Because most people only interact with a real estate appraiser when a mortgage bank orders one during a home purchase or refinance, many Michigan homeowners assume that *only* a bank or lender is legally allowed to hire an appraiser.
We hear this question every week at our West Bloomfield office: "Can I order an appraisal on my own house directly?"
The short answer is YES! As a homeowner, trustee, executor, or buyer in Michigan, you have every right to hire a State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser directly for a private-party appraisal—and when you order it yourself, you are the client, and you own the report.
Understand the difference between a private homeowner-ordered appraisal and a bank-ordered appraisal, the 7 best times to order one on your own house, and the one banking rule you need to know before you start.
Private Homeowner Appraisals vs. Bank-Ordered Appraisals
| Feature | Private Appraisal (You Hire Us Directly) | Bank-Ordered Appraisal (For a Mortgage) |
|---|---|---|
| Who Is the Legal "Client"? | You (the homeowner, family, or your attorney/CPA). | The Mortgage Lender (even though the borrower pays the fee). |
| Who Do We Discuss Results With? | Directly with you! Under USPAP confidentiality rules, we answer all of your questions directly. | Strictly with the lender's underwriting department. |
| Can You Choose Your Local Appraiser? | Yes. You can hand-pick an experienced local expert who actually knows your Oakland County neighborhood. | No. Lenders use randomized Appraisal Management Company (AMC) rotation panels. |
| Primary Uses | Living trusts, seniors downsizing, Date of Death/probate, divorce, tax appeals, pre-listing pricing, PMI audits, FSBO sales, and marriage prenups. | Strictly for underwriting a new mortgage loan or refinance with that specific bank. |
7 Smart Reasons to Order an Appraisal on Your Own House
- Setting Up a Senior Living Trust or Estate Plan: Seniors and estate planning attorneys across Oakland County order private appraisals to establish an accurate baseline value when placing a longtime family home into a revocable or irrevocable trust.
- Pricing Your Home Before Selling (Pre-Listing Appraisal): Whether you are downsizing after 30 years in Birmingham or selling a custom lakefront home in West Bloomfield, ordering your own appraisal ensures you don't underprice your home or leave $30,000+ on the table.
- Challenging an Inflated Property Tax Assessment: Local city and township assessors rely on mass computer models. Ordering your own True Cash Value appraisal gives you hard comparable-sale evidence for the March Board of Review and Michigan Tax Tribunal.
- Divorce & Marital Equity Buyouts: When one spouse wants to keep the house and buy out the other spouse's equity, a private appraisal gives both sides a neutral, court-defensible Fair Market Value.
- Settling a Parent's Estate (Date of Death & Probate): Executors and heirs hire us directly to establish Retrospective Date-of-Death values for Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw County Probate Courts and IRS step-up in basis filings.
- Pre-Auditing Your Equity for PMI Removal or Refinancing: Before paying non-refundable mortgage application fees, a private appraisal verifies your exact ANSI square footage and Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio.
- Marriage, Prenuptial Agreements & Family Buyouts: Documenting pre-marital home equity before getting married or establishing a fair price when one sibling buys out another.
The One Important Rule to Know (The "Appraiser Independence" Banking Rule)
There is one crucial distinction every homeowner should understand: If you are taking out a new mortgage loan, federal banking laws (Dodd-Frank / Appraiser Independence Requirements) prohibit a mortgage lender from accepting an appraisal that the borrower ordered directly. For an active mortgage loan, the bank is legally required to order its own appraisal through its internal firewall.
However, thousands of Michigan homeowners still order their own private appraisal *before* refinancing, listing their home for sale, or applying for PMI removal so they know their home's true value, verify their official ANSI square footage, and have a packet of verified local comparable sales ready.
And if you are ordering an appraisal for an estate, living trust, probate filing, divorce, marriage agreement, property tax appeal, cash purchase, or pre-listing valuation, no bank is involved—meaning your private appraisal from Michigan Appraisal Team Inc is the official, final document you need!
Work Directly With a Local State Licensed Appraiser
When you hire Michigan Appraisal Team Inc, you aren't dealing with an out-of-state call center. You work directly with Joe Bahri—a State Licensed Appraiser (and experienced Realtor with Max Broock Realtors) who knows Southeast Michigan neighborhoods inside and out.
- Call Us Directly: (248) 798-4446
- Email: info@michiganappraisalteam.com
- Office: 6775 Daly Road, Suite 104, West Bloomfield, MI 48322
- Get Started: Order Your Home Appraisal Online or explore our Senior Estate & Trust Services.