Home buyers and home sellers want to know one thing: how much a home is worth. Fair market comparable data, assessments and appraisals are all relevant ways to determine value, but all values are not the same. So, what are the differences?
Fair market value. This metric is used to help determine asking and offer prices for any given home for sale. Market conditions and the economy can cause home prices to fluctuate, so get an electronic comparable market analysis (CMA) from your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional. The CMA will include at least three recently sold homes, within three to six months, that are as similar as possible to the home you want to buy or sell, including the dates of sale, time on the market, addresses, age when built, square footage, condition, features and improvements.
Assessed value. Tax roll authorities use assessments to determine annual property taxes. They use market data such as CMAs from multiple listing services, but also include non-market data such as type of ownership (homestead vs. investment property) and age of the homeowner (taxes are often frozen for seniors).
Appraised value. Mortgage bankers hire licensed appraisers to ascertain whether or not a home is valued correctly to protect homebuyers and limit their own risk. They use sales and rental data, plus other formulas. If the appraised amount is lower than the sales contract amount, the buyer can either come up with more cash or back away, or the seller can lower the price.
