Do I need an appraiser to tell me what my home is worth?

This is a question that I was recently asked by a relative.  To be completely honest, there is a time and a place for appraisers, and a time to save the money and use a Realtor.  As part of the real estate world, Realtors are able to provide homeowners with what is called a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis).  Appraisers, on the other hand, provide a technical report on the home that involves numerical calculations (while also taking into account what the market is doing in the area).  Appraisers are often called upon in the event of estate settlements, bank verification of loan amounts, or other legal matters where a licensed appraiser is needed.  With this specific expertise comes a price (and rightfully so).  Appraisers work that business full-time and that is where they make their living.  Realtors, in contrast, provide the CMA at no cost to the client.  It is important to understand, however, that a CMA is not done in the same manner as an appraisal.  A CMA is done by taking into account what the market is doing in the specific area that a home is located, and seeing what home have sold for in the recent past, as well as what homes are on the market at right now.  These reports are valuable, however, they are not as technically specific as an appraisal.  Both an appraisal and a CMA will land you with a value for your home, and if everyone has done their homework, these two numbers should be very similar.
So, in conclusion, there are many times when an appraiser is needed, however, finding the current value of your home is not one of them.  Save yourself the money and find a Realtor you trust to give you a CMA on your home.  It is free to you and something that is great to know.