What makes our Divorce Appraisal service stand apart?
- Diligent research and analysis, thoughtfully and clearly presented in appraisals that are trustworthy and credible.
- Sensitivity to the marriage dissolution process.
- Stringent adherence to confidentially.
- Ongoing support of the appraisal after delivery, and post appraisal needs, such as court testimony and consultation.
What is the difference between an appraisal for a divorce and an appraisal for a mortgage?
Sometimes there is very little difference, and other times they can be very different.
Mortgage lenders often put restrictions and requirements on the appraiser with their goal being first to ensure the sale of the loan they are funding in the secondary mortgage market, and appraisal accuracy being of secondary importance. An example includes limits on net and gross adjustments to the comparable sales. In theory, the most similar comparable sales should be considered and lower net and gross adjustments will naturally result. In practice, most appraisers apply minimal adjustments to make satisfying the parameters easy, and instead they leave a broad range of adjusted comparable sale prices, and, indefensibly, select a value that lies within that range as the appraised value. In court we have been able to show how this commonly applied appraisal technique is less credible than our diligently and painstakingly developed adjustments.
There are many such examples, and appraisers who have not specialized in divorce appraisals, as we have, often are so ingrained in common mortgage industry limitations that they do not produce the most credible appraisals in divorce situations.
Divorce appraisals also sometimes have special requirements uncommon of appraisals for mortgages. A good example includes backdated appraisals, also called retrospective appraisals. We have produced more than a thousand of these appraisals, with effective dates as many as 28 years in the past.
How much does a Divorce Appraisal cost?
We do not charge differently for Divorce Appraisals and our typical appraisal fees apply. Our Standard Appraisal is the most commonly ordered for divorce, which is $395 for most properties, but some client's find the Consumer Appraisal to be adequate, which is $365. However, we do not suggest the Consumer Appraisal, except in the most amicable of marriage dissolutions.
We are happy to answer any and all questions to assist you in deciding on the best service for your situation, so please complete our online Contact Request Form, email us at brian@brianward.com, or give us a call at
(888) 844-1733 for a free no-pressure consultation.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.