An appraisal directly affects the amount of mortgage you’re loaned, because your lender gives you a home loan based on the appraisal’s estimate of the fair market value of the home. It keeps the lender from lending you too much money, and keeps you from borrowing more than you need for a particular home. What happens if the appraisal comes in below the purchase price of the home you want to buy? Though it might be an unexpected scenario, it can happen, and it’s best to be prepared.If A House Is Appraised Lower Than The Purchase Price
A low appraisal doesn’t mean that a lender won’t lend money to you. It means that your lender will give you a loan based on the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio agreed to in the proposed contract. The LTV compares the size of the loan you’re getting with the value of the home.
The LTV represents the amount of the house your loan covers. Let’s take a look at a quick example of how LTV works when the appraisal comes back right on target with the home price.
The home you’d like to buy is appraised at $150,000. You and the seller agree that you’ll buy the home for $150,000. In addition, you tell your mortgage lender that you’re making a down payment of $20,000.
Here’s how to calculate your LTV: Subtract your down payment ($20,000) from the total selling price ($150,000). You get $130,000. This is the amount you plan to borrow. Next, divide your loan amount ($130,000) by the value of the property ($150,000) to get 0.866, and multiply that result by 100 to get your LTV. In this case, the LTV is 87%.
However, for a home priced at $150,000, what happens when the appraised value comes back at only $100,000? Since your agreed-upon price is $150,000, and your lender won’t lend more than the appraised value, you’ll have to make up the difference or work with the seller to see if they can reduce the asking price to the appraised value.
If A House Is Appraised Higher Than The Purchase Price
What happens if the appraisal comes in above the purchase price of the home? You’re in a good situation if this happens. It simply means that you’ve agreed to pay the seller less than the home’s market value. Your mortgage amount does not change because the selling price will not increase to meet the appraisal value.
