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Some appraisers hold a Member of the Appraisal Institute designation. This accolade is the highest credential property appraisers can earn. An MAI appraisal is typically used for commercial properties.

While your lender will likely recommend an appraiser, you can also hire a professional home appraiser on your own. Choose someone who is experienced in your type of residential property, and ensure they hold all of the necessary credentials that your state or region requires.

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.

An FHA appraisal is valid for 180 days from the effective date of the report. In some cases, you can have the appraisal recertified if you make your request before the original expires so that you still may obtain an FHA loan. If approved, your appraisal update is valid for one year.

In most cases, you can expect home automation to boost your home value. This technology makes the homeowner’s life easier and more comfortable, and some provide increased safety and protection. Buyers will likely recognize value in security systems and utility monitors, as well as comfort-focused upgrades that save on electric bills while keeping interior rooms at the desired temperature and humidity. On average, you can expect a 50% and 75% return on investment on home automation services, and potentially even more if the automation reduces homeowner’s insurance.