What is Acceptable and Not Acceptable Regarding Appraisals

[Andrew Syrios]

So I have a large number of appraisals for a big refinance coming up and I have to shepherd an appraiser through a bunch of rented properties. I don't know this appraiser, so I'm not sure how they normally value things. Anyways, I've had some bad experiences with appraisers. Recently I had an appraisal on an eightplex with six units leased and the appraiser compared it to two vacant buildings and one that may have been vacant but I couldn't tell. Another time, a different appraiser compared our house to a foreclosure, an estate sale and an investor flip. Another property was compared to two houses that were 500 sq. ft. smaller (ours was 1450 sq. ft.) with only a trivial adjustment and the other was a foreclosure.

It's important these appraisals come in well, but all I really need to make sure that happens is that they aren't compared to foreclosures and fixers. I think in the 7th podcast for BP, they talked to an appraiser who said that it was actually helpful for owners to bring their own comps to show to them as well as any other information. Does anyone do this? On the other hand, begging for them to bring in the price at a certain number is, of course, very dishonest and immoral. How about asking they don't use foreclosures as comps?

Where do you guys think the line is ethically and pragmatically, and how do you usually approach important appraisals.

Thank you in advance.