Schuylkill Appraisal Services' (schuylkillappraisals) Blog

In April, Hunger in America 2014, sponsored by Feeding America, the national food bank network, will be conducted in Schuylkill and Berks counties. The Greater Berks Food Bank and the United Way of Berks County are partnering to administer this research. Volunteers 18 years of age or older are ne...

Here we offer you two different ways to search for properties. Click the “search” images to the right to start your search. Search Schuylkill MLS You can search the Schuylkill MLS database of all properties for sale through brokers who belong to the Schuylkill MLS. This will get you most of the p...

The Appraisal Shop, LTD (also doing business as Schuylkill Appraisal Services) is a professional appraisal firm with offices in Pottsville, PA Schuylkill County. We offer prompt attention to your appraisal request and reasonable turn times. We make every effort possible to make your deadline! We ...

As we get started in 2013, I was surprised how busy our office stayed throughout last year's Nov/December, and even into January/February. Normally things get slower in the winter, then we gear up for a busier spring/summer for our appraisals. Surprisingly, we didn't see a downturn in numbers thi...

This is a guest blog by Ryan Achenbach, Certified Residential Appraiser in Pennsylvania. Do your due diligence before applying for a loan Attention homeowners, with rates at a historic low, many people are attempting to qualify for loans to pay off debt, reduce their monthly payments, cash out mo...

"Can bad neighbors affect my home's value?" -- Short answer: YES!  Long answer: We all know that having bad neighbors can be a pain. You frequently don't know just how hard it can be until you have a really bad neighbor experience. Disputes over property boundaries, arguments over pets crossing i...

In Schuylkill County we can see some high radon levels when a house is tested. We always recommend the buyer get a radon test, especially if you smoke as high radon levels make the risk of lung cancer worse. Schuylkill County home sellers can test their own homes, pre-listing the house, to see if...

An agent called our real estate firm this week and asked a listing agent if an appraisal was done yet. Did the appraiser call in and get access to the house? We have 100 listings and the agent had to check the file to see if an appraiser called to get into the property. The agent suggested to the...

Refinancing Appraisals in Schuylkill County How to prepare for a home appraisal for refinance? You can take three steps to make sure that you do not get stuck with an inaccurate appraisal too low for you to refinance. 1. Do your own homework and research comparable sales. Your Realtor could help ...

The appraiser should use the best comparables available for the subject property.  While this does not rule out short sales and foreclosed homes, sometimes they are used. When sales are driven by foreclosures, that is there are many foreclosures in the area that have SOLD, they may be the best co...