LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- What Do You Do with a Low Appraisal? The expert real estate team at Realtypin.com recently published an article that explained how the home appraisal works – and how rapidly-rising prices in some cities are having a negative effect on the process. So, what do you do if your appraisal comes in much lower than you had anticipated?

1.  Make sure your appraiser has the right credentials, right from the start
In some cases, problems arise because lenders are using appraisers that don't have all of the qualifications that they should. So, if you want to prevent problems from occurring in the first place, make sure that the appraiser assigned to your case is a certified residential appraiser AND has some sort of professional designation (those are the "fancy letters" listed on his business card, after his name). If you didn't find out who the appraiser was (or what his qualifications were) beforehand, do some homework afterwards. If it turns out that he didn't meet these criteria, demand a do-over.

Home improvement tips from RealtyPin.com: How to Create the Perfect Master Suite

2.  Make sure your appraiser is local
Even an expert appraiser can make mistakes if he's not familiar with the area. For example, an appraiser from Northern California may not realize just how fast some of the prices are rising in Southern California. So, if he looks at information that's more than a few weeks old, he may inadvertently place a value on your Orange County home that's too low. Generally speaking, if your appraiser isn't from the same county your home is in (or the next county over), he can't possibly know enough about the local housing market to make an expert assessment on the value of your home – especially at a time when prices are changing so quickly!

RealtyPin.com housing news: Fannie Mae And The Housing Market's Recovery

3.  Make sure your appraiser understands the local foreclosure/short sale market
Even though the number of "distressed" homes is going down around the country, foreclosures and short sales still make up a big chunk of the homes for sale – and drag down the median sales price in the process! So, if your appraiser simply looks at the median sales numbers and calls it a day, your appraisal is going to come in much lower than it should. A legitimate appraisal will take those distressed sales into account.

Mortgage advice from RealtyPin.com: Buying a House Without a Mortgage?

4.  Make sure you and the seller are on the same page
After all, it's in both of your best interests to get this issue resolved. If it isn't, the odds of you being able to buy the house are slim! So, work together to get it sorted out. One great way to do it is to dig out the appraisal that the seller got when they first listed the home. Remember, smart sellers get their own appraisal first to determine a fair market value for the home. So, you can always use that appraisal to make your case with your lender's appraisal!

Media Contact: James Paffrath RealtyPin.com, 1-(866) 960-8649, james@realtypin.com
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE RealtyPin.com