How Can I Get My Home Value?

There are many ways to find out how much your home is worth.

A Realtor is typically the best place to start, because they have the tools neccessary to make an informed assesment of your property. Typically they may provide a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis).

You can also try looking up your house on Zillow, but I've heard a lot of complaints about the Zestimate being inaccurate.

A lot of people will go to their county website for the info. Here's mine www.bcpa.net. When you search your county tax appraiser's website, sometimes that information is also mis-leading. Most of the time, I find that homes typically appraise for higher than what the county assesses them for.

Perhaps the best way to get the true value of your house is to hire an appraiser. It make cost 300 - 400 dollars, but it's a valuable tool when trying to sell your house, whether you are using a Realtor or not.

It may even save you money in the long run.

Be sure to check out more responses at http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/How-can-I-get-a-home-value/387407/

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Is it easier to buy a short sale or a foreclosure? - Zillow Real Estate Advice

Is it easier to buy a short sale or a foreclosure? - Zillow Real Estate Advice - Click Here to see all answers.

MY RESPONSE:

A short sale under the right set of circumstances may be the easier way go. The banks want to negotiate, so you can still get a good price. The process has been streamlined, so it doesn't take an eternity anymore. If you can find a short sale, say with one loan to payoff on a primary residence, then I would seriously consider it as an option.

Over the past year and a half I've found it harder to buy a foreclosure, especially in South Florida. Prices are typically at rock bottom when they hit the MLS. This leads to multiple contracts and bidding wars, causing you to pay higher than the list price Most of the time, it's not even what you offer, but who you know or if your agent properly presents your offer to the listing broker. I've also heard that the banks are approving less foreclosure sales for the rest of the year, in order to take less losses this year. That would make buying a foreclosure very hard indeed.

Neither one are easy but with patience & perserverance you can get a great deal either way.

County shows that it is in foreclosure. What is the ... - Zillow Real Estate Advice

It can easily take more than six months before a property is sold on the court room steps at auction.

If the owner hires an attorney, it may drag out in the courts for 1 - 2 years. With all the foreclosure problems the banks are having these days, it may take even longer.You may, in the meantime, want to write the seller and ask them if they would be interested in doing a short sale during the foreclosure process. If you have a Realtor ask them to write the letter.

If you can call the owner that may be better, but you must make sure that the owner is not on the do-not-call list. There are some providers of do-not-call lists, but it may cost you some money to get one. I think that if you know to ask for them, you can get 2 or 3 zip codes for free. Your Realtor, too, may have a list available.

Click the link below for more responses on Zillow.com

County shows that it is in foreclosure. What is the ... - Zillow Real Estate Advice

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Hole in carpet - replace or allowance? - Zillow Real Estate Advice

This is a common question.

Take a read and learn more.

Hole in carpet - replace or allowance? - Zillow Real Estate Advice

Zestimate on Zillow is lower than my neighbor's, even though my house is superior.

Yes, people may see that your Zestimate is lower than your neighbors, but that doesn't truly mean anything. I love Zillow, but they should not be the end all, be all in evaluating your home's value. That job should be up to your Realtor or an appraiser. Many people get caught up in their Zesitimate, but Zillow just doesn't always get it right. Ask your Realtor to send you the comps in your neighborhood. When selling a property, the current value is determined by what others are paying for similar properties. It's up to your Realtor to sell that value to a potential buyer, in order for you to get you top dollar.

Also, and it's rare, but some sellers will pay for an appraisal at the time they list the property. This can be a very valuable tool when trying to negotiate with a buyer. It also can add peace of mind that the price you list your house and hopefully sell your house at is correct.

Hope that helps!

Aaron Glassman, Boker/OwnerA-1 Realty Group, Inc.

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Aaron Glassman's Questions and Answers - Zillow

How do I get a better quote for my loan?

Here is a response to a question regarding getting a better quote for a loan.

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

What can I do to get more (or better) quotes for my loan request ZR-SZQRNSB - Zillow Mortgage Advice

What to Offer?

In these days, it's not unusual to put your best foot forward when trying to buy a property. It depends on what type of sale is it. Is it a short sale, foreclosure or traditional sale?Why does this matter? Well, short sales and foreclosures,(also known as REO's) are in a whole different leauge when it comes to trying to aquire them. There is competition for such houses and in South Florida people are paying more than the list price, for REO's especially.If the homes you are looking at are traditional listings, then I would say, no, stay with the traditional approach. In a short sale situation, however, I would say, yes, it might be in your best interest to put your best foot forward. The reason why? Several actually.

First and foremost, I know that when buying a short sale you need the full cooperation of the listing agent, let alone the seller and the bank. The listing agent should know what type of contract they are looking for. Usually they want a solid price, a qualified buyer,of course but preferably cash, fair terms and the approval period to be 90 days. Making your best offer does not neccesarily mean giving just the best price, but the best price and terms. This shows the listing agent you are serious about buying that property. Believe me, a solid offer on a Short Sale is very important to keeping competeing contracts off the table.

Also, a lot depends if the short sale has already been approved or not, and if your contract is the first deal that the listing agent has had on the property. If your offer is say, the second or third contract on the property and the short sale has already been approved, and the other previous offers fell through, then for sure the listing agent should know what the bank need sto make the deal work, and that just might be the asking price.

When buying a foreclosures, depending on the property, it may be essential that you bid the asking price or even above. Again, I will be happy to email you reports showing this trend in my local market. From what I've found out, however, buying an REO is not just how much you offer, but who you know. In South Florida the market is now very competetive for quality REO's. If you're agent is not the listing agent for the property, you may not stand a chance. Also, some banks require that offers be made based on specific instructions. Make sure your agent knows how to your properly deliver you offer to the listing agent.

Thanks For Reading

Aaron Glassman, Broker/Owner
A-1 Realty Group, Inc.