Top 10 Ways to Avoid Low Appraisals

8. Make sure energy efficiency is valued on the appraisal

New houses with energy-saving features save home buyers money every month. They look for it in a home, and it’s a big reason they’ll choose one house over another. If you’re a green, high-performance builder, make sure the appraiser is designated to appraise energy-efficient homes, and provide the appraiser with all the specifications and benefits built into the home’s construction.

This is information that Crowe says he’s quick to point out about his homes, which are all Energy Star-compliant and tested by an independent, third-party company. He’s currently dealing with a case in which the energy efficiency of a new, Energy Star-compliant home was rated as comparable to a 15-year-old existing home. “They’re both listed as ‘typical’ on the energy efficiency,” he says. “That, to me, is a misstatement.”

It may not add as much value as it should on the appraisal, Mitchell says, but for some of his customers, it was enough to cover the cost of the hardwood floors and granite countertops they had selected.

 1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10