The average home appraisal in May was 0.79% lower than what the owner estimated, according to the Quicken Loans Home Price Perceptions Index (HPPI). While a lower than expected appraisal is never welcome news, this difference between homeowner estimates and appraisal values is slightly smaller in April, and the first improvement following six months of growing gaps between the two data points.

Homeowners across the country should not be shocked when their home is appraised. Just as the national average shows a small difference between what owners and appraisers think, none of the metro areas studied had appraised values 2% lower than what owners were expecting. In May, Philadelphia trailed all other cities, with the average appraisal 1.74% lower than what the owner estimated. There is also a new leader among those with a positive HPPI value with Charlotte boasted an average appraisal value 1.99% higher than expected.

"An appraisal can cause a variety of emotions from curiosity of the value, to frustration if it comes in too low and even surprise if the appraised value shows more equity than the homeowner realized, said Bill Banfield, Quicken Loans Executive Vice President of Capital Markets. "Luckily there wasn't a lot of frustrated homeowners in May since the HPPI values across the country are in a relatively tight band, showing that appraisals are not likely to cause much of a disruption in the mortgage process. This is, however, a reminder to homeowners that they should always keep an eye on the home sales around them to get a realistic gauge of their home value before estimating what it could be."

Quicken Loans' Home Value Index (HVI) shows that appraisal values reversed course from April's large increase. The nation's average home appraisal was 1.10% lower than in April, nearly erasing last month's growth. The annual measure, on the other hand, continued its positive momentum, with home values rising 3.54% year-over-year at a national level.

The bulk of the national drop in appraisal values came from the West, where home values were 1.74% lower in May than in April. The Midwest, with a month-over-month increase of 0.47%, is the only region with home value growth. All regions continued annual appraisal value increase – ranging from a meager 0.07% bump in the Northeast, to a 4.68% year-over-year jump in the Midwest.

"Winter's long hibernation is definitely over for Midwest homebuyers. They're hitting the streets and competing for a persistently low home inventory which is leading to appraisal value spikes," Banfield said. "The annual increase is a very positive sign, showing the growth is more than just seasonality."

*A positive value represents appraiser opinions that are higher than homeowner perceptions. A negative value represents appraiser opinions that are lower than homeowner perceptions.

*A positive value represents appraiser opinions that are higher than homeowner perceptions. A negative value represents appraiser opinions that are lower than homeowner perceptions.

*A positive value represents appraiser opinions that are higher than homeowner perceptions. A negative value represents appraiser opinions that are lower than homeowner perceptions.