Records that identify the property
If you have them, these help:
- A deed or parcel information.
- A property tax bill or assessment notice.
- Past appraisals, plans or a survey.
- Association information for a condo.
- A lease, if the home is rented.
Your attorney may want mortgage statements for a buyout. What you owe and what the house is worth are two different things. Ask who needs each record before you send financial papers.
What has changed in the home
A short list of major repairs, additions and renovations helps. Include dates, rough costs and permits if you have them. Keep earlier photos if you need a value from before the work.
It does not need to be perfect. Tell us what you know and where you are unsure.
Your attorney's instructions
Ask your attorney for the valuation date, what interest in the property is being valued and who will use the report. Share any written instructions or court directions with us.
Tell us who can let us in, whether someone lives there, and the date you need it by. If you might need testimony, bring that up early.
Other belongings
A home appraisal does not cover furniture, jewelry, vehicles or a business. If those need a value, ask your attorney who handles that.
Keep those papers separate from the house request.
A simple first step
Send the address, your attorney's instructions and what you have on hand. Note any big changes to the home and who can give access. The divorce appraisal inquiry form lets you tell us what you know and what is still being decided.