Property Condition and Quality of Construction

Appraiser Selection of Condition, Quality, and other Characteristic Ratings

The condition and quality ratings must be based on a holistic view of the property and any improvements. When selecting the condition and quality ratings, an appraiser must

• consider all improvements to determine an overall condition and quality rating. The appraiser should select the rating that best reflects the property as a whole and in its entirety.

• describe the subject property as of the effective date of the appraisal on an absolute basis, meaning the property must be rated on its own merits. The rating should not be selected on a relative basis, meaning it is not selected on how the property relates or compares to other properties in the neighborhood. Additionally, the condition and quality ratings for comparable properties must be made on an absolute basis (again, each comparative property on its own merits), not on a relative basis, and reflect the property as of the date of sale of that comparable property.

Note: These requirements also apply to all other ratings or descriptions, including the View and Location.

When an appraiser selects a rating and/or description of the subject property for a sales transaction, the selected rating and/or description must remain the same when reflecting that specific transaction. For example, if a C4 rating is selected for the sale of the subject property, then that property remains a C4 when using that specific sale as a comparable in future reports. The same expectation holds true for ratings and descriptions of comparable sales. When a comparable is used in a subsequent appraisal, the ratings and descriptions of that property should not change from one appraisal to the next when it reflects the same sale transaction.

Note: Properties can have the same rating or description and still require an adjustment. It should be noted that this does not only apply to condition and quality ratings and can apply to other ratings or descriptions as well. For example, all water views may not be equal. In this instance, an adjustment should be made and explained in the Additional Comments section of the form or in an addendum.