Birmingham Appraisal Blog

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Entries from April 29th, 2010

Settling a Birmingham, AL Estate: How an Appraisal Can Keep Peace in the Family

April 29th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 2 Comments · Appraisal, Legal Matters

Because of the death of a loved one, family members can be faced with making decisions that not all can agree on.  Whenever property is left to them they must decide who gets what and this can sometimes result in friction between them.  I have seen instances where one family member wants to own and [...]

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What Happened to This House in Pelham, Alabama?

April 27th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 8 Comments · Photos From The Field

I see a lot of things as a real estate appraiser while I am out working and thought I might share some of them.  It is not uncommon to see homes being moved, but while I was out this week I saw this home in Pelham, Alabama, which appears to be the top half of [...]

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Are Outbuildings Included in an Appraisal?

April 26th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 7 Comments · Appraisal, Appraisal Tips

I got a call from a client recently asking this question.  As I told him, any type of improvement which is permanently attached to the land is included in the appraisal.  For outbuildings this would include barns and butler type buildings. Some storage buildings which are smaller and are not on permanent foundations would not [...]

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Real Estate Agents-How To Look Like a Champ In Your Customers Eyes

April 25th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 8 Comments · Appraisal, Appraisal Tips, Market Trends

I know that some of you will say “Why should I get an appraisal when I am an agent and can do  my own market analysis?”, but there are benefits to the appraisal.  My main concern here is with the homeowner who want you to over price their home.  When you know that they are [...]

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Birmingham, Alabama Home Sales-Most Expensive Home Sale in March-2010

April 20th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 2 Comments · Market Trends

I thought readers may find it interesting to know what the highest price paid for a home was and where it is located.  In the Birmingham metro area there are many towns and communities.  The high dollar home for March of 2010 is located in Mountain Brook, Alabama.  A well known actress is from Mountain [...]

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Can an Appraisal be Readdressed or Transferred to a Second Lender?

April 20th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 4 Comments · Appraisal

I got this question from a client this week so I thought I would share it with everyone.  This question comes up a lot when homeowners get an appraisal on their home, decide not to go with the initial lender the appraisal was done for, and want to transfer it to another mortgage company or [...]

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Appraiser Interview, Part 2: Keller Williams Realtor David Black Interviews Tom Horn

April 16th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 2 Comments · Appraisal, Market Trends

Here is part 2 of the interview I had with David and Colleen  Black, Realtors with Keller Williams Realty in Alabaster, Alabama.  In this last installment we continue the discussion of what homeowners can do to help sell their home as well as talk about new banking regulations such as the HVCC which is affecting [...]

Keller Williams Realtor David Black Interviews Tom Horn, Pt. 2 [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Getting The Most Bang For Your Buck In Home Improvements

April 14th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 4 Comments · Appraisal Tips, Home Improvement

If you’re like most homeowners you want to get the most bang for your buck in home improvements.  Sometimes certain improvements to your home cost more than the value you get from them.  This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked in my job as a real estate appraiser.  My answer most [...]

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Shelby County Alabama Appraiser Market Trends-$500k Plus Home Sales Affected by Slow Real Estate Market

April 13th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 9 Comments · Market Trends

I recently had the opportunity to appraise a custom built luxury home in Shelby County Alabama.  The home had been on the market for quite some time with no activity to speak of.  I was contacted about doing an appraisal on the property to see how the price it was listed at  stacked up against [...]

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Birmingham Alabama Appraiser Market Conditions: An interview with an appraiser-Pt. 1

April 7th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 7 Comments · Appraisal, Market Trends

I recently had an opportunity to be interviewed by David and Colleen  Black, Realtors with Keller Williams Realty in Alabaster, Alabama.  The interview was split into two parts with the first part shown below.  We talked about everything from home price trends in Jefferson and Shelby County Alabama and the effects of foreclosure sales on [...]

Interview with David Black-Part 1 [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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