HOME SELLER SERVICES

If you are planning to sell your home, it might be a wise decision to make a small investment in a professional appraisal.  Unless you study real estate values on a day to day basis, like a professional appraiser does, it's difficult for you to get a handle on real estate values.  We aren’t talking about how much you have invested in your home, how much you paid for it, or how much you want for it.  We’re talking about the true market value of your home, which could really pay off for you in the long run!

SELLING YOUR HOME FSBO
More and more homeowners today are choosing to sell their homes FSBO (For Sale By Owner) and foregoing the help of a real estate agent.  Selling your home by this method can end up saving you a potential “hefty” commission (industry average is 5-7% of the home’s selling price).  Plus many FSBO sellers feel that they have more control in the process of selling their home since they’re in essence making all the rules.  But selling your home on your own will require a significant amount of "homework" if you're going to do it right.  One piece of advice that is consistently given by the experts in selling your home FSBO....Do NOT "Overprice" Your Home! It's very hard to be objective about your own home because of your emotional attachment to it.  A professional appraiser is objective and will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear.

PRE-LISTING APPRAISAL
If you’re working with a real estate agent to list your property, more than likelythey’ll provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that lists selected sales in your area as one of the first steps in determining what to set as the “Listing Price".This step is vital if you're going to maximize your profit and minimize the home’s time on the market.

But even if you're working with the most experienced real estate agent, it's probably in your best interest to have an "objective" third-party's opinion of value. And that’s where we come in. We can provide you with a pre-listing appraisal so both you and your agent have an accurate description of your home's features and a detailed analysis of the most recent and similar "comparable sales" or as they're commonly called, "Comps". We also will provide you with a FREE webpage that you can use to show the potential buyer and they can download a PDF copy of the appraisal report. In addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract buyers, a professional appraisal can:

PRO's

• Give You a Major Edge on Your Competetion!
• Make sure your price is not so high it will never sell
• Prove to the borrower how much equity really is in the home
• Increase Buyer Traffic
• Make yourself aware of problems and eliminate last-minute repair hassles that might delay a closing
• Borrower can use the Same Appraisal which saves them $$
• Less Suprises at Closing
• Speeds Up the Closing Process
• Extended Market reach with FREE Web Page
• Anyone can download PDF copy of Appraisal Online

We have proof this strategy works and we can provide MLS listings of homes have sold for more money and faster over homes in the same neighborhood at the same time that did not get the Pre-Listing Appraisal! Realtors may not have the tools to distinguish from the "UnQualified" sales and "Qualified" sales and may think that the home will not appraise for a higher value but I have found realtors and homeowner's are pleasantly suprised their listings have appraised for higher and sell quicker because of the amount of equity in the home. This is not uncommon in this market due to all the sellers that are having financial troubles and need to sell NOW and it looks as though the neighborhood values have drastically dropped when they may not have as much as you may think.

I have been going to realtors sales meetings in the TAMPA BAY AREA and helping them to find this information and educate them to help list their homes with more confidence. If you are a realtor and would like me to come to your office, please email me at coty@baifl.com so we can set up a time and day.

What more could you ask for? Lets face it, in this market you need every tool you can get to ensure you have an edge on your competition.

I also know that underwriters have been very critical on appraisals but we have never had an appraised value get cut. We do a lot of research and explaining in our reports to ensure the underwriter will be able to fully understand the logic behind the appraisal which will also help the borrower purchase the home using the same appraisal.

Many realtors that have used this service have also requested we do a Pre-Listing Appraisal on every house they list or they will not list it. They have come to see the true value and benifit of pricing the listing right the first time to ensure it will sell and be competitive with other listings in the area. It has also been researched and found that if a home is not priced correctly when it is FIRST listed on the market, the chances it will ever sell in this market are greatly reduced. There are probably a million reasons why but one would be that first impressions are everything. If you bring in a potential buyer and it is over priced, you may have left a bad taste in their mouth which prevents them from coming back to see it later or they may have found another home by then. Not to mention there are so many homes on the market they may never have the time to "Re-Think" your listing again as they will be busy looking at many other homes.

Email me using the "Thinking of Selling Your Home" area at bottom of this page and I will send you a link to see what the web page looks like and how it will work for you, too.

Final note, Many people are surprised when they find out that the market value of their home is much more than they thought, so investing in a professional appraisal actually allowed these people to receive several thousand more dollars than they thought they would when their home was sold. Others have an inflated opinion of their home's value and an appraisal helped them to realistically price their home in order for it to sell. An overpriced home will not attract buyers, which means no offers and no closing and that you have wasted valuable time, money, and efforts.

Improvements to add value
In addition to “how much?”, there may be other important questions to ask yourself before listing your home. Questions like ''Would it be better to paint the entire house before we sell it?”, ''Should I put in that third bathroom?'', ''Should I complete my kitchen remodel?'' Many things which we do to our houses have an effect on their value. Unfortunately, not all of them have an equal effect. While a kitchen remodel may improve the appeal of a home, it may not add nearly enough to the value to justify the expense.

We can step in and help make these decisions. Unlike a real estate agent, an appraiser has no vested interest in what amount the house sells for. Our appraisal fees are based on efforts to complete the report and not a percentage of the sales price. So a professional appraisal can often help homeowners make the best decisions on investing in their homes and setting a fair sales price.

CONSULTATION
Maybe you feel like you don't need an "appraisal" but you'd still like some help gathering local property and sales data.  Our reports help you to make an informed buying decision. We understand the complexities of buying a home and know what you are going through and will do our best to make it easier for you by giving you a high quality, professional appraisal that you can depend on!

When you order an appraisal report from us, you can expect. . . .

• Prompt response to your initial inquiry: We will give you personalized information for your particular appraisal need. Just tell us your situation and we will make suggestions. Quick turnaround time: Typically one week or less from the date the request is received. If you've chosen to receive a copy of your appraisal or consulting report via the Internet (EDI), you'll receive it within MINUTES of its completion.
• Appraisal and consulting reports formats to suit YOUR needs: When it comes to appraisal and consulting, "One size does NOT fit all!" We offer a variety of report types and delivery methods. Express mail too slow? We can deliver your report attached to a standard email, or notify you of an Internet site to download your report, the MINUTE it's completed!
• Quick response to follow-up questions: Our reports are clearly written, understandable, and meet or exceed the Uniform Standards of Professional Practice that governs the appraisal practice. If you have any questions regarding your appraisal, after you've read the report, we encourage you to email or call us!