A property appraisal can be a stressful process, if you're going to sell or refinance your home, it's probably unavoidable. Before a lender is going to advance any money, they're going to want to make sure they have an objective, impartial and accurate account of your property's value. An important thing to remember as a consumer or real estate agent, is that the client is the lender, not the consumer. Even though the consumer may pay for the appraisal, they area no more the client than the credit reporting agency or the title company hired directly by the lender. What if I am the seller and receive a "bad" appraisal. Usually the designation of an appraisal as a "bad appraisal" results from an estimated value that is below the sellers asking price. It is important to remember that a reconsideration of value (ROV) must be submitted by the lender at the request of the seller. Should you choose to submit a ROV, it should be based upon factual information that that will aid the Appraiser in a reexamination of the property. If you feel that the Appraiser has failed to take into consideration relevant Comparable Sales or Listings, that were not included within the report, you should provide a summary of these sales with your request. Often a Realtor can assist in this process. It is important to keep in mind that Appraiser's are limited to certain parameters for comparable sales which typically include sales that have occurred during the previous 12 months and that are within 300+/- square feet of the subject property.