Once you decide to put your home on the market, an appraisal is essential. An appraisal can help determine your home’s market value and ensure that both buyers and lenders don’t overpay. While the ...

A home appraisal is used to determine the value of a property when buying a home, refinancing or cashing out equity. Getting a professional appraisal effectively protects the homebuyer and mortgage ...

When I wrote my Sunday column about home appraisals, some people noticed that I only addressed half of the issue. A reader named Wayne explains in an email: “With respect to your column on low ...

Home appraisals are critical to the home buying and selling process. While they’re one of the best opportunities for an objective party outside the deal to assess a home’s true value, they can also ...

NEW YORK, June 20 (Reuters) - A home appraiser testified this week that he was dropped by Washington Mutual Inc during the U.S. housing boom because he failed to pump up home prices. Giving evidence ...

Years of homeowner horror stories and a growing body of research has cast a harsh light on how frequently racial bias can skew home appraisals. It's an industry that's dominated by white men whose ...

Get guidance from trusted mortgage experts. Most homeowners refinance for financial reasons, such as to lock in a lower interest rate or switch from an adjustable- to a fixed-rate loan. Refinancing ...

Desktop appraisals, in which an appraiser never meets a homeowner, could reduce discriminatory practices, such as undervaluing homes owned by Black people. By Debra Kamin The majority of appraisals on ...

Lenders require appraisals for home equity loans and HELOCs to reduce the risk of default and ensure they can recover the loan amount if borrowers do not repay. Home ...

Real estate appraiser Jack Sonceau (right) and his trainee, Devin Minnis, assess a rowhome in Baltimore. (Shuran Huang for NPR) Real estate appraiser Jack Sonceau (left) and his trainee, Devin Minnis, ...