Need an appraisal in Newport or Newport County?

See the top seven reasons RI homeowners hire Carmen L. Cruz:

  1. Get a pre-listing appraisal (whether they're selling the home on their own or using a real estate agent)
  2. Challenge Newport county's assessment of your property
  3. To cut your mortgage payment by removing PMI
  4. To reinstate your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
  5. To review another appraiser's report for verification
  6. In the case of a RI divorce, where real estate needs to be divided
  7. To determine the true market value of real estate in question to settle an estate in Newport County or the state of RI

Need help determining the value of your home in or near Newport, RI?
Contact Carmen L. Cruz.

At Carmen L. Cruz, we understand the particular needs of a homeowner after appraisal services. Our usual business clients understand the appraisal process and the standard reporting formats. As our non-traditionalclient, we will provide you with extra guidance and explanations through the appraisal process to better understand what we do and how we present our findings.

For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) / Pre-Listing Services

It's very hard to be objective about your house because you most likely have an emotional attachment to it. A professional appraiser is objective and will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. In addition to helping you set a realistic price to sell at so your property will attract buyers, a professional appraisal is very crucial as a negotiating tool once you have a potential buyer. The appraisal is something concrete to show the buyer. It's an independent third party's opinion of your home's value, and not just how much your home is worth. Interested buyers know that you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be more likely to give credibility to an experienced appraiser's value report than yours.

PMI Removal Appraisals

Getting the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) canceled from your mortgage loan is a preferred way to save money for homeowners. Once your mortgage loan is down below 80% of the value of your property, in most cases you can apply to the lender to have the PMI removed from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. We are veterans in helping folks just like you do away with unnecessary PMI insurance.

Challenging property tax assessments

If you live in a region that is declining or is not appreciating as much as other houses close to yours, your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued. That means you're most likely paying more taxes than you should. Since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period, the sooner you take care of a matter like this, the better. When challenging your property tax assessment, getting an expert appraisal from Carmen L. Cruz is your #1 weapon.

HELOC recently frozen?

Your lender may make the decision to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) if your house is in or near a declining area -- even if your specific property has not declined in value. Not only can this be disadvantageous from a cash flow viewpoint, but it can be negative on your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out. Carmen L. Cruz can help you reinstate your home equity line of credit with efficient appraisal.

Need Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services?

Would you prefer a second opinion without the added cost and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? Or do you need a seasoned professional to double-check your appraisal for verity? An appraiser from Carmen L. Cruz can go out and check the subject and comps in question in a field review. Or, if you're in a rush, we can 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 a retrospective review of any appraisal you may have in your possession. While typically requested by banks, you may desire to take advantage of this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your house.