Residential Appraisals in Baltimore

    An appraisal of a Baltimore City home starts with three facts: the address, the decision the value supports and the person who will read the report.

    Request a quote | Call (443) 909-2324

    Who asks for a residential appraisal

    Homeowners, real estate and family law attorneys, accountants, trust officers and others come to The Appraising Group Baltimore for a property-specific opinion of value. If someone else will receive the report, send their requirements with your request.

    Property types we appraise in Baltimore

    • Single-family detached homes of every size.
    • Townhomes and attached residences. In Federal Hill and Fells Point that usually means a rowhouse; the City's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) describes Greek Revival and Italianate rowhouses across Federal Hill, and Fells Point rowhousing from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century.
    • Condominiums, whatever the size of the building.
    • Duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes, the small income properties of two to four units.
    • Manufactured homes on a permanent foundation.
    • Waterfront properties, where the comparable sales need extra study.
    • Historic homes in designated districts. CHAP's district list marks Federal Hill, Fells Point, Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill and Seton Hill as both National Register and Baltimore City historic districts, while Canton, Hampden and Locust Point are National Register districts only.
    • Vacant residential lots, whether or not the site has been improved.

    Why Baltimore owners order a residential appraisal

    Pre-listing appraisal

    A value before you set an asking price gives you a documented figure to plan around.

    Owner-run sale (FSBO)

    Handling the sale yourself? A third-party appraisal is a figure both you and the buyer can look at.

    PMI removal

    If your home has gained value, ask your lender which appraisal it will accept for dropping private mortgage insurance.

    Refinancing

    An appraisal ahead of the application helps you see how much equity you are working with.

    Property tax appeal

    Maryland's Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) values real property once in every three-year cycle (Tax-Property § 8-104), and SDAT's Baltimore City assessment office handles City properties. The appeal route is statewide:

    1. Supervisor of assessments. Appeal within 45 days of the notice date (§ 14-502). A buyer whose purchase transferred after January 1 and before July 1 may appeal within 60 days of the transfer. In the years without a reassessment notice, a petition for review is due by the date of finality (§ 14-503), which SDAT words as the first working day following January 1.
    2. Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board. Baltimore City has its own board. Appeal within 30 days of the supervisor's final notice (§ 14-509).
    3. Maryland Tax Court. Appeal within 30 days of the board's decision (§ 14-512).

    At the board and at the Tax Court, SDAT and the owner exchange any written appraisals at least 10 days before the hearing. The PTAAB FAQ explains that the date of finality is the January 1 before the July 1 tax year under appeal, and that evidence closer to that date carries more weight, so ask whether your appraisal should be dated to that January 1. Follow the dates printed on your own notice.

    Insurance valuation

    A documented value can support a coverage review with your insurer.

    Charitable donations

    For a gift of real property, share the recipient's and your tax adviser's requirements when you request the appraisal.

    Relocation

    If an employer's relocation program buys your home, it may ask for an appraisal; send its instructions with your request.

    How a request becomes a report

    1. Request. Call (443) 909-2324 or write through the contact page, giving the address, the kind of property, the purpose and your deadline. Scope and fee are discussed before anything proceeds.
    2. Schedule. Confirm access and a time that works for the occupants.
    3. Inspect. Measurements, photographs and notes on condition and features are taken at the house.
    4. Research. Recent Baltimore sales that resemble the house are compared and adjusted, within the scope you agreed.
    5. Deliver. Confirm a delivery estimate before ordering, and review the finished report for factual errors.

    Neighborhoods we serve in Baltimore

    With the full street address we can confirm that we cover it. City neighborhoods include Federal Hill, just south of the Inner Harbor; Fells Point, one of the original three settlements that formed Baltimore; Mount Vernon, around and north of Mount Vernon Place; and Canton, Hampden, Locust Point, Bolton Hill, Seton Hill, Ridgely's Delight and Otterbein. Baltimore City is a separate jurisdiction from Baltimore County, with its own assessment office and appeal board, so tell us which one the property is in.

    Residential appraisal fees in Baltimore

    Ask for a written scope, fee and delivery estimate for your property, intended use and deadline. Work for an estate, a divorce or a step-up in basis (estate appraisals, divorce appraisals, IRS step-up reports) carries extra research and reporting, so describe the use in full.

    Get a quote for a Baltimore home

    Give us the Baltimore address, the kind of property and what you need the value to settle.

    Request a quote | Call (443) 909-2324

    Written with AI assistance for The Appraising Group Baltimore. It describes how residential requests are handled; the value of a particular home comes only from an appraisal of it.