Active Appraisal Services

read moreWith over 100 years of combined appraisal experience, we are the leading provider of property valuation in the real estate mortgage industry - specializing in residential and commercial property. No property is too small or too intricate. We promise hard work, an ethical approach, resulting in a valuation you can count on. We appraise all residential property types, from large single-family homes along the coast; to high-rise condominium to multi-family; acreage along the bay to large single-family lots in the growing suburbs around Milwaukee.

read moreA home purchase is the largest transaction most people will ever encounter. Whether it's a primary residence, a second vacation property or an investment, purchasing real property is an involved transaction that requires multiple people working in concert to pull it all off. You're likely to be familiar with the parties having a role in the transaction. The most familiar face in the transaction is the real estate agent. Then, the lender provides the money required to fund the exchange. The title company makes sure that all details of the sale are completed and that a clear title passes from the seller to the buyer.

read moreUSPAP, which you might hear pronounced like "YOOS-pap, " is the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. USPAP is published and maintained by the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) of the Appraisal Foundation, a non-governmental entity charged by Congress with promulgating appraisal standards. USPAP is revised periodically, usually every year. It begins with a list of Definitions, and a Preamble defining the mission. It then declares a set of general Rules governing all disciplines of appraisal practice: The Ethics Rule, the Competency Rule, the Scope of Work Rule, the Jurisdictional Exception Rule, and the Supplemental Standards Rule.

read moreEven if you've hired the most experienced agent, it's definitely in your best interest to also have an "objective" third-party's opinion of value prior to signing a Listing Agreement. That's where we come in! We can do a pre-listing appraisal so both you and your agent have an accurate description of your home's features and a detailed analysis of the most recent and similar comparable sales or "comps". Many people are surprised when they find out that the market value of their house is a lot more than they'd planned, so investing in a professional appraisal actually allowed these people to receive several thousand more dollars than they thought they would when their home was sold.

read moreThere are three ways to determine the value of anything, and each plays a part in property appraisal. The most widely-used and accepted in residential practice is the sales comparison approach. This approach bases its opinion of value on what similar properties in the vicinity have sold for recently, with appropriate adjustments for time, acreage, living area, amenities and so on. It is these adjustments where the expertise of the professional appraiser becomes necessary -- no computer can tell you how much or little to mark up for a fireplace without knowing the neighborhood or even talking to Realtors and recent buyers in the area about how important that amenity is in that particular location.

read moreHave you heard an appraiser use any of these terms? Did you just hear one of our appraisers use it and you came here to figure out what it meant? We don't mean to speak a foreign language, but any profession has its jargon. What res ipsa loquitur is to a lawyer and triple witching is to day traders, external obsolescence is to appraisers. When comparable properties have been identified, the appraiser makes adjustments to the Sales Price of each of the comparables to bring them into equivalency with the subject property, accounting for differences in location, construction quality, living area, acreage, frontage, amenities and the like.

read moreWe've made a name for ourselves in providing excellent appraisals that attorneys and accountants have come to depend on. There are required needs for everyone; we are sympathetic to these needs and are familiar with dealing with all parties involved. We provide appraisal reports that exceed the obligations of the legal system and assorted agencies. Commonly, settling an estate requires a detailed appraisal report to establish market value for the property to the satisfaction of the parties involved.

read moreIt doesn't matter what type of home is in question. Our knowledge of local neighborhoods and formal training as certified appraisers make us qualified to provide home appraisal in southeastern Wisconsin for clients ranging from national mortgage companies to local lenders or individual businesses and consumers.