This is a question you may have asked yourself at some point. Have you ever dreamed of having one built but don’t know it’s value in your area? Every neighborhood is different, and some areas will give you a bigger return on your investment than others. Swimming pools are always used by appraisers as examples [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Home Improvement'
What’s the value of a pool in my neighborhood?
April 4th, 2012 by Tom Horn · No Comments · Appraisal, Appraisal Tips, FAQ's, Home Improvement
Tags:Alabama Appraiser·birmingham alabama appraiser·home improvement·how much value does a pool add·jefferson county appraiser·pool·pool value·shelby county appraiser·swimming pool·Thomas Horn·Tom Horn·value·what's a pool worth
Are these FHA required repairs?
January 20th, 2012 by Tom Horn · No Comments · Appraisal, Appraisal Tips, Education, FAQ's, FSBO Tips, Home Improvement, Realtor Tips
I was doing some work recently for a novice property investor and he was asking me some questions about FHA required repairs. He wanted to prepare the house he just purchased so that if the buyers were going to use FHA financing there wouldn’t be any issues at the last minute to hold up the [...]
Tags:Birmingham AL FHA Appraiser·fha appraisal·fha appraisal guidelines·FHA Loans·FHA repairs·FHA Requirements·FHA Tips·MPR
FHA Repair Item…or Not?
July 5th, 2011 by Tom Horn · 2 Comments · Appraisal, Appraisal Tips, FAQ's, Home Improvement, Realtor Tips
I get a lot of questions about FHA appraisals and what types of repairs are required, and which ones are not. As I have stated in a previous blog post, most items of repair in an FHA appraisal are related to safety, soundness, and security. Some items will definitely need to be repaired before the [...]
Tags:Alabama FHA appraisals·FHA·FHA Appraisals·FHA repairs·FHA Tips·HUD·HUD Minimum Property Requirements·MPR
Top 5 Condition Items A Buyer Should Be Aware Of
May 8th, 2011 by Tom Horn · 8 Comments · Appraisal Tips, FAQ's, FSBO Tips, Home Improvement
I had an opportunity recently to speak with Jim Waddell of AB Home Inspections. Jim is a home inspector in the Birmingham, AL area. He provides home inspections for various reasons but the one I talked to him about was the services provided to home buyers. Jim does a lot of work with new home [...]
Tags:AB Home Inspection·Alabama Appraiser·Birmingham Appraisals·birmingham appraiser·electrical problems·foundation problems·hvac problems·plumbing problems·roof problems
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 [...]
Tags:Alabama·Appraiser·Birmingham·cost versus value·Home Improvements·jefferson county·shelby county
Helping Your Home Appraise For Top Dollar
February 12th, 2010 by Tom Horn · 1 Comment · Home Improvement
Most people, at some point in their life will probably get a home appraisal. Appraisals are necessary for the following reasons: • Buying a home • Selling a home (either a marketing appraisal or appraisal after contract is signed) • Refinancing a home (either to get a lower rate or to get a home equity [...]
Tags:Alabama·alabaster·Appraisal·Birmingham·fsbo·jefferson county·marketing·pelham·Real Estate·sell·selling·shelby county·top dollar
