Appraiser Ethics
Appraisal is a profession, and appraisers are professionals. In our field as with any profession we are bound by ethical considerations.

An appraiser's primary responsibility is to his or her client. Normally, in residential practice, the appraiser's client is the lender ordering the appraisal to decide whether to make the mortgage loan.  Appraisers have certain duties of confidentiality to their clients -- as a homeowner, if you want a copy of an appraisal report, you normally have to request it through your lender -- obligations of numerical accuracy depending on the assignment parameters, an obligation to attain and maintain a certain level of competency and education, and must generally conduct him or herself as a professional.  Here at, All Residential Appraising Inc., we take
these ethical responsibilities very seriously.

Appraisers may also have fiduciary obligations to third parties, such as homeowners, both buyers and sellers, or others.  Those third parties normally are spelled out in the appraisal assignment itself. An appraiser's fiduciary duty is limited to those third parties who the appraiser knows, based on the scope of work or other written parameters of the assignment.

There are ethical rules that have nothing to do with clients and others.  Appraisers must keep their work files for a minimum of five years. It is important as a consumer for you to verify the individuals qualifications and identity. You should confirm that the individual is licensed and in good standing with the department of professional and occupational regulation. If your loan amount is over one million dollars you want to be sure the individual who comes to your property is certified (not just licensed). When you receive a copy of your appraisal check for any discrepancies or reporting errors, verify that the person listed as the appraiser is actually the person who came to your home.

All Residential Appraising hires only licensed individuals. Diane Dawson, has been in the appraisal field since 1983. She began typing appraisals in high school for extra money (prior to Software and current technology). Diane starting working full time at an appraisal office in 1991. Diane is a certified appraiser in the State of Virginia and takes continuing education and appraisal ethics very seriously.

All Residential Appraising will only perform to the highest ethical standards possible.  We don't do assignments on contingency fees.  That is, we don't agree to do an appraisal report and get paid only if the loan closes.  We don't do assignments on percentage fees.  That is probably the appraisal profession’s biggest no-no, because it would tend to make appraisers inflate the value of homes or properties to increase their paycheck. Other unethical practices may be defined by state law or professional societies to which an appraiser belongs.

The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) also defines as unethical the acceptance of an assignment that is contingent on "the reporting of a pre-determined result (e.g., opinion of value)," "a direction in assignment results that favors the cause of the client," "the amount of a value opinion," and other things.  This means you can be assured we are working to objectively determine the home or property value.

With All Residential Appraising You can be assured of 100 percent ethical and professional service.