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Answers (5)
Best Answer
- Scobe
- Contributions:47
Maybe he didn't measure your house correctly, did this effect your appraised value? if so you need to have your loan officer dispute the appraisal and you can call your local appraisal commision. but to make sure your public tax record shows what your correct SF is and the first appraiser could have been wrong. (Goggle tax assessment's for your area you should be able to put your address and tax record will show). square footage is measured from the outer portion of your house, however some portions of your house can be different.
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
- David Villanueva, "dlvappraiser2"
- Contributions:4
If you had the home appraised for lending purposes, then the appraiser should have measured around the outside of the permitted heated living space (not for a condo, in which case the inside measurements are used). Beware that if you had an addition that was not permitted and/or was inferior in quality, appeal or functionality from the rest of the house, then the appraiser also may not have included it for any of those reasons. Nornally, such areas would be given a partial value somewhere below the price per SF of the living area.
For lending purposes, the appraiser should conforms to the lending guidelines for measurements and additions, i.e., FNMA, FHA, etc.
Some lenders will accept an appraisal with an unpermitted addition counted as living area even if there are not permits, as long as the appraiser makes a statement similar to, "the addition appears to completed in a professional and workmanlike manner, conforms to the original house and has adequate heating (or cooling in very hot locales). Normally, an appraiser would not do that unless it is a relatively small area that is well built and has minimal electrical and plumbing (you can guess why!).
It could also be that you got yourself an appraiser who just messed up, either the first of the second one. (Naw, that could never happen.)
Hope that sheds some light.
For lending purposes, the appraiser should conforms to the lending guidelines for measurements and additions, i.e., FNMA, FHA, etc.
Some lenders will accept an appraisal with an unpermitted addition counted as living area even if there are not permits, as long as the appraiser makes a statement similar to, "the addition appears to completed in a professional and workmanlike manner, conforms to the original house and has adequate heating (or cooling in very hot locales). Normally, an appraiser would not do that unless it is a relatively small area that is well built and has minimal electrical and plumbing (you can guess why!).
It could also be that you got yourself an appraiser who just messed up, either the first of the second one. (Naw, that could never happen.)
Hope that sheds some light.
- medicareman
- Contributions:3
Scobe,
It did affect the appraised value. The appraiser states right in the report that the county records show square footage as 1344, and per county sketch it shows longer and wider, but that he is relying on his measurement, which he states tends to be more accurate. Also, he did not include our attic in the room count or total living space, even though it is newly finished and heated. He states square footage as 1025, well below the county records. BTW-Zillow shows the house at 113,400, his appraisel was 100k. Zillow's value would have meant we got the loan we wanted with no out of pocket at closing. As it stands, we would have to come to closing with over 8k. Thank you scobe for your answer.
It did affect the appraised value. The appraiser states right in the report that the county records show square footage as 1344, and per county sketch it shows longer and wider, but that he is relying on his measurement, which he states tends to be more accurate. Also, he did not include our attic in the room count or total living space, even though it is newly finished and heated. He states square footage as 1025, well below the county records. BTW-Zillow shows the house at 113,400, his appraisel was 100k. Zillow's value would have meant we got the loan we wanted with no out of pocket at closing. As it stands, we would have to come to closing with over 8k. Thank you scobe for your answer.
- Lorin Mierzwa, "Lorin3"
- Contributions:12
Just because the area is heated and has air is not entirely true. A garage may have heat and air but not counted because of the construction is not the same as the main home and yet you could have completely redone the back patio and enclosed it with the same material as the main house and count that in with your square footage.. Another example is a basement that has heat and air, but block walls which can't be counted. Or if the the heated area is below the ground level the price per square foot is lower then the main home. Maybe home values are $125.00 per sq.ft.in your area but the lower levels maybe @ $50.00-$75.00 per sq.ft. Then there is the court records that use the outside measurements only. But in some cases I have come across the appraiser wasn't that good so I would be present at the time and show what I have for comps. and what the sellers have done and have gotten a higher value for my sellers.
Good luck!
Realto from Tennessee
Good luck!
Realto from Tennessee
- Rod Dennis, "Rod Dennis No Fees"
- Contributions:29
The areas of a home that can be considered in the square footage are any areas of the home that are Air Conditioned and Heated. Typically, room additions that are actually modifications of other areas are not counted, for example, an enclosed carport or back patio area are not counted. Certainly measurement mistakes could have been made by either of the appraisers. Measure it yourself and do the math, then you will have an idea which appraiser was wrong.
How is a homes square footage measured?
We just had our home appraised and the appraiser knocked 200 sq ft off last appraisel and what is documented. Why did he do that?
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