Appraiser Cites Virtues of Professional Report

Robert Bruss routinely advises home buyers and sellers to ask a real estate agent for a comparative market analysis of a home’s worth. Better advice would be to hire a local real estate appraiser for an unbiased, professional estimate of market value.

I am a licensed real estate appraiser specializing in Burbank single-family residences and charge $250 for an appraisal report. True, this is more expensive than an agent’s complimentary comparative market analysis but, considering possible counteroffer or tax valuation differences of thousands of dollars, I think it would behoove Bruss to recommend appraisals more often.

JENNIFER BAUER

Burbank