![]() Real Estate Appraisals: A PrimerAcquiring real estate is the most significant transaction many of us could ever encounter. Whether it's where you raise your family, a seasonal vacation home or an investment, the purchase of real property is a complex transaction that requires multiple parties to make it all happen. The majority of the participants are very familiar. The real estate agent is the most known entity in the exchange. Next, the lender provides the financial capital needed to bankroll the transaction. And ensuring all requirements of the exchange are completed and that a clear title transfers to the buyer from the seller is the title company. So, who's responsible for making sure the real estate is worth the purchase price? This is where the appraiser comes in. We provide an unbiased estimate of what a buyer might expect to pay — or a seller receive — for a parcel of real estate, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. A licensed, certified, professional appraiser from Epic Appraisals will ensure, you as an interested party, are informed. Appraisals begin with the property inspectionOur first responsibility at Epic Appraisals is to inspect the property to ascertain its true status. We must see features first hand, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location, living areas, etc, to ensure they indeed are there and are in the shape a typical person would expect them to be. The inspection often includes a sketch of the floorplan, ensuring the square footage is proper and illustrating the layout of the property. Most importantly, we look for any obvious features - or defects - that would affect the value of the house. Back at the office, we use two or three approaches to determining the value of real property: paired sales analysis and, in the case of a rental property, an income approach. ![]() Cost ApproachThis is where the appraiser pulls information on local building costs, labor rates and other elements to ascertain how much it would cost to replace the property being appraised. This value commonly sets the upper limit on what a property would sell for. The cost approach is also the least used method. ![]() Paired Sales AnalysisAppraisers can tell you a lot about the neighborhoods in which they appraise. They innately understand the value of certain features to the homeowners of that area. Then, the appraiser researches recent sales in close proximity to the subject and finds properties which are 'comparable' to the real estate being appraised. Using knowledge of the value of certain items such as remodeled rooms, types of flooring, energy efficient items, patios and porches, or additional storage space, we add or subtract from each comparable's sales price so that they are more accurately in line with the features of subject property.
An opinion of what the subject could sell for can only be determined once all differences between the comps and the subject have been evaluated. When it comes to putting a value on features of homes in SoCal, Epic Appraisals can't be beat. This approach to value is typically given the most consideration when an appraisal is for a home exchange. Valuation Using the Income ApproachIn the case of income producing properties - rental houses for example - the appraiser may use a third method of valuing a property. In this situation, the amount of revenue the real estate yields is taken into consideration along with income produced by similar properties to determine the current value. The Bottom LineExamining the data from all applicable approaches, the appraiser is then ready to document an estimated market value for the property in question. The estimate of value on the appraisal report is not always the final sales price even though it is likely the best indication of what a property is worth. It's not uncommon for prices to be driven up or down by extenuating circumstances like the motivation or urgency of a seller or 'bidding wars'. But the appraised value is often employed as a guideline for lenders who don't want to loan a buyer more money than the property is actually worth. The bottom line is, an appraiser from Epic Appraisals will help you discover the most accurate property value, so you can make the most informed real estate decisions. |