Lender · Houston, TX · Member since 2025 · 45 posts · 28 votes
I'm curious how other investors have experienced this.
Let's say you purchase a property from a motivated or distressed seller at a significant discount to market value. The contract price is well below what recent comparable sales would suggest.
A few months later, you refinance after making minor improvements or simply because you purchased well.
In your experience, how much influence should the original purchase price have on the refinance appraisal versus the current market value supported by comparable sales?
I've heard different opinions on this, especially when the purchase was an arm's-length transaction but clearly below market value. Interested to hear how investors and appraisers have seen this play out in the real world.
Most appraisers push back on this from a moral perspective because you got the good deal and they didn't. I find that within 6 months of purchase (where most seasoning lands), they take the approach of overindexing on the purchase price and reno costs. Once you get to 12+ months, they get off their high horse and eval against market comps.