The appraisers these days are not always bringing in the values that the buyers and sellers have agreed upon. I remember years ago when in Berkeley they were having auctions to sell property. They would put out a price that was clearly to cheap to sell the home and say they would have the auction...
If you recall--and you probably don't--I have a short sale listing in Richmond. Whereas my clients paid $500,000 for this adorable bungalow, made significant improvements, invested their life savings, and this home should have been worth $550-600,000; I had to list it at a fraction of what should...