Real estate appraisal services for homeowners in the city of Goleta and Santa Barbara County

Here are the top seven reasons CA homeowners need Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS:

  1. Pre-listing appraisals (whether you're using an agent or selling the home on your own)
  2. To challenge a CA property tax assessment
  3. Remove PMI to reduce a mortgage payment
  4. To reinstate your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
  5. Review a different appraiser's report for verification
  6. If property needs to be divided because of a divorce
  7. Determine the true market value of property in question to settle an estate in CA

Own a home in or near Goleta, CA and need help deciding the value of it?
Contact Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS.

We at Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS understand the individual needs of a consumer in need of appraisal services. While our typical business clients understand the appraisal process and standard reporting formats, you as a consumer will get extra 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 own home, it's often very hard to be objective about it. Our professional appraisers at Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS are objective. We won't just tell you what you want to hear, we'll tell you what you need to know. A professional appraisal is a very valuable negotiating tool once you have an interested buyer, in addition to helping you set a realistic price to sell at so your house will attract many interested buyers. It's something tangible to show your buyer. The appraisal is an independent third party's opinion of your home's price, not just how much you think your home is worth. Potential buyers assume you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be more likely to give credibility to a seasoned appraiser's value conclusion than yours.

PMI Removal Appraisals

A preferred way to cut costs for homeowners is getting the PMI eliminated from their mortgage loan, thus saving them money on their monthly payments. PMI stands for "Private Mortgage Insurance". Your monthly payments will go down once your mortgage loan amount is less than 80% of the value of your house. In most cases you can apply to a lender to have the PMI eliminated from your loan. At Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS, we're experts in helping customers just like you remove undesirable PMI insurance.

Challenge Tax Assessment

Your local tax assessor may have your home overvalued if you live in an area that is declining or not appreciating as much as other homes nearby. This means you are probably paying higher taxes than you should be paying. Since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period, the quicker you take care of a matter like this, the better off you'll be. Getting an expert appraisal from Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS is your #1 weapon when challenging your property tax assessment.

HELOC recently frozen?

If your home is close to a declining area, your lender may decide to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) - even if your specific property has not declined in value. This can be be harmful to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out, and also disadvantageous from a cash flow standpoint. A professional appraisal from Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS can help you reinstate your HELOC.

We Offer Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services

Would you wish a second opinion without the charge and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? Or do you want a seasoned professional to double-check your appraisal for verity? An appraiser from Jennifer Heath, SRA, AI-RRS can go out and check the subject and comparables in question in a field review. If you need it ASAP, 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 you may have had in the past. Even though this is usually requested by banks, you may desire to make use of this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your house.