Need an appraisal in Pleasant Valley or Dutchess County?

See the top 7 reasons NY homeowners order from Taft Appraisal Service:

  1. To get a pre-listing appraisal (whether you're using a real estate agent or selling the home on your own)
  2. Challenge property tax assessments
  3. Remove PMI to cut their mortgage payments
  4. Reinstate their Home Equity Line of Credit (or HELOC)
  5. Verify another appraiser's report
  6. In the case of a NY divorce, when property needs to be divided
  7. To settle an estate in Dutchess county or NY by determining the true market value of real estate in question

Need help deciding the value of your home in or near Pleasant Valley, NY?
Contact Taft Appraisal Service.

At Taft Appraisal Service, we understand the individual needs of a homeowner seeking appraisal services. While our usual clients understand the appraisal process and standard reporting formats, you as a consumer will get an extra level of customer service in the form of an explanation of the process and even special consumer-friendly reporting forms if the assignment allows for them.

Pre-listing Services/For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

Since you have an emotional attachment to your home, it's often very hard to be objective about it. The professional appraisers at Taft Appraisal Service will tell you what you need to know -- not just what you want to hear. We are objective. A professional appraisal is very crucial as a negotiating tool once you have an attainable buyer, in addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract interested buyers. It gives you something tangible to show the buyer. The appraisal is an independent third party's opinion of your property's value, not just you saying how much you think your house is worth. Interested buyers know you have an emotional attachment to your house and will be far more likely to give credibility to an expert appraiser's value conclusion than yours.

Appraisals to remove PMI

Getting the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) eliminated from your mortgage loan is an attractive money saver for homeowners. Once your mortgage loan is below 80% of the value of your home, in most cases you can apply to your lender to have the PMI removed from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. We're experts in helping homeowners just like you do away with undesirable PMI insurance.

Challenge property tax assessments

Lets say your house is not appreciating as much as other homes nearby -- your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued. This only means you're paying higher taxes than you should be paying. The faster you take care of a matter like this, the better off you'll be, since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period. When challenging your property tax assessment, getting a professional appraisal from Taft Appraisal Service is your chief weapon.

HELOC recently frozen?

Even if your specific property has not declined in value, your lender may choose to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) if your house is near a declining area. This can this be annoying from a cash flow standpoint, and destructive to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out. Taft Appraisal Service can help you reinstate your HELOC.

We Provide Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services

Have you just received a copy of your appraisal and you'd prefer to have a seasoned appraiser double-check it for efficiency or do you need a second opinion without the expense and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? We can go out and check the subject and comparables in question in a field review. Or, if you're in a hurry, we can provide desk review and verify as many facts as we can using online data sources as well as our own files.

Need a retrospective review of an appraisal report? We can help with that too. While typically requested by banks, you may wish to make use of this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your home.