Nestimates.com - Find your online estimates

The Online Estimate Guide

Follow this simple advice to keep yourself free of most online estimate pitfalls

1. Be careful

There are unscrupulous people out to make money at your expense. Never sell to or buy from the same person that does the property appraisal.

2. Take your time

It pays to be patient. Get more than one estimate, and clarify the points that are not clear to you. You will have surprises.

You should also know

Scope of online appraisals Doing the appraisal online means that the appraiser cannot see the property in person. You may be the only source of information for the appraiser. There is no way to verify information such as authenticity or quality of construction.
As a consequence, the appraisal is only of value for you. You may find that a third party does not accept the appraisal as valid.

Standards There is no governmental regulation of the personal property appraiser profession.
Ensure that the appraiser is competent in the field of the property appraised and the appraiser adheres to the widely-accepted Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal practice (USPAP).
A few providers of online valuation services attempt to circumvent the need for standards by dismissing online valuations as not appraisals at all, but rather as "evaluations," "opinions of value," "auction estimates," or, in one instance referring to them as merely "best guesses."

Learn more
Association of Online Appraisers

Example of what the appraisal report should contain
The AOA Online Appraisal Report Writing Standard

Online appraisal code of ethics
AOA Code of Ethics

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