Appraisal services for Watertown and Litchfield County homeowners

Here are the top seven reasons CT homeowners call on JLAppraisal:

  1. Pre-listing appraisals (whether you're using an agent or selling the home on your own)
  2. Challenge property tax assessments
  3. To lower your mortgage payment by removing PMI
  4. Reinstate their Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
  5. Review a different appraiser's report for verification
  6. If real estate property needs to be divided because of a divorce
  7. Settle an estate in CT by determining the true market value of property in question

Own a home in or near Watertown, CT and need help determining the price of it?
Contact JLAppraisal.

We at JLAppraisal understand the unique needs of a consumer in need of appraisal services. While our typical business clients understand the appraisal process and standard reporting formats, you as a consumer will get extra 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)

It's very hard to be objective about your own house because of your emotional attachment to it. A professional appraiser is objective and will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. In addition to helping you set a realistic price to sell at so your property will attract interested buyers, a professional appraisal is very crucial as a negotiating tool once you have an attainable buyer. The appraisal is something tangible to show the buyer. The appraisal is an independent third party's opinion of your property's price, not just you saying how much you think your home is worth. Potential buyers assume you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be much more likely to give credibility to an accomplished appraiser's value estimation than yours.

Appraisals to cancel PMI

A fashionable money saver for homeowners is getting the PMI canceled from their mortgage loan, thus saving them money on their monthly payments. PMI stands for "Private Mortgage Insurance". Once your mortgage loan is down below 80% of the value of your house, in most cases you can apply to your lender to have the PMI eliminated from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. At JLAppraisal, we're experienced in helping clients just like you dismiss unwanted and unneeded PMI insurance.

Challenge a property tax assessment

Your local tax assessor may have your home overvalued if your house is not appreciating as much as other homes close to yours. This means you are going to pay higher taxes than you should be paying. Since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period, the earlier you take care of things like this, the better off you'll be. Getting a professional appraisal from JLAppraisal is your perfect weapon when contesting your property tax assessment.

Recently got a freeze your HELOC?

If your home is close to a declining area, your lender may decide to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) - even if your specific property has not declined in value. This can this be troublesome from a cash flow viewpoint, and unfavorable to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out. JLAppraisal can help you reinstate your HELOC.

Do You Need Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services?

Would you wish a second opinion without the cost and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? Or do you need a seasoned appraiser to double-check your appraisal for verity? We can go out and check the subject and comparables in a field review. Or, if you're in a rush, we can provide you with a desk review and verify as many facts as we can using online data sources as well as our own files.

We can also provide you with a a retrospective review of any appraisal you may have had in the past. Even though this is typically requested by banks, you may need to exploit this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your home.