Explore home appraisal guides originally published in 2024, covering selling a home, estates, divorce, home measurement, mortgage questions, and appraisal preparation.
By Joe Ellington, Licensed Residential Appraiser at Capital Valuations.
Articles appear newest first by their original publication date. Some guides have been updated since publication; dated market reports are historical reading.
Browse by year: 2026 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022
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I explain how I evaluate older and historic homes, including comparable sales, original features, preservation rules, restoration costs, and appraisal fees.
Think a lender-ordered appraisal contains an error? Learn how to gather relevant evidence and submit a reconsideration of value request through your lender.
Compare laser meters, tapes, sketches, and field notes for residential measuring. The right tool supports a verified method and consistent area definitions.
When square-footage records conflict, check dimensions, sketch geometry, area definitions, additions, and the source date. A practical appraisal measurement error guide.
Sketch each level, measure and cross-check dimensions, calculate sections, and classify finished area under the applicable standard. A practical field workflow.
When should you arrange a date-of-death appraisal? Joe Ellington explains the three dates, what to photograph, and which historical records to preserve.
Appraisers use MLS, deeds, assessor records, maps, and transaction verification to analyze comparable sales. Learn what each source can—and cannot—tell you.
Organize an estate home’s records, access, value date and appraisal request with Joe Ellington’s practical Virginia Beach executor checklist.
Compare an inherited home’s assessment, online estimate and sale evidence. Joe Ellington explains how property facts and the value date support an appraisal.
Estate date-of-death valuations and qualified appraisals for charitable donations follow different rules. Learn which questions to ask before hiring a residential appraiser.
A bedroom count involves layout, safety, code questions, lender reporting, and market evidence. Learn why a closet or listing label alone does not settle the issue.
Travel through home appraisal history with caveman guides, verified milestones and Joe Ellington’s firsthand story of changing tools and enduring judgment.
A hybrid appraisal uses a trained property data collector and an appraiser’s independent valuation analysis. Learn how it differs from traditional and desktop reports.
A corrected historical reference with October 2024 inflation figures from BLS and BEA, plus context for interpreting national data in local appraisals.
Square-footage adjustments are based on market evidence, not a fixed rate per foot. Learn how measurements, comparable sales, and other differences affect the analysis.
Tell me the property address, the reason for the appraisal, and the date the value needs to reflect. Explore appraisal services or request an appraisal quote.
