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Why Get an Appraisal?
 Every year, countless people in the United States buy, sell or refinance their own slice of the American Dream. Most, if not all, of these transactions include a simple line item for an appraisal. It has become an understood and accepted part of a real estate transaction. Bringing in an expert to evaluate the true value of a property will only save you money.
Refinancing
A lot of people choose to refinance their loans to take advantage of reduced rates in order to lower their payments or to obtain a shorter-term loan. Individuals may want to refinance their existing loan or mortgage to reduce their interest rate and, as a result, lower their payments. It is imperative to pay attention to upfront costs of refinancing against the likely savings in their monthly payment. A frequent rule of thumb is to attempt to recover the cost of refinancing within two years. Another reason why individuals decide to refinance is to reduce their mortgage term in order to pay off their loan faster. When existing market rates of interest are lower than the present mortgage rate, refinancing to a shorter-term mortgage can save individuals a really large sum of money in interest costs over the life of the loan. Another motive behind refinancing is to liquidate equity to take 'cash out' of the property. For individuals, borrowing against the equity in their home can be a low cost and more often than not a tax-deductible way to get needed cash.
Property Taxes
Davis Watson Appraisal Service can be a reliable source when a tax assessment does not take into account the market value of a home. Requesting an appraisal can actualy save you hundreds off your tax bill by executing a drive by appraisal or neighborhood analysis for much less. These official reports can carry a lot of weight if you ever need to dispute a wrong tax assessment.
PMI Removal
Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI is the supplemental insurance that many lenders ask home buyers to purchase when the amount being loaned is more than 80% of the value of the home. Very often, this additional payment is folded into the monthly mortgage payment and is quickly forgotten. This is unfortunate because PMI becomes unnecessary when the remaining balance of the loan - whether through market appreciation or principal paydown - dips below this 80% level. In fact, the United States Congress passed a law in 1998 (the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998) that requires lenders to remove the PMI payments when the loan-to-value ratio conditions have been met.
Pre-Sale Decisions
Before someone decides to sell a home, there are several decisions to be made. First and foremost: ''How much should it sell for?'' But first there may be other equally important questions to ask: ''Would it be better to paint the entire house first?'' ''Should I put in that third bathroom?'' ''Should I complete my kitchen remodel?'' Many things which we do to our houses have an effect on their value. Unfortunately, not all of them have an equal effect. While a kitchen remodel may improve the appeal of a home, it may not add nearly enough to the value to justify the expense.
Appraisers can step in and help make these decisions. Unlike a Realtor, an appraiser has no vested interest in what amount the house sells for. His fee is based on his efforts, not a percentage of the sales price. So seeking a professional appraisal can often help homeowners make the best decisions on investing in their homes and setting a fair sales price.
Estate Planning, Liquidation or Divorce
The loss of a loved one is a difficult time in life. Likewise, a divorce can be a particularly traumatic experience. Sadly, these events are often complicated by difficult decisions regarding the disposition of an estate. Unlike many wealthy individuals, the majority of Americans do not have dedicated estate planners or executors to handle these issues. Also, in most cases, a home or other real property makes up a disproportionate share of the total estate value.
Here too, an appraiser can help. Often the first step in fairly disposing of an estate is to understand its true value. When property is involved, the appraiser can help determine the true value. At this point, equitable arrangements can more easily be arrived at among disputing parties. Everyone walks away knowing they've received a fair deal.
Part of the above information was obtained from, http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Refinance?&id=353430 and is not original to this site.
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