This morning I read a blog post about how the seller should not list their property for more than it will appraise for, regardless of what you can get it under contract for. I completely disagree. I come from a little different perspective, as I was a certified residential appraiser for 15 years. And, I know this will upset some of my peers in the appraisal business, and even some agents, but frankly, let the appraiser worry about the appraisal.
This is a hard blog to write, because I don't want it to come across as encouraging a seller to overprice their home. That is never a good idea. It will cause the home to sit on the market for months and eventually sell for less than if the home was priced right in the beginning. But, the reality is that you don't get to pick the appraiser and two different appraisers can see the same house very differently from a value perspective.
Obviously, as the seller, you need to know if there could be some issues with the appraisal. Your agent should be able to go over what the homes in the neighborhood are selling for and how your home compares with those.
With that said, it is always better, from the position of the seller, for the contract to apply upward pressure to the appraiser. Few appraisers like to come in low. And the first piece of information the appraiser gets about what your home is worth is the contract that shows what at least one person is willing to pay for your home. And, while they may not be able to make the value you wrote the contract for, the reality is that if you try to worry about the appraisal before hand, you can leave thousands of dollars on the table.
Right now, the market inventory is low and interest rates are at historically low levels. Buyers see that home values are still below the peak of the market. And on top of all that, rental rates continue to go up and you can own the same house for far less than you can rent it. All of this combines to allow sellers to get a premium for their homes right now, and often to get homes under contract for above what it will appraise for.
List the property for as much as you think it will go under contract for. So, no, I am not saying list it over what the market will pay for it. But, list it based on how it compares to other properties on the market and how it compares with the homes that have sold in the subdivision.
If the appraisal comes in low, the seller and buyer have options. From a seller's perspective, they don't have to sell the property for less, but will probably be motivated to do so. From a buyer's perspective, they have already invested an inspection and appraisal fee into the property. This would be $700 on average. Depending on their financial ability, and how much they desire the home, they may bring additional money to the table. Or, concessions can be reduced such as closing costs. The lender can adjust the rate upward a little to pay for closing costs. This allows the seller to sell at appraised value and still get a similar net price.
To sum up, let the appraisers worry about the appraisal. The seller and listing agents job is to represent the seller. Most seller's priority is to put the most money possible in their pocket, so list it for what you can put it under contract for.
This is a hard blog to write, because I don't want it to come across as encouraging a seller to overprice their home. That is never a good idea. It will cause the home to sit on the market for months and eventually sell for less than if the home was priced right in the beginning. But, the reality is that you don't get to pick the appraiser and two different appraisers can see the same house very differently from a value perspective.
Obviously, as the seller, you need to know if there could be some issues with the appraisal. Your agent should be able to go over what the homes in the neighborhood are selling for and how your home compares with those.
With that said, it is always better, from the position of the seller, for the contract to apply upward pressure to the appraiser. Few appraisers like to come in low. And the first piece of information the appraiser gets about what your home is worth is the contract that shows what at least one person is willing to pay for your home. And, while they may not be able to make the value you wrote the contract for, the reality is that if you try to worry about the appraisal before hand, you can leave thousands of dollars on the table.
Right now, the market inventory is low and interest rates are at historically low levels. Buyers see that home values are still below the peak of the market. And on top of all that, rental rates continue to go up and you can own the same house for far less than you can rent it. All of this combines to allow sellers to get a premium for their homes right now, and often to get homes under contract for above what it will appraise for.
List the property for as much as you think it will go under contract for. So, no, I am not saying list it over what the market will pay for it. But, list it based on how it compares to other properties on the market and how it compares with the homes that have sold in the subdivision.
If the appraisal comes in low, the seller and buyer have options. From a seller's perspective, they don't have to sell the property for less, but will probably be motivated to do so. From a buyer's perspective, they have already invested an inspection and appraisal fee into the property. This would be $700 on average. Depending on their financial ability, and how much they desire the home, they may bring additional money to the table. Or, concessions can be reduced such as closing costs. The lender can adjust the rate upward a little to pay for closing costs. This allows the seller to sell at appraised value and still get a similar net price.
To sum up, let the appraisers worry about the appraisal. The seller and listing agents job is to represent the seller. Most seller's priority is to put the most money possible in their pocket, so list it for what you can put it under contract for.
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