a finished basement at about 50% to 60% of the value of the square footage for the rest of your home. Appraisal value for a finished basement depends on your location’s real estate market and the specifics of the basement and how it was finished.
Appraisals are not mandatory but are helpful for pricing accuracy and negotiation purposes.
Depending on the size of the home, the appraisal itself can take several hours. After the appraiser’s visit is complete, it can take between a few days and a few weeks to get the report back. This timeline is largely dependent on the appraiser’s workload, research requirements, efficiency, and other factors.
The Towson, MD homeowners’ guide to property appraisals
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Home appraisals are an important part of buying or selling a home and getting a mortgage loan. Learn more about home appraisal costs and what they include.
FHA loans are backed by the government and come with specific FHA appraisal guidelines and requirements. Learn what an FHA appraisal entails in this guide.
