Selling

Not only does the house you're selling have a fresh coat of paint; you changed out the light fixtures in the bathroom and upgraded the stove, too. But is it enough to impress the home appraiser who's come to assess your house's value In this article, we bring you up to speed before you put up your listing. What Does a Home Appraiser Look For? A home appraiser's role is to determine a home's value by...

Homeowners and appraisers rarely agree on a property's value, and for the vast majority of the past decade, homeowners have been overvaluing their homes. This year there has been a steadily increasing gap between what consumers thought their houses were worth and the worth determined by appraisers it's the first time in 24 months that homeowners overvalued their properties by greater than 9%. Home values...

A home's market value is the perception of the buyer. Sometimes, most often in a situation with multiple buyers, offers will be made that exceed the listing price. Believe it or not, appraisals do not always keep up with market value. Appraisals are performed for lenders, not buyers. The purpose is to justify the sales price so that the lender feels they are making a solid investment since the property is...

You may not realize it, but if you have recurring bills such as rent and utilities, you already have a credit history. If they are paid in a timely manner, rent, car insurance, medical, cable television and telephone bills are all indications that you are a good risk. Keep copies of the bills and your canceled checks, and ask your landlord, insurer and power company to write letters on your behalf stating...