Divorce Appraisal

 

With nearly twenty years of experience in the appraisal business, we’re often involved in the happiest and, sometimes, the saddest events of our clients’ lives.  If you need an appraisal for a divorce, we’ll be there for you with care, professionalism, and accuracy.

What’s the difference between an appraisal completed for mortgage lending, and an appraisal completed for divorce?

The appraisal process itself is the same for all appraisal work. The difference is in the details, such as the desired effective date of the valuation.

Our estimate of market value will aid in the decision to either sell the property and split the proceeds, or have one spouse buy the other spouse out. If the purpose of the appraisal is to aid in the division of assets, we would like to point out that the appraised value does not reflect the ultimate net proceeds to the seller. An appraised value simply reflects gross sales price.

Should you trust an appraisal that was ordered by your spouse?

That depends. Do you trust your spouse to order a fair and impartial appraisal? Do you know the appraiser? Can you verify, through knowledgeable professionals, the appraiser’s reputation for honesty and integrity? If not, it may be in your best interest to have Gwinnett County Home Appraiser send out one of our expert real estate appraisers. Ask around. You’ll hear about our reputation for honesty, objectivity, and integrity.

What if my spouse and I each have our own appraisal?

If there are two appraisals, the value conclusions should be within 5% of each other. If they are not, that means that one of the appraisals is incorrect. In this is the case, we suggest that an impartial party (such as the judge) select a third appraiser. The third appraisal should fall within 5% of one of the original appraisals. We suggest that the “outlier report” be thrown out. Then you may average the two appraisals that fall within 5% of each other for a basis for a settlement figure.

By definition, appraised value reflects the most probable sales price of the subject property. There are numerous seller expenses that are commonly associated with the sale of a property. These often include advertising, property maintenance, marketing expenses, realtor commissions, title insurance, taxes, attorney fees, and other miscellaneous closing costs typically due to the seller. We recommend that the users of a divorce appraisal report are knowledgeable of all costs and consider them when calculating a specific settlement.

At Gwinnett County Home Appraiser, our appraisers have the experience required to complete divorce appraisal assignments with the utmost level of professionalism. Regardless of whether the divorce appraisal is ordered by an attorney, an individual involved, or an accountant, the assignment will be performed completely unbiased, guaranteeing a fair valuation for all parties involved.

Contact Gwinnett County Home Appraiser today with any questions. We have the experience and qualifications to meet all your appraisal needs.