FAQ

Fees are quoted flat before engagement — no hourly billing, no surprises. The fee depends on property complexity, effective date, and scope of assignment. Request a quote and I'll respond within one business day.

Litigation assignments are scoped separately and may include report preparation, deposition preparation, and testimony time. Request a quote with the contact form — I respond within one business day.

Standard residential assignments complete within 5–7 business days from the date of inspection. Rush turnaround (48–72 hours) is available on select assignments for an additional fee.

Retrospective and estate assignments may take longer depending on how far back the effective date falls and how much historical market data needs to be gathered.

No. The quoted fee covers the full assignment: inspection, research, analysis, and the final report. There are no line-item charges for individual steps unless the scope changes materially after engagement begins.

Direct engagement means you contract with the appraiser personally — not through a third-party ordering platform. You communicate directly, know exactly who is doing the work, and receive the report from the licensed appraiser who signed it.

This is the standard for litigation, estate, divorce, and private assignments where the client relationship and appraiser identity matter.

For federally related loans (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, USDA), appraisals must be ordered through specific channels under current regulation.

Private appraisals are fully usable for: hard money lenders, private party notes, seller financing, portfolio lenders who choose to accept them, cash purchase analysis, and any non-federally-backed transaction.

A litigation-grade appraisal is developed under USPAP with the expectation that it will be scrutinized by opposing counsel, reviewed by another appraiser, and potentially presented in court or mediation.

That means the methodology is fully documented, comparable selection is defensible, all adjustments are supported, and the appraiser can explain and stand behind every conclusion under cross-examination.

Yes. A retrospective appraisal uses an effective date in the past — a date of death, a date of separation, a date of acquisition — and reflects market conditions as they existed on that date. This requires research into historical comparable sales and market trends rather than current data.

Retrospective assignments are accepted as far back as data supports. Availability of historical MLS data and public records affects feasibility for very old effective dates.

Yes. Appraisal review is a separate USPAP-defined service. A review appraiser examines the opposing appraisal for credibility, methodology, comparable selection, and adjustment support — and renders a written opinion about whether the conclusions are supportable.

A review report can be used in mediation, settlement negotiations, or trial. Contact us with the assignment details.

Either party can order it, or it can be ordered jointly through the attorneys. A jointly ordered appraisal is generally more efficient and less likely to be challenged as biased by either side.

If each party orders a separate appraisal, be aware that the two reports may reach different values, which creates an additional step in litigation or settlement. If you're trying to reduce cost and conflict, a single joint assignment is worth considering.

USPAP — Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice — is the binding ethical and technical standard for licensed appraisers in the United States. Published by The Appraisal Foundation, it governs how an appraisal must be developed, what must be disclosed, and how the appraiser must behave in any assignment.

A USPAP-compliant appraisal means the methodology is documented, assumptions are disclosed, and the appraiser's independence is clear. Courts, the IRS, and lenders all rely on USPAP as the baseline for a credible appraisal report.

For standard residential properties, reports typically use UAD (Uniform Appraisal Dataset) formats — the FNMA 1004 for single-family, 1073 for condominiums, or 2055 for exterior-only. These are industry-standard PDF reports with embedded exhibits, maps, and addenda.

For litigation and estate work, a self-contained narrative report is sometimes more appropriate. The right format depends on the intended use and is confirmed at engagement.

The practice focuses on residential and small income properties — single-family, condominiums, PUDs, and 2–4 unit properties. Small mixed-use properties with a significant residential component may be considered case-by-case.

True commercial property (office, retail, larger multifamily) requires a different license and is outside scope. Happy to refer you to a qualified commercial appraiser if needed.