Attention homeowners: Real estate appraisal services for in Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County

Here are the top seven reasons why CA homeowners need Stephen McELyea:

  1. To get a pre-listing appraisal (whether you're using a real estate agent or selling the home on your own)
  2. Challenge property tax assessments
  3. Remove PMI to lower a mortgage payment
  4. Reinstate their Home Equity Line of Credit (or HELOC)
  5. Verify another appraiser's report
  6. In the case of a CA divorce, where real estate property needs to be divided
  7. Determine the true market value of real estate in question to settle an estate in CA

Need help deciding the value of your house in or near Santa Cruz, CA?
Contact Stephen McELyea.

At Stephen McELyea, we understand the special needs of a consumer seeking appraisal services. The appraisal process and reporting formats are relatively routine to our business clients like lenders, lawyers, and CPAs. But as a consumer,you'll receive extra guidance and explanations through the appraisal process to more clearly understand what we do and how we document our conclusions.

For Sale By Owner (FSBO)/Pre-Listing Services

It's very hard to be objective about your house because you most likely have an emotional attachment to it. Professional appraisers, like the ones at Stephen McELyea, will be objective. We will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. In addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract interested buyers, a professional appraisal is very crucial as a negotiating tool once you have a likely buyer. It's something concrete to show the buyer. The appraisal is an independent third party's opinion of your house's value, not just you saying how much you think your home is worth. Interested buyers assume you have an emotional attachment to your house and will be much more likely to give credibility to a professional appraiser's value judgement than yours.

Need to remove PMI?

Getting the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) canceled from your mortgage loan is a fashionable way to cut costs for homeowners. Once your mortgage loan amount is down below 80% of the value of your property, in most cases you can apply to the lender to have the PMI eliminated from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. Stephen McELyea is experienced in helping homeowners just like you abolish unnecessary PMI insurance.

Challenging Santa Cruz county's assessment of your property

If you live in a local area that is declining or is not appreciating as much as other houses close by, your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued. That only means you're probably paying more taxes than you should. The quicker you take care of a matter like this, the better off you'll be, since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period. A professional appraisal from Stephen McELyea is your best weapon when contesting your property tax assessment.

Recently got a freeze your HELOC?

Your lender might choose to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) if your property is in or near a declining area -- even if your specific property has not declined in value. This can be be negative on your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out, and also disadvantageous from a cash flow standpoint. Stephen McELyea can provide you with a professional appraisal that will help you reinstate your home equity line of credit.

Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services

Would you prefer a second opinion without the expense and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? Or do you want a professional to double-check your appraisal for verity? We can go out and check the subject and comparables in question in a field review. If you need it in a rush, we'll provide desk review and verify as many facts as we can using online data sources as well as our own files.

Need a retrospective review of an appraisal? We can We can assist you Even though this is usually requested by banks, you may wish to take advantage of this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your house.