Politely inquire about an appraiser's familiarity with the neighborhood and recent local sales to make sure the house gets an apples-to-apples comparison.
Come to an agreement with the appraiser on what, exactly, constitutes "the neighborhood."
Have your real estate agent present.
Provide a recent tax bill and a plat of survey.
Draw up a list of improvements you've made to the home.
Lenders now want to know about nearby houses that are currently for sale. So offer your opinion to the appraiser whether those houses, like the ones recently sold, are truly comparable.
