Here’s the truth about home appraisals – they can be daunting and down right disappointing.  A lot of the time we have unrealistic expectations of the actual value of our homes, and we have to dig deeper into how professional appraisers put together their reports. Appraisers pull comparables (comps) from the area with similar features, square footage, etc and see what they sold for within the past few months (years if there are limited comps). Also, when it comes to home value, there are some home improvement projects that might not add as much value as you would think.  It’s important when you are remodeling, to have realistic expectations on your return on investment. Just because you put $50,000 into your kitchen, does not exactly mean your home is worth $50,000 more than you paid for it.  Consult your contractor and trusted realtor to help you navigate the return on investment when it comes to updates and appraisals.