Appraisals have to be very recent and not stale dated – and in rising markets this is also in your best interests as your property has gone up markedly in value since the last time one was done. And when talking about private mortgages or B-lender mortgages, the lower the appraised value, the higher the potential rate. And if the appraisal came in too low, it might take some lenders out of their comfort zone. So a good, fresh appraisal report is essential to a good mortgage result.