Am I smarter than an appraiser?

[Kevin Bryce]

So in while contemplating recent real estate strategies I was left asking myself, what things does an appraiser overestimate the cost of repair?  My thought is that is where there is money to be made right?

If an appraiser thinks old dirty cabinets reduce a particular house's value by $1,000 but I know I can put in new cabinets for $500.  That $500 will essentially become profit if the same appraiser comes back and appraises the house again.

But these appraisers know the market.  Much better than I do.  So what I am wondering is how can I find the things that reduce the value of a house the most but are the least expensive to correct.  Or maybe the better question is what things will drive away other potential buyers (after all, home SALES are what comps are based on) that might not be such large expenses to correct?