Need an appraisal in Palatine or Cook County?

The top reasons Illinois homeowners use JM Real Estate Service:

  1. Pre-listing appraisals (whether they're selling the home on their own or using an agent)
  2. Challenge property tax assessments
  3. To lower a mortgage payment by removing PMI
  4. Reinstate their Home Equity Line of Credit (or HELOC)
  5. Review another appraiser's report for verification
  6. In the case of a divorce in the state of Illinois, when real estate needs to be divided
  7. To settle an estate in Illinois by determining the true market value of the property in question
Own a house in or near Palatine, Illinois and need help determining the price of it? Contact JM Real Estate Service.

At JM Real Estate Service, we understand the special needs of a homeowner after appraisal services. While our typical business clients understand the appraisal process and standard reporting formats, you as a consumer will get extra service in the form of an explanation of the process and even special consumer-friendly reporting forms if the assignment allows for them.

For-Sale-by-Owner (FSBO) / Pre-Listing Services

It's very hard to be objective about your own house because you probably have an emotional attachment to it. Professional appraisers, like the ones at JM Real Estate Service, are objective. We will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. A professional appraisal is a crucial negotiating tool once you have a likely buyer, in addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract buyers. It gives you something tangible to show the buyer. It's an independent third party's opinion of your property's value, and not just you saying how much you think your home is worth. Interested buyers know that you have an emotional attachment to your house and will be far more likely to give credibility to a seasoned appraiser's value estimation than yours.

Challenge property tax assessments

Let's say your house is not appreciating as much as other properties close by -- your local tax assessor may have your house overvalued. That only means you're most likely paying more taxes than you should. Since your property assessment may likely go up again in the next period, the faster you take care of a matter like this, the better off you'll be. When contesting your property tax assessment, getting a professional appraisal from JM Real Estate Service is your #1 weapon.

Appraisals to remove PMI

An attractive way to save money for homeowners is to get the PMI eliminated from their mortgage loan, thus saving them money on their monthly payments. PMI stands for "Private Mortgage Insurance". Your monthly payments will go down once your mortgage loan is down below 80% of the value of your home. In most cases you can apply to the lender to have the PMI canceled from your loan. At JM Real Estate Service, we're qualified in helping people just like you rid yourselves of unnecessary PMI insurance.

Recently got a freeze to your HELOC?

Even if your specific property has not declined in value, your lender just may decide to automatically freeze your home equity line of credit (HELOC) if your property is in a declining area. This can be difficult and inconvenient from a cash flow point of view, and destructive to your credit score since it may appear as though that credit line is maxed out. JM Real Estate Service can help you reinstate your home equity line of credit with a professional appraisal.

Need Field and Desktop Appraisal Review Services?

Have you just received a copy of your appraisal and you'd prefer to have a seasoned appraiser double-check it for verity or do you need a second opinion without the expense and delay of waiting for a whole new appraisal? JM Real Estate Service offers field reviews where we'll go out and check the subject and comps in question. If you're in a rush, we'll provide you with a desk review and verify as many facts as we can, using online data sources as well as our own files.

Do you need a retrospective review of an appraisal report? JM Real Estate Service can help you with that. Even though most review work is commissioned by lenders for quality control, homeowners that have reason to believe a prior appraisal wasn't above board are prudent to invest in a second opinion.