How to Ensure That you Get a Good Home Appraisal

Home appraisals have a tendency to come in much lower than expected. The recent economic slump is further responsible for shockingly low appraisal values. This can be a major impediment that can easily turn all your carefully laid plans a miss and keep you from being able to sell house fast San Antonio, Texas.

While I know that there is nothing much I can do about the recessionary tendencies in the market, small efforts helped me get a better appraisal of my home value.
Here’s what I did –

•    A new coat of paint on my house worked wonders. Even the appraiser commented that my homes appearance was the best in the neighborhood.  If a full coat of paint is too much, opt for pressure washing the house and a fresh coat of high gloss paint on all the trim work.

•    "Spring cleaning" is in order. I cleared away any and all the junk from around the house and  the garage. The house looked neat and inviting.

•    Make the home smell like home.   Back some cookies right before the appraiser arrives. You'ii be surprised at the response. The appraiser couldn’t resist having a few!

•    I ensured that my washing machine, dishwasher and other appliances were all  working and that there was a home warranty policy on all appliances.

•    I showed the appraiser the necessary paperwork that I had recently installed a new roof.   Roofs typically need replacing every 12 to 25 years.   So a new roof is a lifted burden for any potential home buyer.

•    I swapped out all of the facets, light fixtures  and out dated mirrors.   This transformed the house for  what I considered a minor investment.
•    As I knew the appraiser would not be from the vicinity, I compiled an information packet of recent comparable home sales and other developments in my town.
I received a very favorable appraisal and I was easily able to sell house fast San Antonio, Texas!

Property Appraisals Matter a Lot!

I wanted to sell my house fast in San Antonio, Texas and knew that it was worth an X amount of money. I quoted an appropriate sale price and negotiated accordingly. Both the buyer and I were satisfied with the final price and the buyer began to arrange funding for the home purchase. However, the lender requires a home appraisal,  this was when the deal collapsed.

I was quite taken aback when the value returned by the appraiser fell far lower than the agreed price. The bank refused to finance the ‘overvalued property’ due to the inherent risks and backed down from mortgaging the property. The subsequent negotiations failed and the buyer walked away from the deal. I, for one, still believed that my house is not worth the lower appraisal amount!

Alas, appraisals often fall short of the asking price and ruin good deals. This is the reason why I now prefer to get an appraisal before putting any property on the market. This assures me that my quoted price is right and there are no rude shocks later. During the appraisal process, I make all efforts to ensure that the appraisal comes in closer to my expected price – right from updating the house and making it presentable to informing the appraiser about recent sale values of comparable properties and new developments in the vicinity.

As for the earlier property, because I wanted to sell house fast San Antonio, Texas, I approached a cash buyer called MoneyBug who did not require a formal appraisal as they pay entirely in cash. The deal was closed quickly and to my satisfaction!