Celebrity Real Estate Updates: Who Bought What?
In this blog post, I thought I would bring you the latest celebrity real estate updates. So, sit back and enjoy the real Hollywood real estate news!
The Massachusetts Real Estate Market
Appraisers often swap stories. One thing that caught my ear recently was a conversation a member of our Boston, Massachusetts appraisal team was having with another appraiser. He was giving the other appraiser a take on the latest with the Massachusetts real estate market. I thought they were having a great dialogue. After all, why should appraisers keep the scoop to themselves? Maybe it's time to update the readers out there about what's new in the home of the Red Sox, the best New England clam chowder, baked beans, Cheers and of course, some of the best colleges our country has
Are Free Home Appraisals A Good Way To Determine A Home’s Value?
There are tons of websites that provide free home appraisals. It sounds like a great idea, right? A free house appraisal? Stop right there. Sometimes, you really get what you pay for, and with a free home appraisal, you get nothing. Here's why: Home appraisal and valuation sites that offer "free" or "instant" services are a dime a dozen on the internet. This seems like a good value -- after all, it's free and it's instant. Getting the true market value estimate of your home never works that way. What these websites offer is actually an inaccurate value for the
Real Estate Appraisal Schools
At Thanksgiving dinner, my nephew said he wants to go into the family business. He asked me to recommend some schools for him. I figured it might also be helpful for anyone else out there curious about becoming a real estate appraisal professional. So, here are some resources for you if you want to know more about the real estate appraisal business: Department of State, Division of Licenses has a great page that talks about licensing state to state and where some appropriate courses are offered. Click here to see more. Here are some schools that offer appraisal accreditation: Appraisal
The Latest In Celebrity Real Estate
Like celebrity marriages, celebrity real estate changes hands so frequently that it is often impossible to keep up. Lucky for you, we have rounded up this month's biggest sales and real estate news in Tinseltown-- which now stretches all throughout the world! Michael Jackson's Final Home Sold for $18.1M Michael Jackson's death shocked the world. Now, the home in which he lived his last days (and died in) has just been bought for a $18.1 million. Yet, the most shocking detail of this sale is that the original asking price was $38.5 million. The 17,000-square-foot home boasts seven bedrooms and thirteen bathrooms. It's
Why Appraisal Reports Have Flood Maps
The devastation brought on by Hurricane Sandy is going to cost the government billions. From restoring power to rescheduling most major flights, not to mention the personal loss of people's homes and belongings -- all this is a big undertaking. Many residents of homes in flood prone zones don’t always take the necessary precautions when it comes to living in a high-risk home. Of course, no one wants to consider the worst, but as we have all seen, floods are a real threat. So going forward, especially for home owners in coastal regions, what can home buyers and sellers do
The Five Craziest Homes Ever
We usually stick to the "normal" homes when we consider buying, selling and appraising properties. However, this week we couldn't help but think about some of the marvels that humans have constructed and lived in. Some of these homes are priceless, simply because the architects that designed them are massive figures in the history of art. Others are so unbelievable that is hard to imagine anyone actually living in them! We thought we'd bring them to you so you could take a look at the five craziest homes ever. Can you take a wild guess as to home we would appraise
Reasons For Getting A Home Appraisal
Most people think that the only reason to get a home appraisal is because they are refinancing or financing a purchase of a home. There are actually a host of other reasons too. An appraiser is always a valuable third party correspondent in many other circumstances. Here are some examples where an appraisal may come in handy: Selling or Buying(Without Financing): This is one of the most common requests. Get an unbiased opinion of value from a certified appraiser who values homes for a living and does not have an interest in your home appraising too high or too low. Realtors do
Is An “As-Is” Appraisal A Good Idea?
A local appraiser we work with recently received a call to appraise a home in Florida. The home owner said that his home consisted of 2 acres of land and a partially built residence. He wanted to know if an “as-is” appraisal for the property was a good idea. Normally, homes that are under construction are not good candidates for accurate “as-is” appraisals because it is very difficult or nearly impossible to find comparable homes that have sold while in similar states of repair. Plus, when doing an “as-is” appraisal, the home in its current state is not worth the same amount as the home in
How You Can Prepare Your Home For An Appraisal
It's common knowledge that homeowners prepare their homes for home sales. They clean and make sure that all possible repair work has been done before the real estate agent and potential buyers visit. It's essential to prepare your home for an appraisal as well. The process leads to a sale and there is no reason not to do everything in your power to help the situation. Here are some things to consider before your upcoming home sale evaluation: Is all the maintenance work done on your home? Is your home painted and is the lawn neat? These are some obvious
