About Us
We're A Residential Real Estate Appraisal Firm
We concentrate on providing residential real estate appraisal services within Jefferson and Shelby counties in the Birmingham, Alabama metro area.
Homeowners served
offering Reliable
Valuation Solutions
Whether you’re looking to purchase or sell a home, refinance your mortgage, drop PMI Insurance or need an estate appraisal for probate we can provide you with a comprehensive and well documented appraisal to assist you in the transaction.
About Tom Horn
My appraisal career began in 1990 when I was looking for a change from working in the consumer finance field. During my time as a loan officer, I was exposed to the appraisal profession because we utilized appraisals when making mortgage loans. I thought it would be interesting work and when a job transfer occurred, which I didn’t care to pursue, I decided to switch professions.
I’ve always been one to take things to the next level and shortly after making the move to the real estate appraisal profession I decided that it would benefit my career to pursue the Appraisal Institute’s SRA designation. The SRA designation differs substantially from appraisers who only gain the minimum qualifications of state licensing.
In the workplace, SRAs offer more diversified valuation services such as providing review appraisal services and consulting and/or counseling services. I earned my SRA designation in 1995 after spending several years taking Appraisal Institute courses and gaining valuable hands-on experience as a staff appraiser.
At the current time, I concentrate in the area of single-family, vacant land, 2-4 family, and condominium appraisals in the central Alabama area (Jefferson and Shelby counties). In addition to performing appraisals for first mortgage loans and refinancing, I prepare reports for other uses such as estate planning, private mortgage insurance removal (PMI), For Sale By Owner (FSBO) marketing, Probate appraisals, and insurance valuations.
Many of my clients include leading real estate agents in the Birmingham real estate market who trust me to provide them with a reliable appraisal to aid them in accurately pricing their listings.
With over 35 years in the real estate appraisal business, there is one thing I have found that my clients seek more than anything else and that is trust. They want to know that they can trust me to provide the most accurate unbiased value on the assignments they give me. I take great pride that my clients continue to use me for their appraisal needs because I have their best interests at heart.
On a personal side, I am happy to say that I have been married to my wife Gina for 33 years and we have two awesome children, Bryant and Camille. In addition to keeping busy with my appraisal work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, woodworking and keeping up with college football (go SEC!).
Our Features
services
We offer a wide range of appraisal related services.
Home Purchase
We provide appraisal services to banks and mortgage companies to assist in mortgage lending.
Estate Planning, Probate, Divorce
Offering valuation services for marriage dissolution, estate planning, and probate.
Pre-Listing Appraisals
Helping sellers determine a market supported list price.
House Measurement
Providing ANSI compliant home measurement services.
FAQ
Popular Questions
Find answers to all your questions
1. How Much Does An Appraisal Cost?
Generally speaking, an appraisal can cost anywhere from $350.00 to $750. There are various factors that go into quoting an appraisal assignment.
In addition to property specific items there are other considerations that determine the fee that you might pay such as if you are going through a lender who uses an Appraisal Management Company (AMC).
Property specific factors that influence the cost of an appraisal include: size of the house/property, complexity of the assignments, and type of property.
2. How Long Does An Appraisal Take?
The length of time it takes to complete an appraisal assignment will vary depending on several factors. The amount of other assignments the appraiser has will of course effect the time frame as well. The property location, complexity of the assignment, and amount of market data available (comp sales) are also important factors. The first part of the appraiser’s job is to visit the property to collect information. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours depending on how big your home is. After the initial site inspection is completed the appraiser must then research the market for comp sales and verify information pertinent to the sale as well as analyze overall market trends. This part of the assignment usually takes longer than the site inspection and take from several days to several weeks. The average turn-around time is one week or less.
3. How Long Is An Appraisal Good For?
The best answer to this question is “it depends”. The reason for this is that the market can change due to various economic factors. If the local market is experiencing sharp increases or declines, this can result in the appraisal only being accurate on the day it was done. If the market is more stable and property values are not fluctuating, the appraisal report may be accurate for a longer period of time.
4. What areas do you cover?
I provide residential real estate appraisal services to all areas of Jefferson and Shelby County, Alabama.
5. What factors are considered in a home appraisal?
The main items considered during an appraisal consists of those specific to the property itself as well as economic factors (regarding the real estate market) within the market area of the subject property. The items specific to the property itself include what kind of condition it is in and what features it has. In addition to its square footage the appraiser looks at materials of construction as well as construction features. Some construction material such as hardwood floors may bring more value than vinyl floors and by noting these items it helps the appraiser compare the property to the comparables. Features such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, porches, decks, home theaters, and swimming pools are also considered.
6. How Can I Schedule an appointment?
Call our office at (205) 243-9304 and we will answer any questions you have as well as set up an appointment at your convenience.