1. To determine a new basis for a property in the event of a spouses passing, thereby potentially saving thousands of tax dollars for the surviving spouse and children
2. To settle an estate in California by determining the true market value of a property
3. To divide real estate assets in the case of a divorce in the State of California
4. To reinstate your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
5. To get a pre-listing appraisal (whether they’re selling the home on their own or using an agent)
6. To reduce their mortgage payment by removing PMI
7. To challenge property tax assessments
8. To verify another appraiser’s report

Recently got a freeze to your HELOC?

Even if your specific property has not declined in value, your lender may make the decision to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) if your property is near a declining area. This can be harmful to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out, and also inconvenient from a cash flow angle. So-Cal Quality Appraisals can help you reinstate your home equity line of credit with an expert appraisal.

Pre-listing Services/For Sale by Owner

Since you have an emotional attachment to your own house, it’s often very hard to be objective about it. Our professional appraisers at So-Cal Quality Appraisals are objective. We may not tell you what you want to hear, but we will tell you what you need to know. In addition to helping you set a realistic price, it will help attract interested buyers. A professional appraisal is very valuable as a negotiating tool once you have an attainable buyer, and gives you something concrete to show your buyer. It’s an independent third party’s opinion of your property’s value, and not just how much you think your home is worth. Interested buyers know that you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be far more likely to give credibility to an experienced appraiser’s value report than yours.

Need to cancel PMI?

Getting the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) removed from your mortgage loan is a great way to save money for homeowners. Once your mortgage loan amount is less than 80% of the value of your house, in most cases you can apply to the lender to have the PMI removed from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. At So-Cal Quality Appraisals, we’re experienced in helping clients just like you delete unwanted PMI insurance.

Challenging property tax assessments

If you live in a local area that has declining values or is not appreciating as much as other homes close by, your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued. This only means you are most likely paying higher taxes than you should be paying. Since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period, the faster you take care of things like this, the better off you’ll be. An expert appraisal from So-Cal Quality Appraisals is your number one weapon when challenging your property tax assessment.

We Also Provide Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services

Have you just been handed a copy of your appraisal and you’d like to have a seasoned expert double-check it for accuracy or do you desire a second opinion without the added expense and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? So-Cal Quality Appraisals offers field reviews where we’ll go out and check the subject and comps. If you’re in a rush, we’ll provide desk review and verify as many facts as we can, using online data sources as well as our own files.

We can also provide a retrospective review of any appraisal report you may have had done before. While usually requested by banks, you may wish to use this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your home.