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Boston.com / Real estate Buying Renting Recent sales Place an ad Luxury Living Community data Financing Commercial Moving Guides How to solve appraisal problems By Inman news MORE Having an appraisal done on your home is essential, whether or not you plan on selling. Loan calculators NEWS LINK NEWS LINK RESOURCES For Sale: Homes | Condos | Open Houses For Rent: Apartments | Houses | Roommates Vacation rentals Place an ad: On Boston.com | In the Globe Commercial: Search listings for sale or rent An appraisal is a dispassionate, third-party estimate of the value of a piece of property. It can either give you peace of mind by affirming your offering price or it can put the kibosh on a transaction entirely. As part of your loan application, you will pay for your lender (typically $200 to $400) to order an appraisal to estimate the current market value of the home you want to buy. You may also opt to hire an appraiser yourself before you make an offer to help you determine the price you bid on a house. Lenders require appraisals before they will approve and fund a loan in order to ensure that the home is worth the amount of money you are asking for. While most appraisals match up with what buyers want to borrow, some do not, which can send a lender backing out of your loan commitment. Understanding how real estate appraisals and appraisers work can help you deal with the consequences. Why do appraisals go awry? Most appraisal problems boil down to two things: incomplete information on the property or incompetence of the appraiser. Incomplete information often comes with the appraisal territory. All appraisals must conform to guidelines set by the Federal Reserve, but ultimately every appraisal is a subjective analysis of a property's current market value. To arrive at that number on your house, an appraiser will compare your house with that of three comparable homes in the area that have sold within the past six months and adjust for differences in the properties. They will photograph, measure and inspect the home (do NOT consider this your home inspection, however) to help them make their comparisons. But true market value can be difficult to ascertain in markets where prices are volatile and properties widely vary. Incompetence in the field can cause appraisal problems, too. Not all real estate appraisers are created equal in terms of licensing and education. While federal licensing requirements for everyone are being phased in, only about half the states currently require appraisers to be licensed, though most states do require appraisers to pass a written examination and have 75 hours of continuing education and 2,000 hours of direct experience. Inexperience can be a big culprit in a problem appraisal, so can downright incompetence. Boosting the appraisal A lender probably will reject your loan application if the appraisal of the property comes back lower than the asking price. But you can fight a low-ball appraisal. Here's how: Get a copy of the appraisers report. You can successfully argue to raise the estimated value if you show that the report overlooks a valuable feature of the home or failed to consider the recent sale of comparable property for a higher price. Take your case to your loan representative. The lender can override the estimate or order a new report from a different appraiser. Try to renegotiate with the seller. The seller may be willing to accept less than you originally agreed to pay in order to avoid the time and cost required to cancel the sale and put the house back on the market. Increase your down payment. The lender may be willing to overlook a low appraisal if you put more money down. Find a good appraiser Ask your lender for the names of appraisers they know, trust and have on their list of approved appraisers. You also can check with one of several national appraisal organizations for names of local appraisers who are members in good standing. Look for an appraiser who can do your appraisal in a timely manner and who has experience in the area you want to buy. This can help speed things along, and assure you of an accurate appraisal. TIP: If you do choose an appraiser from your lender's list to check out a house, and you end up making an offer, you may not have to pay again for the required loan-application appraisal. Quick Take If you have any question about the value of the house you are bidding on, add an appraisal contingency to your purchase offer. This provision stipulates that the property must appraise for at least the purchase price you're offering. If the appraisal comes in lower, you can back out of the deal or renegotiate price. feedback | help | site map | advertising | globe archives | rss © 2006 The New York Times Company Real Estate Guide - Massachusetts Home Builder - New Home Construction
Real Estate Prices ---
Google Answers: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators Log in | Google Answers Home View Question Ask a Question Q: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators ( Answered , 5 Comments ) Question Subject: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators Category: Family and Home > Home Asked by: nronronronro-ga List Price: $25.00 Posted: 19 Apr 2005 15:33 PDT Expires: 19 May 2005 15:33 PDT Question ID: 511542 Hi There!I was goofing off today, and started looking throughwww.craigslist.com for real estate. I looked at 11 different citiesfrom San Francisco to Phoenix to Washington, D.C.Mini-Eureka moment! I noticed the number of lease-options availablehas increased significantly in each and every city. 11 of 11 towns! The last time I checked www.craigslist.com was 5 months ago.This observation sparked my rusty brain cells. There must be leadingindicators for real estate, in the same way there are leadingindicators for stocks. Here's a list of possible danger signals forreal estate off the "top of my head":1. Increasing lease-options2. Increasing number of days on the market3. Increasing number of unsold homes in a city4. Decreasing ratio of Asking Price/Transaction Price5. Increasing number of homes on the market more than 120 days6. Decreasing number of mortgage applications7. Increasing number of newspaper classified ads for real estateI'm not a real estate guy. But I'm sure some brilliant professor hasdevised a computer model to predict when real estate prices willdecline 6-12 months hence.A 5-star answer would be 5-10 additional leading indicators for realestate. No background material needed. (However, if you happen tofind an objective study on leading indicators then I would love totake a look at that, too.)All comments greatly appreciated!Thanks.ronP.S. Please note that indicators like "Forecasted Job Growth" or"Forecasted Property Tax Receipts" won't help much, precisely becausethey are forecasts and not hard data. The best indicators wouldinvolve hard numbers that can be observed right now, and used to makecomparisons.EXAMPLES:1. Days on the market for San Francisco versus days on the market for Phoenix.2. Days on the market for San Francisco in April 2005 versus days onthe market in San Francisco in January 2002.(This question doesn't involve specific numbers or specific cities. Rather, it involves the kind of indicators one might observe. Thx.) Answer Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators Answered By: easterangel-ga on 19 Apr 2005 16:59 PDT Rated: Hi! Thanks for the question.The National Association of Realtors provides a list of real estateindicators that one can analyze to indicate some trends. Here are someof the indicators that they follow:- Existing Home Sales- Pending Home Sales Index- New Home Sales- Housing Starts- Housing Affordability- Mortgage Rates- Mortgage Applications“Latest Economic Indicators” http://www.realtor.org/Research.nsf/Pages/EcoIndicator The US Census website provides a historical basis for its leadingindicators for real estate. The statistics are from 1900 to 2002.The indicators mentioned in the Census website are the following:- New housing units started - New one family houses sold- Existing one family houses sold- Manufacturing shipments- Index of industrial production- Manufacturing index- Retail Sales- Exports Basis- General Imports“No. HS-40. Economic Indicators for Construction, Real Estate, Manufacturing,Retail, and Foreign Trade Sectors: 1900 to 2002” http://www.census.gov/statab/hist/HS-40.pdf Finally, here is an academic study about real estate prices.“Real Estate Prices and Economic Cycles” http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/pdf/Q_IRER99PB.pdf Search terms used: “real estate” housing economic indicatorsstudies real estate prices filetype:pdfI hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating thisanswer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or ifyou would need further information. Thanks for visiting us. Regards, Easterangel-ga Google Answers Researcher Request for Answer Clarification by nronronronro-ga on 20 May 2005 15:33 PDT Alas, Phil...only the women in my life are cash-flow positive. Thatis to say, they stay positive when I let the cash flow.heh heh hehThanks for your great insights, Phil. As always!ron Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 20 May 2005 17:43 PDT Hi!Sorry about this but I just have to make a reply to clarifications.Sincerely.Easterangel nronronronro-ga rated this answer: Heavenly answer, easterangel.As always, thanks a million !ron Comments Log in to add a comment Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: easterangel-ga on 19 Apr 2005 18:25 PDT You're welcome as well. Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: pafalafa-ga on 20 Apr 2005 05:03 PDT Since we're doing some work on the house in DC, I've been paying moreattention that usual to the real estate pages of the Washington Post.One of the sort-of-indicators that they mention often is theincreasing amount of property that is bought as an investment, ratherthan as a first home. They also cite the increasing trends in2nd-home sales.For both of these though, I don't know if there's an actual statistic,or just the observation of people in the business.Nice work, though, easterangel.paf Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: nronronronro-ga on 20 Apr 2005 10:52 PDT Thanks, pafalafa!My business partner just purchased a home across the street from theNational Cathedral. He obviously checked out DC. He found the "PMIRisk Index" for DC was very low, whereas the same PMI Risk Index formy state (California) was very high. The only place more risky thanSan Francisco/San Jose was Boston.Rut Row !ron Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: silver777-ga on 24 Apr 2005 05:35 PDT Ron,Your application of logic is spot on.Your points 1 to 7 could relate to any real estate market.In fact, I had counted the number of "for sale" ads by COLUMNnot just the pages. I also counted the number of propertiesfor lease. Another gauge might be to weigh the newspaper, orin the least the real estate section. I reckon that the more "for lease" properties tells us a lot about the climate of the sale market. An increase in borrowing rates will impact on the rental rates and realised sale prices,regardless of the asking prices published. Check also the auctionclearance rates.Have you sourced any cash-flow positive properties of late?Phil Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: nronronronro-ga on 20 May 2005 15:34 PDT Alas, Phil...only the women in my life are cash-flow positive. Thatis to say, they stay positive when I let the cash flow.heh heh hehThanks for your great insights, Phil. As always!ron Important Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. Please read carefully the Google Answers Terms of Service . If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-editors@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you. Search Google Answers for all questions answered questions unanswered questions Google Home - Answers Help & Tips - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy ©2005 Google
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Bank of Hawaii | Land Loans e-BANKOH SIGN ON Select One ----------------------- Hawaii/Am. Samoa Guam/Saipan/Palau Learn More | Demo | Enroll Other Online Services Sign On Learn More Select one ----------------------- E-BANKOH - Hawaii & Am. Samoa - Guam/Palau/Saipan ----------------------- CREDIT CARD MGMT. ----------------------- INVESTING/WEALTH - Online Investments - Online Trust - Online 401(K) ----------------------- REG. SHAREHOLDER Customer Service Center 1-888-643-3888 (TTY 1-888-643-9888) Re-order Checks Download the Bankoh by Phone Quick Reference (PDF) Open an Account (existing customers) Apply for a Loan More Financial Planning Tools Budgeting Buying a Home Planning for Retirement Borrowing More Contact Us Locations Economics Security About BOH Community -- News Room Checking | Savings & Time Deposits | Loans | Cards | Investments & Wealth Management | IRAs | Other Land Loans The foundation to build your future. Related Links Mortgages Mortgage Rates Loan Officers How Do I Apply? Mortgage Calculators Glossary To Apply Contact a Loan Officer. Got your eye on a hot property, but not quite ready to build? A Bank of Hawaii Land Loan can help you lay the groundwork. Features and Benefits: Loans from $10,000 up to $1,000,000. Lower monthly payments. Available for owner-occupant, second home, and investor purchases. Requirements and Other Restrictions: Certain requirements and restrictions apply. Subject to loan approval. Not valid with any other offers. Careers Site Index Privacy Policy Terms of Use
Sell House
10 Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House - Home Selling You are here: About > Home & Garden > Home Buying / Selling > How To Sell a House > 10 Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House - Home Selling Home & Garden Home Buying / Selling Essentials 10 Things Home Buyers Shouldn't Do Best Tips for First Time Home Buyers "Must-Do" Tasks Before You Sell How to Buy a Home, Step by Step For Sale by Owner Advice Articles & Resources How To Buy a Home How To Sell a House Celebrity & Historic Credit Reports & Scores Design & Remodel Home Maintenance Inspections & Appraisals Investing & Foreclosures Modular & Manufactured Mold, Radon, Lead, etc. Mortgage Advice Moving & Relocation Real Estate Careers Real Estate For Sale Vacation Homes Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Home Buying Books Foreclosure Books Mortgage Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Home Buying / Selling newsletter! See Online Courses Search Home Buying / Selling Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page More Home Selling Articles Understanding Material Facts and Property Disclosures Get Ready for Your Home Inspection Should You Buy a Home Warranty? More Home Selling Resources How to Read the HUD-1 Settlement Statement Getting the House Ready to Sell How To Measure Your Square Footage Recent Discussions Excellent credit, no savings- help!! Buying an out of state home ? Re-financing... Related Blogs Mortgage Fraud Blog The Real Estate Blog The Money Pit Most Popular Modular and Manufactured Homes Finding Your Best Place to ... Home Buying Don'ts First Time Home Buyer Tips Before You Sell Your Home What's Hot Coping with Unethical People How To Buy Land Real Estate Appraisal Before You Buy a Log Home Package Home Buying / Selling - GuideReviews Related Topics Home Repair Architecture Credit / Debt Management Housekeeping Landscaping 10 Important Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House From Janet Wickell , Your Guide to Home Buying / Selling . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Essential Home Selling Preparations The home selling process differs from state to state, but there are some important steps that most home sellers should take before listing a house with an agent or selling it for sale by owner. Every bit of prep work you do helps you get the most return from your investment. 1. Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan I've known sellers who signed a contract to sell their house before they knew if they were qualified to buy another. Either their financial circumstances had changed since their last purchase, and they could no longer qualify for a loan, or they weren't able to sell at a price that allowed them to buy the type of replacement house they wanted. They ended up renting or buying something that was far from ideal. Before you decide to sell the house, get pre-approved by a lender you trust and research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement. Start looking for two types of real estate: houses that seem to match the one you'd like to buy and houses that are similar to your current home. How do the two categories compare in price? Can you handle the difference if you're planning a step up? Mortgage Helpers: Are You Pre-Approved for a Mortgage? And to compare for-sale homes to your own, learn how to Measure Residential Square Footage . 2. Check Your Mortgage Payoff Call your lender to check the payoff for your current home mortgage. You'll need the figure to complete Step 6. 3. Determine How Much Your House Is Worth Determine your home's fair market value. Real estate agents will usually help you determine value as a courtesy, but you might take it a step further and order an appraisal . 4. Estimate Your Costs to Sell Real estate commission if you use an agency to sell. Advertising costs, signs, other fees if you plan to sell by owner. Attorney, closing agent and other professional fees. Excise tax for the sale. Prorated costs for your share of annual expenses, such as property taxes, home owner association fees, and fuel tank rentals. Any other fees typically paid by the seller in your area (surveys, inspections, etc.). Real estate agents deal with transactions every day and can give you a very close estimate of seller closing costs. 5. Estimate Costs to Buy a New Home Calculate moving expenses, loan costs, downpayment, home inspections, title work and title policy, paying for a new hazard insurance policy--all expenses related to buying a home. Your lender should give you a disclosure of estimated costs when you apply for loan pre-approval. 6. Calculate Your Estimated Proceeds Deduct your mortgage payoff from your home's fair market value. Deduct your costs to sell from the remainder to get an estimate of the proceeds you will be paid at closing. Will your closing proceeds cover your costs to buy a new home? If not, do you have cash or other funding to make up the difference? 7. Make Necessary Repairs Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. I'm not referring to cosmetic updates--just items in need of repair. Anything that's obviously broken gives potential buyers a reason to offer you a lower price, especially if it's one of several repair hot spots that worry buyers the most. 8. Get the House Ready to Show Most houses need at least a little spiffing up before they are shown to potential buyers. Great curb appeal , fresh paint indoors (and sometimes out), organized closets and cabinets, sparkling clean windows and appliances and a clutter-free look are essential if you want the house to appeal to buyers. Be sure to avoid the things buyers hate most about houses. 9. Get Psyched Up to Let People In If you're listing with a real estate agent, she'll ask you to leave when the house is shown. Why? Because lurking sellers make buyers nervous--they don't feel comfortable inspecting the house when they feel they are intruding in your personal space. Unless there's a valid reason for it, don't ask your agent to be present for all showings, because that requirement can be the kiss of death for showing activity. Other agents want privacy with their buyers and they don't usually have time to work around your agent's schedule. Make the house accessible. That means it should always be ready to show. Many agents won't bother showing a house that takes 24 hours to get into. Important disclaimer information about this About site. 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Real Estate Resources around the world Real Estate Resources around the world Find Real Estate in other areas: Alabama Alaska Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Masschusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming International Links Real Estate and Relocation Resources Looking to relocate to a new area? Do you want or need a second home for vacation, investment or the college student? Use these links to browse real estate resources in other parts of the world. Denver Uncommon Photography Denver Metro-Links.com Real Estate Real Estate Marketing Tools , Plans, and Ideas for aspiring real estate professionals. Real Estate Agent Network Kristal Kraft , ABR, CIPS, CRS Licensed real estate broker selling Colorado Since 1984 The Berkshire Group Realtors, Inc. 3801 E. Florida Ave, Suite 502, Denver, Colorado U.S.A. 80210 800-319-7738 toll free | 303-589-2022 direct | 720-554-7961 fax E-mail: Kristal Kraft, Realtor 1998-2005, © Reflective Motion Inc. | Privacy Policy | Site Credits | Disclaimer | Site Map ~2 ~3 ~4 Denver Relocation | Buy a Home In Denver | Sell a Home in Denver | Denver Map | Denver Neighborhood Profiles | Denver Sales Statistics | International Real Estate | A Bio | My Favorite Places | Real Estate Resources Denver Loft Homes | The Berkshire Group | Buy and Sell Denver | We Sell Denver | Denver Colorado Real Estate | Denver Blog