Hoarder

[spittman]

Isn’t what they’re hoarding non-realty items and if so wouldn’t the appraiser just proceed under the typical assumption that it will be moved out as personal property typically is?

I’ve seen a few hoarder homes and most required a gut. However, one was a very clean home. The piles were neatly stacked and the observed flooring, walls, etc. were all in C3 condition. I got the feeling the owner was obsessive about cleanliness and compulsive about buying.

No. Why would I assume that? The only time I would make appraisal Subject-To would be when those non-realty items affect safety or the structural integrity of the home, not just the fact of having a lot of personal items. Do we not overlook personal items all the time whether it be a fully furnished home or a home with lots of clutter? Just like your scenario, I've seen homes with lots of stuff piled up in rooms, but the home itself was in great shape. Also, I think "hoarder" has become somewhat of a generic term by appraisers that are not used to seeing "messy" homes so appraisers must be careful when labeling a homeowner as a hoarder. I just did one not long ago. It was a refi for a rental property. Tenant was an Ebay seller and had stuff laid out in every single room including the garage. Some people would call them hoarders, but I didn't think so. Although there were lots of personal items throughout the home, everything was well organized. I just had to be careful of where I walked, not because of personal safety, but because I was afraid to step on or knock over anything that might be potentially valuable. I think most seasoned appraisers can look past the personal items and can also tell when a messy home needs to be appraised subject-to.

 

[IlliniApp]

definitely

Did one where heirs were moving boxes of basically junk, and termites had ate through the maple flooring and into the boxes.

I was in on an inspection once where the trim was riddled with holes and termites were flying around the house, you had to swat them away like flies.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

There ARE profitable assignments out there with much, MUCH less risk to the
Appraiser.

Bill for time served - walk AWAY.

 

[sputnam]

You tell the Client what's going on and ask them if they would like you to proceed based on an Extraordinary Assumption. You include something like: "Appraiser was unable to adequately observe interior areas due to storage of personal items." in the report.