| |
| |
|
|
Real Estate |
|
Tax Assessment/Appraisal: How Do I Know What My Home is Worth?
If you are in the home buying or selling market, it's important to understand the difference between tax assessment and appraisal value. Concentrate on the appraisal value because this determines your asking price. Understanding Tax Assessment The tax assessment is a tool local governments use to exact a property tax rate on residents. The local government determines your home's worth by reassessing the homes in the area you live in periodically. Some areas reassess every 2-3 years. But with today's booming real estate market, the National Association of Realtors estimates 60-70% of U.S. tax assessments do not reflect the escalating market value on home sales. This is why the tax assessment is not always an accurate gauge of true home worth. Tax assessment offers a general idea of home value. If you are curious about whether your tax assessment office is keeping up with the local market, telephone your local real estate board and local tax assessment office. Ask them about the local appreciation value on homes to determine if they are up-to-date. Focus on the Appraisal Value Home sellers should concentrate on the appraisal value, because a mortgage lender will write a loan on the home for this amount. Location is the prime factor in appraising a property. An appraiser will look at three homes that sold during the previous three-month period to determine what similar properties have sold for in the same neighborhood. If your home is in a rural area, or if the sales in your area have been sluggish, the appraiser can go within a five mile radius to locate similar homes for comparison. If there is home value inflation in the area, the appraiser will factor this in. A good appraiser will contact the realtor who sold the homes he or she is using as a comparison. What Do Appraisers Look For? An important rule of thumb of real estate is: location, location, location. Appraisers are mainly focused on the following to determine home worth:
Secondary Enhancements Help a Home Sell There are other bells and whistles the appraisers may factor in, but their impact on home value is marginal. Although these improvements do help the home sell, they do not impact the appraisal significantly. Here are some examples:
Sell Your Home Quickly Do not be mistaken -- upgrades are worthwhile because they will help sell your home quickly. For example, eye-catching landscaping will lure people in to look at the home, because 80% of homebuyers decide if they like a house when they first drive up to the property. When do I Need an Appraisal? Home sellers may want to pay for a professional appraisal so they know the true value of their home, but they are not required to have an appraisal. Your realtor will determine an asking price with you. To determine a fair and marketable price for your home, expect your realtor to research comparable home sales on Multiple Listing Services (MLS). Homebuyers are required by the lender to have an appraisal done and they must pay an average of $300-500 for it. Payment is due at the time of the appraisal. The buyer does not have the right to choose the appraiser -- the lender does this. Loan officers keep an approved list of appraisers on hand. Research on Home Value While conducting research on home value consider this: Is the neighborhood you live in completely built out, or are you competing with new homes still being built? If you are putting your home on the market and would like to conduct some of your own research, you can do one of three things. Visit the courthouse in your county and see what has sold in your area that is similar to your home. Call your local realtor and ask for a comparative market analysis. Or, visit open houses in your neighborhood which are similar to your own, to see what they are selling for. All of these activities are a good education for homeowners interested in learning the value of their home before placing it on the market or refinancing. About The Author Elaine VonCannon is a REALTOR with RE/Max Capital in Williamsburg, Virginia, and she manages investment property as part of her business. Elaine is also an Accredited Buyer's Representative as well as a Senior Real Estate Specialist. She has helped numerous clients invest in and make money on property in Southeastern Virginia. Visit http://www.voncannonrealestate.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
One Stop Shop for Buy to Let As the buy to let market continues to go from strength to strength, a unique selling opportunity has been created for landlords looking to dispose of both residential and commercial buy to let property with the ability for transactions to take place directly between landlords.Set up by experienced property investors with an acute understanding of all aspects involved in buying and selling of investment property. Real Estate Values or Just Bad Habits There are several small businesses that retain hundred year old traditions. Hand-dipped chocolates, fresh flowers and cloth napkins on every table in a restaurant, or mints and roses on a guest's pillow at a B&B. The Real Estate Agent Alphabet Alphabet Letters after a person's name seem to bestow some kind of special prestige. PHD, MD, ESQ are common. Basic Tips for First Time Home Buyers Choosing a first home can be a daunting task, but following a few key steps makes it a lot less confusing.An essential part of the process for every home buyer is to simply do the math. Fixtures Fixtures, related to real estate, are items that were originally personal property but are now attached to the property itself. This becomes the toughest issue when tenants attach fixtures to a property. Small Town Stone House with a Long History As a native Midwesterner, the first thing I noticed when moving to the Delaware Valley was the enormous number of fieldstone houses. Frankly, I'd never seen such a thing. Cutting Edge Real Estate: Is There Anything New? Part 1 The world of real estate has pretty much stayed the same for decades. It's no different today than it was 50 years ago. Find Out If There Are Sexual Predators Nearby Before You Buy A Home or Property! When looking for a new home or property, buyers ask many questions. Typical questions might be about the history of the property, property tax amounts, the school system, proximity to medical facilities, shopping malls, etc. Home Loans - Identity Theft Protection Could Hurt Home Sales Identity theft has been a hot topic in the news during the last few years. Just a month or so ago, forty million credit card numbers were compromised due to a computer attack on a credit card processor. What You Can Do To Sell Your Home Fast Yes, you want to sell your home and you want to sell it fast. It may be a seller's market and every other home in your neighbourhood is selling and you think it's going to be a cakewalk selling your home. How to Use Color Psychology to Prepare Your Home for a Top-Dollar Sale (Part 1) You've decided to prepare your home for sale. Whether you sell by owner or hire a real estate agent, you want to get as much money as possible without spending your profits. A Powerful Suggested Technique for YOUR Home & Property Search A Powerful Suggested Technique for YOUR Home & Property Search by Jody Hudson You can be a pro at buying a home: Whether you are buying your first home or you are an experienced home buyer who owns more than one home, there are some things that can help you get faster results and get more professional and pleasant help from your Realtor. A home or property purchase is one of the most important and exciting events to experience. Dont Sell Your House--Ever! Keeping your existing house when you buy a new one could be THE most profitable financial decision you could make. Consider the following:1. Utah Real Estate Looking to buy real estate in Utah? The market has changed over the past few years and is going to continue to change over the next few (drastically) and here are a few things you should consider before buying any Utah real estate.First, the Olympics didn't affect the state as much as people thought it would. How to Make Money from the California Real Estate Gold Rush What do the Californians know that we don't?What is so special about California? Why is the average price of a house there five times higher than nationwide? Why on a salary of $100,000 per year, you can hardly afford to rent a decent apartment in the large cities there?It is true, Californians have a nice looking Pacific coastline. They also have a pleasant climate. Panama is Hot - A World Class Retirement Haven Thats Ripe For Profitable Real Estate Investment If you've followed any of the major survey agencies around the world that rate places for retirement, Panama has been on top of the list in many, and for a few years running. So, if you're looking for a place outside U. Finding The Perfect Maui Home For Sale If you are thinking of relocating to Maui, this article will hopefully guide you to making a positive decision when thinking of buying a home there. Hopefully, by the end you will be one step closer to finding a Maui home for sale, and being able to purchase it. How to Become a Successful Real Estate Investor Many folks dream of becoming real estate investors, but not everyone has what it takes. If you're dreaming of becoming an investor, here are several important questions to consider, long before you buy your first investment property:1) Why would a homeowner sell a house at a bargain price?Many things happen in people's lives that make their home suddenly become a burden. Safe, Scenic & Secure Sussex County Delaware As I write this, there is a considerable concern about the dangers of urban life, triggered by the terrorist attacks on the USA. As some of you know, I have been a student of disaster preparations and a real estate consultant for those seeking "secluded and survival properties" for over thirty years. Tenant/Buyers Have Multiple Options Lease Purchasing affords the tenant/buyer a wonderful opportunity to get into a home today, that he or she can buy tomorrow. But what options are available at the end of the contract? Fortunately, Lease Purchasing provides multiple options here also.
|
||||||||||||||||
