Looking for a good real estate appraiser in Tallahassee ?

There are many great local real estate appraisal firms in Tallahassee; most are full time professionals who take pride in their work.   In our opinion, the best appraisers are those who also stay in touch with the market, they do this by staying involved in the real estate community.  Publishing articles, researching the local market, communicating with Realtors and local builders are just some of the ways a good appraiser stays up to date on local trends and changes.  If you are trying to obtain a mortgage for refinance for the purchase of a home, your lender will choose an appraiser through a rotating list.   You cannot request a specific appraiser from that list or add anyone to the list, but you may want to ask a few questions of the lender, for example:

  • Who is on your list?
  • Are all of the appraisers on your list Full Time professionals, meaning they are not doing this as a side or after hours job ?
  • How long have the appraisers on your list been licensed by the State?
  • Am I guaranteed that a Certified appraiser will be coming to my house, or will a Trainee appraiser be inspecting the home without supervision?

Keep in mind that you can order an appraiser anytime for yourself directly from a local appraiser for any purpose.  You will be the intended user, that appraisal is confidential and does not have to be shared with anyone else.  The rotation is only necessary when you are obtaining a loan that will be sold on the secondary market to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, etc.  For portfolio (in-house) loans and home equity loans, some lenders order through rotation, others will directly choose the appraiser.