If you’re working with a real estate agent to list your property, more than likely they’ll provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that lists selected sales in your area as one of the first steps in determining what to set as the “Listing Price".This step is vital if you're going to maximize your profit and minimize the home’s time on the market.

But even if you're working with the most experienced real estate agent, it's probably in your best interest to have an "objective" third-party's opinion of value prior to signing a Listing Agreement. And that’s where we come in. We can provide you with a pre-listing appraisal so both you and your agent have an accurate description of your home's features and a detailed analysis of the most recent and similar "comparable sales" or as they're commonly called, "Comps". The appraisal process includes a detailed adjustment process to the comparable sales to arrive at a point value estimate, not just an undeciphered list of information on other homes that have sold like you find with an agent's Competitive Market Analysis. In addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract buyers, a professional appraisal can:

• Be a very valuable negotiating tool once you have a potential buyer
• Impress buyer’s with written proof of your home’s condition inside and out
• Make yourself aware of problems and eliminate last-minute repair hassles that might delay a closing
• Decrease the chances of unknown problems that cause sales to fall through

Many people are surprised when they find out that the market value of their home is more than they thought or what the listing agent wanting to make a quick commission has told them. Investing in a professional appraisal actually allowed these people to sell their home at a realistic and supported price within a reasonable time-frame. Others have an inflated opinion of their home's value and an appraisal helped them to realistically price their home in order for it to sell. . . again, based on independent facts and data.  An overpriced home will not attract buyers, which means no offers and no closing and that you have wasted valuable time, money, and efforts.

Improvements to add value
In addition to “how much?”, there may be other important questions to ask yourself before listing your home. Questions like ''Would it be better to paint the entire house before we sell it?”, ''Should I put in that third bathroom?'', ''Should I complete my kitchen remodel?'' Many things which we do to our houses have an effect on their value. Unfortunately, not all of them have an equal effect. While a kitchen remodel may improve the appeal of a home, it may not add nearly enough to the value to justify the expense. We can step in and help make these decisions.