Services

Financial planning and trust appraisals are specialized property valuations used to manage and protect assets within a financial plan or trust. These appraisals provide accurate assessments of real estate value, ensuring that assets are properly accounted for and aligned with long-term financial goals.

Financial and Estate Planners are often relied upon by their clients to provide sound, well-informed advice. Real estate holdings are often at the center of the plan as they’re usually the client’s largest assets. Whether you need an appraisal for a single property or multiple appraisals for an entire portfolio we understand the process involved.

If you’re a senior, it’s also important that you get your affairs and estate in order as you transition into your retirement years which include knowing the value of your properties. There’s no reason to feel overwhelmed during this process as we’ll fully explain the appraisal process up front and when the report is finished we will personally go over the report with you to answer any questions you might have. We also assure complete discretion and are sensitive to the needs and privacy of those who reside in these homes.

When building or updating a financial plan, it’s important to know the current market value of real estate assets. Accurate valuations allow for better budgeting, investment strategies, tax planning, and retirement preparation. Knowing the value of your properties helps in making informed decisions regarding asset growth, diversification, or liquidation.

When real estate is held in a trust, appraisals are often needed to manage the trust effectively and ensure proper asset distribution. Whether creating a trust, updating its assets, or settling an estate, trust appraisals ensure the real estate values are current, accurate, and comply with legal standards. This ensures fair management and proper taxation, helping beneficiaries receive their entitled inheritance while avoiding unnecessary disputes.

Arrowleaf Valuation specializes in high-quality real estate appraisals for REO foreclosures and short sales across the Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington area. We provide accurate fair market value assessments and “quick sale” forecasts tailored to your timeline, serving mortgage banks, loan servicers, HUD, FHA, and financial institutions.

Our services address the unique needs of defaulted homeowners, lenders, and law firms, helping determine both fair market and quick disposition values for residential and commercial properties. In an evolving market, accurate valuations are essential for reducing non-performing REO inventory and managing potential liabilities, even when dealing with difficult property conditions.

• Provides an effective tool for negotiating with potential buyers and sellers and their agents.

• Helps instill confidence in potential buyers and sellers since you have written proof of the home’s value.

• Provides knowledge about any obvious repair problems which may eliminate any last-minute repair issues which may delay closing.

• Decreases the chances of a potential deal not closing due to unforeseen problems. A relatively small investment in a real estate appraisal can easily save or gain you thousands of additional dollars and countless hours of time and hassle.

• Establishes market value for any possible unique property characteristic (i.e. converted garage, outbuilding, room addition, built-in pool/spa).

In today’s challenging market, determining a home’s true value can be difficult, whether you’re a homeowner selling on your own or a Realtor setting a list price. Many turn to appraisers for expert guidance.

Arrowleaf Valuation specializes in providing accurate, third-party pre-listing appraisals for both homeowners and Realtors. Unlike a Realtor’s Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), our appraisals offer a precise valuation based on your home’s unique features and recent comparable sales. This ensures confidence in setting the right price for your property.

Estate appraisals play a crucial role in both estate planning and settlement by determining the fair market value of real estate assets. These appraisals provide an accurate and unbiased assessment of property values, which is essential for tax purposes, legal compliance, and equitable distribution of assets among heirs.

For estate planning, real estate appraisals help individuals plan for the future by determining the value of their property portfolio, ensuring proper tax management, and facilitating smoother transfers of wealth. In estate settlement, appraisals are often required during probate to establish the property’s value at the time of death, which influences estate taxes and the division of assets.

Our expert appraisers ensure that valuations meet all legal standards and reflect current market conditions, giving you peace of mind in both planning and settlement processes.

An appraisal assignment is usually completed by a licensed real estate appraiser for estate/tax purposes when settling an estate. The appraisal is used to establish a Fair Market Value for the residential property included within the estate. The appraisal will typically be ordered by a family member or executor of the estate. It may also be ordered by the attorney or accountant who is involved in the settlement process.

The appraisal being ordered for estate or probate purposes will either be a retrospective appraisal or a current appraisal. The retrospective appraisal is completed after the date of death but the appraised value is completed as of the date of death, hence retrospective. Often a second appraisal is ordered for the same property but its appraised value is made effective as of the present date in order to determine the current value of the property.

The particulars of every estate are different and the type of appraised value required by your accountant or attorney depends on the particular needs of the estate. An experienced accountant or attorney can advise you about the type of value needed for your estate. Additionally, we are always happy to consult with your accountant or attorney in order to determine what is required for your exact situation.

The process of settling an estate is an important job but it can be a stressful process. Our team at Arrowleaf Valuation understands the complexities involved with appraising residential property that is part of an estate and we promise to always provide you with the best possible service and experience. Please contact us today to schedule your appraisal.

Arrowleaf Valuation knows how difficult it is to find yourself in the situation of having to post bail in order to get your family member home quickly. Our team is available to you in these stressful situations and we can help get the situation resolved as quickly as possible.

Typically a real estate appraisal is completed when a bail or immigration bond is provided to your friend or family member who is in jail or some other form of custody. The appraisal inspection/report is completed in order to determine the value of the property that is put up as collateral for the bond.

These types of assignments are given the highest priority. An appraisal assignment for a bail bonds situation usually requires the real estate appraiser to put all other current assignments on hold and immediately begin the bail bond appraisal process. This will ensure that the appraisal will be completed as quickly as possible. It is typical for these assignments to have an increased fee due to the tighter time constraints and conditions of assignment.

You can be assured that we will give you the outstanding service and respect you deserve in these types of situations. We also provide our clients with confidential and discreet service.

PMI, the acronym for private mortgage insurance, allows individuals to purchase their home with less than a 20% down payment. If you are paying PMI, the question you need to ask yourself is, “Is it time to stop paying monthly PMI into an escrow account and instead start putting that money into your pocket?”

Every month, if you’re like most of us, you dutifully make your mortgage payment. Have you ever given any thought to exactly what makes up your monthly payment? For most of us, the mortgage payment not only pays off the mortgage loan, but a portion also gets put into an escrow account to pay for real estate taxes and a variety of different types of insurance (homeowners, hazard, flood, PMI, etc).

If you purchased your home with conventional financing and put less than 20% down, it’s likely you’re paying PMI. Private mortgage insurance protects the lender or investor against loss if a borrower stops making payments. Often, homeowners mistakenly pay this insurance years after it’s no longer needed and as a result end up paying thousands in useless insurance premiums.

Here’s the good news that many homeowners don’t realize – Once you’ve reached 20% equity in your home through appreciation, home improvements, paying down the principal balance of the mortgage, or any combination of these, you can require the lender to cancel the private mortgage insurance. All you have to do is request in writing that the private mortgage insurance be canceled (most lenders have a brief form which must be filled out) and provide the lender with proof of sufficient equity over 20%.

In most cases, the necessary proof is a state certified appraisal. Recent legislation (the Homeowners Protection Act) requires servicing lenders to make homeowners aware of the existence of any PMI they might be paying for and the requirements necessary to have it canceled. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait for the lender’s notification to rid yourself of PMI. In most cases, if you have equity of 20% or more you’ll be able to cancel it almost immediately.

PMI is not required in all instances. The general rule is that if a homeowner has put down less than 20% down on a home purchase (single family), mortgage insurance will be required. Homes purchased with a down payment of at least 20% should have enough equity to cover any potential losses by the lender, so PMI is generally not required. There has been a surge in the mortgage insurance industry because of the popularity of purchasing homes with less than 20% down. MICA claims that because of mortgage insurance making up for the down payment difference, over 15 million Americans have been able to purchase homes over the past four decades.

PMI does not protect a homeowner against loss, so a borrower that’s required to purchase it will probably never deal with the mortgage insurance company itself. All dealings concerning mortgage insurance are usually handled by the lender. It’s also the lender (or the eventual purchaser of your mortgage loan, if any) who has the ultimate decision when it comes to mortgage insurance, meaning how much and when the homeowner has built up enough equity in the property to drop the insurance. Therefore one must remain in contact with the lending institution which services their mortgage (collects the monthly payments) to inquire about this type of insurance and the requirements necessary to have it canceled.

After a homeowner has built up 20% equity for a single family owner occupied residence (a few banks may require as much as 25% equity – check your loan documents to ascertain what applies in your situation) in the home, they may begin to initiate steps towards canceling the mortgage insurance. The first step is to contact the lending institution to where you send your mortgage payments (loan servicer). This may or may not be the lender who gave you the loan originally. Your loan servicer will be able to help you with the cancellation procedure and will also be able to tell you exactly how much your remaining mortgage balance is. Every loan servicing institution can have different policies regarding this procedure. Ask your servicing lender to provide in writing their specific requirements to cancel PMI insurance.

Keep in mind it’s the servicer’s ultimate decision and they’ll take many factors into consideration including the borrower’s payment history over the life of the loan before allowing you to drop this insurance. This factor alone could alter the servicer’s decision. Although mortgage insurance may have allowed you to purchase a home, there will come a time when this added monthly expense will no longer directly benefit you. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to keep the provisions surrounding its cancellation in mind because no one is going to cancel it for you.

In the highly competitive real estate market, precise reporting of a property’s actual living area is essential, as discrepancies often exist between public records and the true dimensions of a property.

Realtors are required by the MLS and their Broker-In-Charge to provide an accurate and detailed summary of property listings. Professional measurement services are crucial for this purpose, particularly for large or complex properties where self-measurement may not be feasible. Ensuring accurate square footage in MLS listings mitigates liability and enhances listing accuracy.

Arrowleaf Valuation offers two specialized measurement services:

This widely utilized service provides an accurate and cost-effective determination of a home’s Gross Living Area (GLA). It assists both homeowners and Realtors in ensuring listings reflect true property dimensions, thereby facilitating a more efficient sale process.

Our measurement services also include outbuildings such as shops, barns, pool houses, guest houses/ADUs, tack rooms, pole barns, and more.

Please note, all homes are measured per ANSI measurement standards.

For more detailed needs, the floor plan recreation service offers a comprehensive marketing tool. This service includes precise GLA measurements, approximate locations of interior walls, doors, appliances, and plumbing fixtures, as well as basic room dimensions. Such detailed floor plans are valuable for marketing properties and planning modifications.

Arrowleaf Valuation is pleased to be able to offer RUSH appraisal services for most properties. Please note that availability depends on our current commitments, and some properties may not qualify for expedited service.

When requesting a RUSH service, you must disclose any unusual circumstances, such as property damage, discrepancies in living area, or unique views.

RUSH service guarantees delivery of the appraisal report within 48 hours of inspection, including weekends and holidays, with a 50% additional fee.