Home › Blog
Resources & Notes from the Field.
Plain-English answers to the questions homeowners, attorneys, and accountants ask me most.
All Posts
From the Journal.
May 8, 2026
Private Mortgage Insurance can cost $40–$50 a month per $100,000 borrowed — money you stop owing the moment your loan-to-value ratio drops below 80%. Here’s how an appraisal proves you’ve crossed that line and gets the PMI canceled
May 8, 2026
Most homeowners only think about an appraisal when they’re buying or refinancing — but there are at least seven other situations where a real, USPAP-compliant appraisal solves a real problem. Here’s the practical guide, situation by situation.
May 8, 2026
Selling FSBO can save you 5–7% in commission, but only if you price the home right. Here’s how an independent pre-listing appraisal anchors your asking price, answers buyer pushback, and flags lender issues before they kill the deal.
May 8, 2026
A foreclosure appraisal isn’t a regular appraisal. Here are the three values lenders, servicers, and asset managers should expect in the report.
May 5, 2026
Most people think appraisals are just for mortgages. In reality, a certified appraisal from HM Hoffman & Co. can lower your monthly payment, cut your tax bill, settle a divorce fairly, and much more. Here are seven situations where Montgomery County homeowners put our expertise to work.
May 5, 2026
Your lender may offer you the option to skip the appraisal entirely — and make it sound like a gift. Before you accept a Property Inspection Waiver, here’s what’s actually at stake and why a few hundred dollars for an independent appraisal could save you far more.
Got a question I haven’t answered yet?
Send it over. The good ones become posts.