Home prices are rising. No they’re falling — wait, maybe they are rising? Although the housing shortage is beginning to self-correct, we still often see a disconnect with what a buyer is willing to pay versus the property’s appraised value. This can impact the buyer’s financing options and leave the seller with less than what the property is worth.
Our appraisal partners at Opteon USA provided some insight on how to get the highest and best value for your seller. By being prepared with the following information and submitting it to the appraiser before the appraisal, there shouldn’t be any surprises with the final report.
- Subject Property Information
- List of all improvements and dates completed — including improvements that are not visible
- Neighborhood Information
- Clearly defined neighborhood and school district boundaries
- Relevant area information and/or trends and changes for the area
- Multiple Offers
- Submit copies of multiple offers if there are any (black out any personal information)
- Comparable Sales
- Provide sales, pendings and listings that are best and offer details about each one
- Address sales that show up in a search but are NOT comparable (and why)
- Other Items
- Floorplan (preferably from an old appraisal)
- Plat of survey
- Clear copy of the sales contract (verify contract price)
If you’ve provided everything above and the value still comes in low, ensure there are no factual defects in the appraisal (four bedrooms not three) or provide comparables that were not used that you believe should have been, as well as a reason why these are better than what was used.
The best protection you have as an agent is having the lender who only works with local, vetted appraisers — not a big box or online lender using a third party appraisal management company who doesn’t know the community.
Work with a Key Mortgage loan officer today and we will connect you with our reputable appraisers who understand the hyper-local nature of real estate.
