Attention homeowners in Portland and Cumberland County: Need an appraisal?

The top seven reasons why Maine homeowners use Northstar Appraisal:

Find the right listing price (whether you're using a real estate agent or selling the home on your own)
Challenge property tax assessments
To lower your mortgage payment by removing PMI
To reinstate your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
Verify another appraiser's report
If real estate needs to be divided because of a divorce
To settle an estate in Cumberland county or Maine by determining the true market value of the real estate in question


	Own a home in or near Portland, Maine and need help deciding the value of it? Contact Northstar Appraisal.

At Northstar Appraisal, we understand the individual needs of a customer after appraisal services. Our typical business clients are used to the appraisal process and the standard "products" we deliver to them. But as a general consumer, we will give you extra guidance and explanations through the appraisal process to more fully understand what we do and how we document our findings.

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

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

Challenging property tax assessments

Your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued if you live in a local area that is going down or not appreciating as much as other properties nearby. This only 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 things like this, the better off you'll be. Getting an appraisal report from Northstar Appraisal is your best weapon when contesting your property tax assessment.

Appraisals to cancel PMI

Getting the PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) removed from your mortgage loan is an attractive way to cut costs for homeowners. Once your mortgage loan is below 80% of the value of your property, in most cases you can apply to your lender to have the PMI removed from your loan, which will make your monthly payments go down. We're experienced in helping clients just like you rid yourselves of unwanted PMI insurance.

Was your HELOC recently frozen?

If your house is in or near 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 inconvenient from a cash flow point of view, and damaging to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out. Northstar Appraisal can help you reinstate your HELOC.

We Offer Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services

Do you need a seasoned professional to double-check your appraisal for accuracy, or do you want a second opinion without the added expense and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? An appraiser from Northstar Appraisal can go out and check the subject and comps in question in a field review. If you're in a rush, we'll provide desk review and verify as many facts as we can, using online data sources as well as our own files.

Do you need a retrospective review of an appraisal? We can assist you. While usually requested by banks, you may need to utilize this service if you suspect mortgage fraud related to your property.