Plain-English Summary · Prepared for Chip Drury · April 2, 2026
This document was prepared by Richard Friedman, a state-licensed Georgia appraiser, in January 2021. He walked through your house at 618 Sunset Boulevard, measured it, researched comparable sales in the area, and wrote a formal report concluding that the house was worth $475,000 as of that date. That report is the one being summarized here.
An appraisal is a written opinion of value from a licensed professional. Think of it as an official price tag — not what you hope to sell for, not what Zillow guesses, but what a credentialed expert says the property is worth based on market evidence.
This appraisal is what's called FIRREA-compliant, which is the federal standard that banks require before they'll lend money against real estate. It means the appraiser followed strict government rules for how the valuation had to be conducted and documented. Without this standard, the report wouldn't be accepted by any bank.
The appraiser looked at three things to arrive at $475,000: (1) what similar homes nearby actually sold for, (2) what it would cost to build your house from scratch today, and (3) what rental income the property could generate. He then weighted those approaches to reach his final number.
It means you have documented equity on paper. A lender won't just take your word that the house is worth $475,000 — but they will accept a licensed appraiser's word. This document is the proof they need.
When a bank lends against real estate, they're really lending against the collateral — i.e., your property. They'll typically lend 60%–75% of the appraised value. With a $475K house and a $225K land parcel, your combined documented value is $700,000. At 70% LTV, that's $490,000 in potential loan capacity just from the existing appraisals.
This appraisal is 5 years old. No institutional lender will rely on it as-is. You will need a fresh appraisal — likely $2,500–$4,000 — before any serious financing conversations. Given how much coastal Georgia real estate has appreciated since 2021, the updated value is almost certainly higher.
This document is used as evidence of value across all three paths in the proposal:
When you hand this to a lender, attorney, or investor, you're saying: "Here is an official, licensed, federally-compliant document that proves my house is worth $475,000." That is a powerful and necessary piece of evidence to have in your file.