What an appraisal does in a Canadian mortgage file and why value support matters for purchase, renewal, refinance, and home-equity decisions.
An appraisal is a professional opinion of a property’s value prepared for lending or transaction purposes. In a mortgage context, it helps the lender judge whether the property supports the requested loan.
Borrowers often focus on their own income and credit, but the lender is also lending against the property. If the appraised value comes in lower than expected, the required down payment, refinance amount, or HELOC room may change.
A lender may order an appraisal on a purchase, refinance, switch with added funds, or home-equity request. Sometimes the lender uses a full appraisal; sometimes it uses a lighter valuation tool. The borrower may pay the cost directly, even though the lender is the client for underwriting purposes.
An appraisal is different from a home inspection and different from a tax assessment. It is about lending value support, not a full construction review or municipal taxation.
You agree to buy a home for $800,000, but the lender’s appraisal supports only $775,000. That difference can force the borrower to increase the cash contributed or renegotiate the deal if the financing structure no longer works.
Appraisal is not a guarantee of future resale price. It is an opinion used for the specific lending or transaction context.
Borrowers also sometimes assume the appraisal must equal the purchase price. In practice, it may be higher, lower, or aligned depending on the property and market evidence.
Appraisal requirements and valuation methods vary by lender, insurer, property type, and transaction risk. Some files need a new appraisal even when the borrower believes the value is obvious.