What's an Appraisal? Appraisals... we can't live with em and we can't live without em in the real estate industry. Unless you have cash to pay for your home in full, chances are you'll pay for an appraisal on the property prior to closing. An appraisal is the most trusted source for information regarding a property, so let's look at what an appraisal is and why it's such a big part of most real estate...