Baltimore's Trusted Appraiser

Baltimore's CHAP Historic Tax Credit program is one of the most valuable financial incentives available to Baltimore City homeowners undertaking qualifying renovations. The program provides a 10-year freeze on the pre-rehabilitation property tax assessment — meaning if your home is assessed at $200,000 before renovation, your property taxes are calculated on $200,000 for 10 years regardless of how much the renovation increases the property's value.

The program requires two certified appraisals performed by a Maryland Certified Residential Appraiser: a before-appraisal documenting the property's fair market value immediately prior to construction, and an after-appraisal documenting the value following completion of the qualifying rehabilitation. Both must comply with USPAP and must be submitted to the City of Baltimore as part of the tax credit application.

• Before-appraisal — establishes baseline value prior to construction
• After-appraisal — documents value increase after rehabilitation
• Compliance with Secretary of the Interior Standards
• Accepted by Baltimore City CHAP program administrators

A retrospective appraisal establishes a property's fair market value as of a specific date in the past — not today's value, but what the property was worth on a particular day, month, or year. This type of appraisal is required in situations where the value at a past point in time is legally significant.

Retrospective appraisals in Baltimore require an appraiser with genuine historical market knowledge — not just access to data, but an understanding of what the Baltimore market was actually doing in any given period. I have been continuously appraising Baltimore properties since 1989, which means I have direct historical knowledge of market conditions going back over three decades.

• Estate and date-of-death appraisals (IRS, probate)
• Capital gains tax calculations for sold properties
• Divorce proceedings involving a past date of separation
• Legal disputes requiring historical value documentation
• Gifted property basis determination
• Insurance claim documentation

Private Mortgage Insurance — PMI — is required by most lenders when a buyer purchases a home with less than 20% down. It protects the lender, not the homeowner, and adds $100 to $300 or more to a monthly mortgage payment. Once a homeowner's equity reaches 20% of the current market value, they have the legal right to request PMI cancellation.

To qualify, the lender typically requires a certified appraisal from an approved appraiser demonstrating that the current market value supports the 80% loan-to-value threshold. Baltimore's significant appreciation across most neighborhoods over the past decade means many homeowners who purchased with PMI may now qualify to eliminate it — even if they have not made significant principal payments.

• Lender-grade certified appraisal for PMI cancellation request
• USPAP-compliant report accepted by most major lenders
• Fast turnaround — typically 3 to 5 business days
• Serving all Baltimore City and County zip codes

FHA and conventional mortgage appraisals are the most common appraisal type — required by virtually every lender for purchase transactions and most refinances. As an FHA-approved appraiser serving all of Baltimore City and County, I provide lender-grade appraisals that meet or exceed HUD Minimum Property Standards and are accepted by all major lenders and AMCs.

FHA appraisals in Baltimore require specific expertise because of the city's distinctive housing characteristics: pre-1978 properties with potential lead paint issues, party wall rowhouse construction, ground rent situations, and historic district designations all require an appraiser who knows how to handle Baltimore-specific compliance requirements correctly the first time — avoiding the costly re-inspections that result from missed compliance items.

• FHA purchase appraisals — all Baltimore City and County zip codes
• FHA refinance and streamline appraisals
• Conventional purchase and refinance appraisals
• VA loan appraisals (through VA panel)
• HUD Minimum Property Standards compliance
• Pre-1978 lead paint compliance assessment