Need an appraisal in Lakeland or Polk County?

Check out the top seven reasons FL homeowners use Austin Bowden:

To get a pre-listing appraisal (whether they're selling the home on their own or using a real estate agent)
To challenge a FL property tax assessment
To cut their mortgage payments by removing PMI
Reinstate your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
Verify another appraiser's report
In the case of a FL divorce, where property needs to be divided
Settle an estate in FL by determining the true market value of property in question

Own a home in or near Lakeland , FL and need help determining the price of it?
Contact Austin Bowden.

At Austin Bowden, we understand the unique needs of a customer after appraisal services. While our typical clients understand the appraisal process and standard reporting formats, you as a consumer will get an extra level of customer service in the form of an explanation of the process and even special consumer-friendly reporting forms if the assignment allows for them.

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

Since you have an emotional attachment to your home, it's often very hard to be objective about it. Professional appraisers, like the ones at Austin Bowden, are objective. We'll tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. A professional appraisal is a very important negotiating tool once you have an attainable buyer, in addition to helping you set a realistic price to sell at so your house will attract interested buyers. The appraisal is something tangible to show your buyer. An appraisal is an independent third party's opinion of your house's price -- not just you saying how much you think your home is worth. Potential buyers know you have an emotional attachment to your house and will be far more likely to give credibility to an experienced appraiser's value assessment than yours.

Appraisals to cancel PMI

A preferred money saver for homeowners is getting the PMI canceled from their mortgage loan, thus saving them money on their monthly payments. PMI stands for "Private Mortgage Insurance". Once your mortgage loan amount is down below 80% of the value of your house, in most cases you can apply to your lender to have the PMI canceled from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. Austin Bowden is experienced in helping clients just like you get rid of undesirable PMI insurance.

Challenge a property tax assessment

If you live in an area that is declining or is not appreciating as much as other properties close by, your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued. This means you are going to pay higher taxes than you should be paying. The sooner you take care of things like this, the better off you'll be, since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period. Getting an expert appraisal from Austin Bowden is your chief weapon when contesting your property tax assessment.

Recently got a freeze your HELOC?

Your lender might just decide to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) if your house is in or near a declining area -- even if your specific property has not declined in value. Not only can this be difficult from a cash flow standpoint, but it can be destructive to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out. Austin Bowden can help you reinstate your home equity line of credit with efficient appraisal.

We Also Provide Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services

Do you need a professional to double-check your appraisal for accuracy, or do you want a second opinion without the added cost and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? We can go out and check the subject and comps in question in a field review. If you're 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.

We can also provide you with a a retrospective review of any appraisal report you may have in your possession. While usually requested by banks, you may want to employ this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your house.