Archive for June 2005

Pricing too high can be as bad as pricing too low.

Selling a house can be a bit like having a baby -- everyone gives you advice that you may or may not have asked for, in spite of the fact that the experience is unique to each individual every time. And just like having a baby, there are many myths and "old wives' tales" to be de-bunked.

Myth: You should always price your home high and gradually correct the sales price downward.
Truth: Pricing too high can be as bad as pricing too low.
Your strategy in listing high may be that you will always have the chance to accept a lower offer. But the truth is that if the listing price is too high, you'll miss out on a percentage of buyers looking in the price range where your home should be. Offers may not even come in, because the buyers who would be most interested in your home are scared off by the price and won't even take the time to look. By the time the listing price is corrected, you may have already lost exposure to a large group of potential buyers. Your real estate agent will be able to offer you a comparable market analysis for your home. This is essentially a document that compares your home to other similar homes in your area, with the goal of helping you to accurately assess your home's true market value.


Lonnie Snyder
Ready for summer. Let's go for a ride.

What Is Appraised Value?

It’s an objective opinion of value, but it’s not an exact science so appraisals may differ.
For buying and selling purposes, appraisals are usually based on market value—what the property could probably be sold for. Other types of value include insurance value, replacement value, and assessed value for property tax purposes.
Appraised value is not a constant number. Changes in market conditions can dramatically alter appraised value.Appraised value doesn’t consider special considerations, like the need to sell rapidly.Lenders usually use either the appraised value or the sale price, whichever is less, to determine the amount of the mortgage they will offer.