preview

What Is Mortgage Inurer's Valuation Appraisal

Decent Essays

Summarize key findings from recent consumer studies conducted about this product/service category.

1. Pre-approvals aren’t created equal.
Many lenders don’t review your qualifications when issuing a pre-approval. They provide only a rate guarantee, subject to later approval. (Mortgage advisers should always disclose this.)
2. Advice goes only so far.
Mortgage advisers can “pre-qualify” you to confirm that you meet general guidelines, but only a lender’s underwriter can confirm that your income, down payment, purchase agreement, property information, credit and debt ratios meet their full approval
3. Appraisals are the missing link.
Appraisals aren’t done at the pre-approval stage. But they’re mandatory for getting a mortgage. The issue, of course, is that you can’t get an appraisal on a home you haven’t found yet. And that’s the big risk with pre-approvals. If the lender's or mortgage insurer's valuation appraisal reveals that you overpaid, or the property has defects, it can render your pre-approval worthless. That’s why you’re always wise to insert financing conditions in your purchase offer (or at least appraisal conditions) or get an appraisal before you make an offer.
4. …show more content…

Don’t over-rely on appraisers.
Even if you get an appraisal before making your offer, “you can’t rely on appraisers to identify every problem with a property,” says Jason Upton, president of Aedis Appraisals. That’s especially true for condos where most appraisers (due to cost and time constraints) won’t review condo board minutes, condo finances and engineering reports. That’s where risks like special levies, reserve deficiencies, legal problems or structural issues can turn up, all of which can kill a lender’s interest and make a pre-approval

Get Access