A Few Things You Should Know About a Home Appraisal

Mortgage lenders require a home appraisal before handing out a loan. There are many elements that are taken into consideration by the appraiser, elements that can increase or decrease the value of your home.

What Appraisers Look for in a Home Appraisal in Fort Myers, FL

If you’re thinking of selling your house, you probably don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars for someone to tell you what the house is worth, but having a home appraisal can be beneficial. Among the many expenses involved in selling a house, a home appraisal can help you decide what your home’s selling price should be. Although it would be great to just decide on your own, your potential home-buyers will most likely be taking out a mortgage loan and their loaner will need justification of the home’s price.  Better set a reasonable price at the beginning of the sale so it can go faster. Schutt Law-Title Insurance Agency brings you this post so you can learn what’s considered in a home appraisal.

What is a Home Appraisal?

A home appraisal is an unbiased professional opinion of a house’s value. An appraisal determines whether the home’s selling price is appropriate to the home’s condition, location, and features. If the owner is having the place refinanced, the appraisal will assure the lender that they aren’t lending the borrower more money than the actual value of the house. Since the house serves as a collateral for the mortgage, the lenders need to be sure that they are not lending more money than necessary. An appraisal, just like title insurance, allows the bank to protect itself against lending more money than in might be able to recover in case something goes really wrong. Another requirement loaners have to protect their interest is that you purchase a title insurance policy. While the appraisal can result in a home with high market value, you never know if there is any lien that might stop you from acquiring it. Go ahead and call Schutt Law- Title Insurance Agency at (239) 540-7007 to learn more about title insurance in Fort Myers and begin your insurance process.

What’s Considered in a Home Appraisal?

The Local Market

The major thing home appraisal considers is the local real estate market. As the market changes, home prices may rise or fall, appreciating or depreciating home values. You should prepare for the possibility of smaller price than you expect, it all depends on the real estate market.

Similar Homes

A lot of your home’s value relies on the selling price of homes similar to yours. Many real estate appraisers use a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to compare the prices of recently sold homes in the area. They take into consideration the type of house, number of rooms, and square footage. In case the comparable values were to drop, the seller can take into consideration the following elements to make necessary renovations which may increase the home value.

Structural Issues

Appraisers are trained to easily notice any structural issues. While a home inspection may be able to tell you what basic infrastructure needs to be corrected before selling the house, a home appraisal may give you even further insight. The appraiser checks the construction materials. For instance: a house with bricks is valued highly because of it insulation and long-term wear. If you’re looking onto improving your home’s value, repairing gaps between the foundation, adding insulation between outer and inner walls, and painting the exterior can do the trick.

Age

Some houses last longer than others, because they were better constructed. Another element appraisers consider is how well a home ages. The main thing is how well the property has being cared for, and that can be seen by how well the house is aging. Simple projects like fixing damaged drywall, polishing wood details, or painting the walls can factor into the valuation. Age and design are not as important as how well a house compares to other similar houses. If you own an older home you don’t have to worry about it being compared to a more modern home. Still if your house is older, you should try to make it the best looking, most well-cared home in the block. You can’t change a home’s layout, but you can make some update’s to its appearance.

Landscaping

You’ve probably already heard about the importance of curb appeal to potential home buyers. Curb appeal is also considered by appraisers, they take into consideration how the house looks compared to other homes in the area. If you’re looking to raise the value of your home and get a better appraisal number, make an effort to work on your landscaping. Even small details like adding plants, a new mailbox, and cleaning up the area can make a real change.

The Neighborhood

Professional appraisers consider the neighborhood where the house is located. They consider the access to transportation nearby, schools, shopping areas, and the prices home recently sold around the area have gone for. Vacant lots and condemned properties close by are also considered, same with road access in rural areas. Even how the houses neighboring yours look affect your home appraisal.

Title Insurance in Fort Myers

After the home appraisal you need to get in touch with Schutt Law-Title Insurance Agency. Title insurance is another requirement the lender will probably ask for as it will be used to protect their interests as well. You can call them at (239) 540-7007 to begin your title insurance process. ;