Getting accurate square footage is important when selling your home. Find out the many benefits to getting your home measured by a professional.| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
I was looking at a home this week, for an FHA loan, that had screw in fuses. Have you ever seen these? They use to be common years ago, however at some point they were replaced with circuit breakers. I have been asked by homeowners and real estate agents if these fuses meet HUD’s minimum […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
I was looking into my blog stats recently and ran across a question that someone had typed into their search engine that led them to my blog. The question was “Does the appraiser have to look into my closets? I thought this was such an interesting question that I decided to write a post about […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Birmingham real estate appraiser Tom Horn gives top 5 things an agent can do to get a listing ready for the appraisal inspection.| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
I get asked this question a lot, so I thought I would address this issue that many people are curious about. I don’t think it happens ALL the time but I know real estate agents have seen it enough to question why it seems the appraisers value is the same as the contract amount. To […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
A "Head and Shoulders" inspection is a requirement of FHA appraisal but many don't know what this is. Real estate appraiser Tom Horn explains what it is and why it's important.| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Many people know what an appraisal is, and they’ve heard of a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) and a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) but they don’t know the difference. Today I thought I would compare these 3 methods used to estimate the value of a property. Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)- The CMA is performed by real estate […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Birmingham, AL real estate appraiser Tom Horn discusses four areas the appraiser will not include in your homes square footage. Find out why all areas are not equal.| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
The Birmingham Alabama Multiple Listing Service recently introduced an option allowing agents to list the gross living area (GLA) of their listings. This is a great feature that will help both Realtors and real estate appraisers. Realtors can now let potential buyers know how much living area the home they are looking at has. This […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
The Birmingham Alabama MLS (Multiple Listing Service) has recently added an option for Realtors to list GLA (gross living area) for their listings. The new feature will go live on August 2, 2010. Realtors are given an option of entering GLA data obtained from an appraiser, building plans, or tax records. The first two sources […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
I wrote a blog post earlier this year that showed you how to determine how accurate Zillow was in your area. The response on this was phenomenal so I thought I would follow up that post with one in which I explain to you why the Zillow “zestimate” can be so inaccurate. With so many people […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
A few days ago I had a real estate agent friend ask me how much homes were appraising for per square foot in a local neighborhood. It was a very good question, especially for anyone who wants to get an idea of their home’s value. And because I get asked this question a lot I […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Have you ever wondered how accurate the Zillow “Zestimate” really is? Whenever I am doing appraisals I have homeowners tell me what their Zillow “Zestimate” is. I am sure they are hoping that my appraisal is similar to that number (if it is high), however the two could be close, but more times that not […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
On January 18th a new law went into effect that could potentially prolong loan closing dates because it will require lenders to provide a copy of the appraisal or other valuation tool used to make a loan decision to their customer as soon as it is completed or 3 days prior to the closing, whichever […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
It seems there is still some confusion about what real estate agents and real estate appraisers can talk about. Many believe that there can be no discussion between the two and others still have no idea that it is unethical to suggest to an appraiser that a home should appraise for a certain amount. The […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Before getting a floor plan sketch Birmingham, AL real estate agents have numerous other options to choose from to get accurate square footage information.| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
I had a reader email me a question last week asking why they should get an appraisal on their home, and I want to share with you the answer I gave them with the hope that it can help you make a similar decision. This person asked me “Why do I need to get an […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog
I spoke recently at a local Realtor group about how Realtors could “think like an appraiser”. By being on the same page as the appraiser I believe that there will be fewer value issues on the back end of the sales transaction. By following similar methods as appraisers to arrive at their list prices, Realtors […]| Birmingham Appraisal Blog