How much can I sell my house for?

We often develop a sentimental attachment to our homes. From flooring to tiling to paint color, we know the flaws and also every improvement we have made. Yet determining How much can I sell my house for comes down to figuring out its current “market value”. Market Value concept that measures the worth of a property under ordinary conditions. Ordinary Conditions would excludes selling where the buyer or seller is under pressure to move fast on a transaction, such as pressure from a job relocation, death in the family, or divorce.

The aesthetic appeal, number of rooms, lot size, building square footage, state of repair or disrepair, mechanical systems, appliances, upgrades and presence of smart technology are among the factors determining market value. Location and supply/demand ratios weigh very heavily on the value of any home also. Ultimately Market Value and the price you will ultimately get for your home is determined by how much a buyer will be willing to pay for it with reasonable exposure to the marketplace.

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How do I find out how much my house is worth?

There are several avenues through which owners can measure the value of home or property. They vary from one another in terms of time, money and precision.

Real Estate Websites

Free websites like ByOwner.com, Zillow, Trulia and Realtor contain basic information about almost any address the user chooses to enter. These include square footage, age, acreage, parking spaces, current value of house and value history. In addition, these sources provide the home pricing of nearby properties that were recently sold. Worth noting is that the value of home varies from site to site.

When looking at recently sold properties and currently available inventory in your neighborhood, it is important to compare your homes location, size and condition to similar comparable properties.

Online Calculators

Other internet resources include online appraisal estimates, known as automated valuation models (AVMs), whereby the user plugs in specific information about the property in order to calculate house price. Factors for this calculation include:

  • Square footage
  • Number of bedrooms
  • Number of bathrooms
  • Land acreage
  • Age of house

Computer algorithms assemble the various specs for the house to determine a reasonable market price. You can find these on Realtor websites or as standalone sites.

Licensed Appraiser

Probably the most accurate valuation regarding how much your house is worth is that performed by a professional appraiser. Most states require significant training and experience before they allow a candidate to sit for an appraiser licensing examination. A residential appraisal embraces an on-site inspection, research on adjacent and neighboring homes, measurement of dimensions, and sketching out of the floor plan, and notation of all the conveniences, e.g. swimming pools etc. This service is rarely free, often costing between $350 to $500 for a modestly-sized residence. Still, this method yields the most credible answer to the question of how much is your house worth?

How much will I get from selling my house?

The answer for this question depends on the when, the where and the how. Market conditions affect home sales, sometimes mildly, other times considerably, and they vary over time and geography. Seller closing costs also play a role in how much the owner takes from a conveyance transaction.

Seller's Market

Sellers' markets occur when demand for homes is high but the supply, i.e., the available inventory, is low. Often, this is a regional phenomenon but it is sometimes evident across the country. Ordinarily, this puts the seller at an advantage when negotiating with potential buyers who have few alternatives upon which to fall back. However, other factors can come into play as well. For instance, a property in a neighborhood with poor public schools can cut demand among prospects with young children. A high crime rate can likewise depress the activity of home seekers. As a rule, though, a seller can get a number of strong offers when the supply side is modest relative to the pool of house shoppers.

Buyer's Market

This is the flip side of a sellers' market. Available properties are abundant, while interested purchasers are fewer. Under these circumstances, a seller might look at many months on the market for the house before a decent offer comes along. Depending on the urgency to sell, there will be pressure to accept a less than stellar bid to avoid more mortgage payments and maintenance costs. In addition to a sale price under the original asking figure, a buyer may also be able to wrest sales concessions for repairs and replacements. High mortgage rates can damp down purchaser interest thus leading to buyer markets.

Closing Costs

The type of real estate market affects the burden of closing costs. In order to close a deal in a buyers' market, sellers may try to entice buyers with, as mentioned, seller concessions. They can also offer to shoulder other closing expenses such as upcoming property tax payments, inspections or title charges. These, of course, decrease the takeaway monies for sellers. Conversely, in a sellers' market, motivated prospects might contribute to the new roof that their mortgage lender requires as a condition for the loan. Some have even paid for half of the Realtor commission, thereby augment the seller receipts.

How to estimate value of house in my area

As noted above, market conditions frequently diverge from region to region. What, then, are the best ways to determine how much your house is worth?

Look at Homes Sold

Not only do Zillow, Trulia and other websites give a glimpse into sale prices of neighboring and similar homes, local newspapers and realtor mailings do as well. Although these home sales prices are not definitive indicators for pricing real estate, they can help you to set expectations. Even appraisers use comparable data to aid in their formulation of best house valuation.

Tax Assessor Value

Almost always, the local taxing authority will come to a different value than what the market would tolerate. That fact acknowledged, there is a relationship between the government's valuation and fair market value. First, understand that the assessor has a primary interest in levying taxes, not selling your house. Knowing the assessed value helps you to decide whether the property is affordable to a buyer. A high assessment can actually scare off buyers who fear the annual burden on their budgets imposed by property taxes. This, in turn, reduces demand. With low property taxes, the seller holds a stronger position in the negotiations.

What sort of closing fees are negotiable?

There are a number of third parties involved in real estate conveyances. Attorneys review documents, title agencies search records to make sure the seller is in fact the proper deed grantor, lenders charge for various aspects of delivering the money. and property inspectors, county recorders and sometimes insurance companies expect to be paid at closing. The Realtor commission is also a large outlay. If the seller is eager to make the deal, accepting the responsibility for some of these charges, proceeds are then diminished.

How can I save on closing costs?

Unless the seller agrees to pick up some closing costs or makes concessions, he or she is only out the brokerage commission, no small change in and of itself. Some states do not require an attorney, although retaining one is always advised for both conveyors and purchasers. Real estate taxes are usually prorated at closing, so both the buyer and seller only pay for the portion of the year in which they were the owner.

How can I maximize how much my house is worth?

To get the very best value of home and property is a matter of marketing. The houses with the best curb appeal move faster than others, no matter the condition of the interior. A fresh coat of paint and well-landscaped lawn go far in attracting those seeking to buy. Throwing junk away helps the inside to look more spacious. Similarly, oiling door hinges, cleaning the windows and replacing peeling wallpaper are low-cost measures that can pay off in home pricing. Equipping the property with good security devices, e.g., door-bell cams etc., might offset the harm done by high crime statistics.

Is using a realtor worth it?

Real estate brokers and agents are trained to market houses to those elements of the public looking to buy a house. While they serve to save time and effort for the seller, they do receive compensation when the home gets sold. The amount can reach toward six, or even seven, percent of the sales price. On a $350,000 transaction, that comes to between $21,000 and $24,500. Yes, they have to make a living. The question is, can a seller afford to part with that much money just to make a sale? Discount brokerages, such as ByOwner.com offer the same exposure at a fraction of the price.

Is there an alternative in marketing and selling the house?

ByOwner.com is a platform that assists sellers in promoting their properties to a growing pool of prospective buyers. Its users bypass the traditional Realtor-based model and consequently save thousands of dollars in commission remittances. In addition to single-family residences, ByOwner facilitates sales of condominium units, one-to-four family dwellings, apartment buildings, vacation homes and vacant land. Furthermore, ByOwner helps landlords connect with renters so their properties remain continuously occupied.

How does ByOwner.com do this? As a 21st-century venture, the platform relies heavily on technology. It can place your property on real estate broker websites and all the appropriate listing services without going through a traditional agent. At pennies to the dollar spent on a broker, ByOwner also helps with yard signs and other direct marketing tools that put your house in front of interested candidates for home ownership. Above all, it places control in the hands of the owners, while supplying them same MLS exposure as a traditional real estate brokerage and 25 years of collaboration between real estate and information tech professionals. Contact ByOwner.com for more information.

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