Released: October 09, 2011

New addendum could help appraisers give credit for green features

Source: Kenneth R. Harney, LA Times

Here's some good news for homeowners who've installed energy-saving features but haven't been sure appraisers will credit them with higher valuations: Thanks to a new industry-issued appraisal addendum, the odds have improved that such upgrades get the fairer market value they're due. The Appraisal Institute, the country's largest and most influential association in its field, published the long-awaited addendum late last month. It's designed to be attached to any standard appraisal report covering a property with significant green features. Owners, sellers, buyers, refinancers and realty agents don't have to wait for an appraiser to use it. They can download it at no cost and ask that it be made part of the appraisal submitted to the lender. The new addendum won't guarantee you that the appraiser will raise your property value by the tens of thousands of dollars you spent on your solar panel array, high-efficiency windows or geothermal system. But it should guarantee at the minimum that he or she will take notice of the energy improvements and seek to come up with a value adjustment for your local market conditions.

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