subject: The Importance Of Appraisers When Selling Your Home [print this page] Home appraisers occasionally get calls from customers who are in a rush to get their homes appraised because they are selling a home fast. Some sellers find themselves in life circumstances that cause them to make some difficult and somewhat drastic decisions really quickly. We never know when we'll find ourselves in such a situation, not really. But if such a situation should occur it's wise to rely on a property valuation provided by a professional appraiser in order to see the big picture and know your options. Selling a home fast may very well require some concessions and it's important to understand your choices in advance.
Let's say that a seller finds it necessary to move to another state to care for a close relative who can no longer live alone. It's likely to be a very long-term situation so that maintaining a vacant or leased home is simply not practical, and the seller makes the decision to sell sell a house right away to avoid the difficulties frequently associated with vacant and leased homes. Anyone who has had the experiences familiar to most absentee property owners, those with or without tenants, can tell you that it is a thankless and frustrating position and best avoided if at all possible. Nobody else ever cares for your home the way you care for your own home and that fact alone makes for problems in most cases.
So, that's why appraisers may come into the picture when a seller is selling a home fast in order to move on with his or her life. An appraiser typically uses comparable properties in the area that have sold recently, usually in the last six months or less, and develops a chart of comparisons between sold properties and the subject property. Various similar features and contrasting features are considered and the exact location of the subject property is considered as well. Meaning, the value of neighboring homes comes into the equation as far as the appraised value is concerned.
A home is appraised where it sits among other homes, not lifted out of its environment like a solitary structure. Although replacement cost is considered, it is certainly not the primary consideration. A professional appraisal will provide a seller facing extraordinary circumstances with a good starting point for negotiating a sale, and that is a tremendous asset, well worth the expense. Although selling a home fast may require a homeowner to sell at a discount to accomplish his or her goal, it is always good to know the market value up front.
