Often considered the silent giant in real estate transactions, appraisers can substantiate a purchase contract price or report that it doesn't appraise out. Death to a transaction is the later and that is why appraisers are termed the quiet giant. Their ability to assign value can create or make them quiet or kill the sale of a home which makes them the giant. Appraisers and their role in home purchases and sales are often misunderstood. Mark Nash author of four real estate books including 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home and a regular columnist for RealtyTimes offers an inside perspective on residential real estate appraisers.

Buying a home is a major decision because it involves choosing a place where you will live for a number of years. This decision also has major implications on your financial status because of the usually high cost of homes and the loan applications that accompany such purchases.

The Texan city of Houston is a famous Wild West location. The Houston real estate market is an unpredictable business venture and has a high rate of fluctuation. This is largely because real estate trends are governed by local factors as well as global recession. Houston real estate revolves around residential and commercial property. Residential properties have revenue generation potential and are therefore considered investment property. Real estate also covers fixtures, built up and natural resources found with the particular property. Prior to any real estate undertaking such as rentals, leases, purchase, and sale, Houston real estate appraisers provide estimates on the value of specific real estate property.

Commercial real estate appraisal is a combination of art and science. Knowledgeable appraisers gather and analyze data prior to making informed decisions about real estate value. The appraisal profession has developed a series of well-established analytical techniques; the cost approach, income approach and sales comparison approach.