Christy Bieber is a full-time personal finance and legal writer with more than a decade of experience. She has a JD from UCLA as well as a degree in English, Media and Communications with a ...

When you’re refinancing your mortgage, your home’s appraised value has a major impact on how much of a loan you can get. An appraisal is an independent assessment of your home’s value that a lender ...

An appraisal is a critical part of the homebuying process. If your home appraisal comes in lower than expected, it can cost you money and delay — or even derail — the entire transaction. Here we delve ...

An appraisal for a refinance is part of the underwriting process for a new loan. Appraisers look at various factors, including your home's location and its size, layout and improvements. Many lenders ...

Do you need a home appraisal to qualify for a HELOC or home equity loan? While you've been focused on everything else life throws at you, your property has been working behind the scenes. Most people ...