You’re under contract, the moving boxes are half-packed, and the finish line feels inches away. Then the lender says those four little words: “Waiting on the appraisal.” Suddenly everything pauses. That one report holds the power to keep your interest rate locked, your down payment intact, and your closing date on schedule — or send the whole deal spiraling into renegotiations.

At Worcester County Valuations, we complete hundreds of mortgage appraisals every month across Central Massachusetts and Northeastern Connecticut, and we’ve seen it all: celebrations when the number comes in above contract, sighs of relief when it hits exactly on target, and the occasional scramble when it falls short. Here’s the straight story on what really happens during a mortgage appraisal and why it matters more than most buyers expect.

The Single Number Your Lender Won’t Budge Without

A mortgage appraisal is not a home inspection, not a wishful estimate, and definitely not the Zillow Zestimate. It is a licensed professional’s unbiased opinion of what a property would sell for today if it hit the open market with normal exposure and motivated parties on both sides.

The lender uses that number as collateral. Loan $360,000 on a house worth $400,000? No problem. Loan $360,000 on a house worth $340,000? Now they have a problem — and so do you. The bank will only lend against the lower of the purchase price or the appraised value. That gap can force sellers to drop the price, buyers to bring extra cash, or everyone to walk away.

What the Appraiser Actually Looks At (It’s More Than Curb Appeal)

When the appraiser pulls up to the house, the clock starts running. Most visits last 25–45 minutes, but a lot happens in that window:

• Square footage verification (yes, they measure every level)
• Condition of major systems: roof, siding, furnace, water heater, electrical panel
• Functional layout and room count
• Updates and remodel quality — granite counters and new flooring move the needle more than most people think
• Health and safety items: missing handrails, peeling lead paint (in pre-1978 homes), water stains that scream “past leak”
• Garage, basement, attic, porch, deck, fencing — everything gets noted

After the visit, the real work begins: finding the three to six most recent, most similar sales within a tight radius and making dollar-for-dollar adjustments for every difference. A bedroom your house has that the comp doesn’t? Add $15,000–$25,000. One-car garage instead of two? Subtract $8,000–$12,000. It’s math, but it’s also art. (Adjustment numbers are used for example only and not actual adjustments.)

Local Flavor Changes Everything

A ranch in Auburn, Massachusetts, isn’t priced the same as an identical ranch ten miles away in Thompson, Connecticut. School districts, tax rates, commute times to Worcester or Hartford, even the direction the street faces can shift value thousands of dollars. That’s why out-of-area appraisers sometimes miss the mark. Our appraisers live and work in the same towns you’re buying in — we know when the new Amazon warehouse bumped values on the west side of Webster, or how the renovated kitchen at the Oxford high school lifted an entire neighborhood.

Three Outcomes — And What Each One Means for You

1. Value matches or beats the contract price The happiest outcome. Closing stays on track, equity starts strong, and everyone high-fives.
2. Value comes in slightly below contract Most common fix: seller reduces the price to the appraised value. Sometimes the buyer splits the difference, or a combination of both keeps the deal alive.
3. Value falls significantly short Tougher conversations follow. Buyers can challenge the appraisal with better comps (called a reconsideration of value), bring the difference in cash, switch lenders and hope for a different result, or walk away and get their earnest money back.

How to Stack the Deck in Your Favor (Without Breaking Rules)

You can’t influence the appraiser — and you shouldn’t try — but you can set the stage:

• Make the house easy to access and spotlessly clean
• Turn on every light and open every blind (dark rooms photograph poorly)
• Leave a one-page list on the counter: new roof 2023, new furnace 2024, bathroom remodel 2022 with permit numbers and costs
• Mow the lawn, pull the weeds, shovel the walk
• Keep friendly pets crated or off-site

Little things signal pride of ownership, and appraisers notice.

The Bottom Line

The appraisal isn’t the scary monster some make it out to be, but it is the one step in the transaction you don’t fully control. Choosing a local lender who works regularly with experienced, Massachusetts- and Connecticut-licensed appraisers can dramatically reduce surprises.

When your file lands on our desk at Worcester County Valuations, you get fast scheduling, clear communication, and a report built on real local sales — not guesses from 50 miles away. We’ve been the reason deals close on time since long before online estimates existed, and we’re still here making sure the next chapter of your story starts on solid ground.

Buying or refinancing in Worcester County or Windham County? Let’s make sure your mortgage appraisal is the easiest part of the process. Reach out today — we’re always happy to talk through what to expect.