On one of my inspections recently I came across this empty pool. The house I was appraising was not using FHA financing, however because FHA typically has more stringent requirements about the condition of a property I thought I might share the picture with you and ask a couple of questions: Do you think this [...]
Entries from February 27th, 2012
Photos from the field- FHA repair item or not?
February 27th, 2012 by Tom Horn · 3 Comments · Appraisal Tips, FAQ's, Photos From The Field, Realtor Tips
Tags:empty pool·FHA repairs·FHA Requirements·MPR·pool·pool repair·swimming pool·vinyl liner pools
An interesting trend in the Birmingham, Alabama real estate market
February 13th, 2012 by Tom Horn · No Comments · Appraisal, Market Trends
I have noticed an interesting trend in the Birmingham, Alabama real estate market. The trend involves the segmentation of the market in various areas, but mainly where foreclosure activity is prevalent. I noticed it most recently in the Centerpoint area of Birmingham. The segments include the following: foreclosures “normal sales” and flip properties The “normal” [...]
Tags:Alabama·Appraisal·Appraiser·Centerpoint·flip·flipper·Foreclosure·investment·property trends·property value·renovate·REO·Short Sale·Thomas Horn·Tom Horn
10 reasons NOT to get a pre-listing appraisal
February 8th, 2012 by Tom Horn · 10 Comments · Appraisal, Appraisal Tips, FSBO Tips, Realtor Tips
1. It costs too much money- Really? If you think about the fact that by pricing the home correctly you could cut the marketing time down and reduce marketing costs, this becomes a no brainer. In addition, the modest cost would probably not exceed future price reductions that you may need because it was priced [...]
Tags:Appraisal·Appraiser·CMA·fsbo·home value·house value·market analysis·marketing appraisals·pre-listing appraisal·Pre-Listing Appraisals in Birmingham·property value·Thomas Horn·Tom Horn·value estimate
How Shelby County, AL homeowners can find useful property information online
February 6th, 2012 by Tom Horn · 2 Comments · Appraisal
I would like to share with homeowners in Shelby County, Alabama how they can find useful property information online. Have you ever wanted to find out exactly how big your lot is? Ever wondered where your house sits on your lot? How about finding out what school system the house you want to buy is [...]
Tags:Alabama·Appraiser·county website·lot dimensions·lot size·property information·school system·shelby county·Thomas Horn·Tom Horn
Can I use the tax assessment on my house to set a list price?
February 2nd, 2012 by Tom Horn · 2 Comments · Appraisal
I was asked this question the other day by a reader of my blog and I thought I would share it with you in case you had the same question. This person was going to list their home for sale and they wanted to know if they could use their tax assessment to come up [...]
Tags:appraised value·asking price·birmingham appraiser·marketing appraisal·pre-listing appraisal·tax assessment·Thomas Horn·Tom Horn
