It’s never been easier or more fun to check the value of real estate, both in your neighborhood and across the country. With a click of a mouse, you can be directed to a view of entire city blocks indicating the most up-to-date prices that homes on particular streets have sold for. Curious about how much your house is worth, or how much your boss paid for his new mansion? Simply input the address and find out.
And these new electronic wizards aren’t just for nosey neighbors. Perhaps you’re thinking of selling your home and are wondering how much you can get for it. Sure, you know a real estate agent is your best bet for coming up with a true fair market assessment. But you want a ballpark figure now, at midnight, while you’re sitting awake in front of your home computer agonizing over your options.
A quick online assessment can help you reach a decision. Or, if you’ve already made up your mind to buy or sell, you can search recent sales prices or fill out a request to be connected with an agent or appraiser in your area. In fact, these days there are a wealth of resources available online. Not sure where to begin? Here’s help understanding what tools are out there and which is best suited to your particular need.
Just curious about home values or not sure what your plans are yet?
By inputting an address into an online home evaluation product, you can get a free instant estimate of a home’s market value. Home valuation tools are a great resource if you’re looking for an idea of what your home is worth, if you’re looking into property values in a neighborhood you’d like to move to, or if you’re just curious about home values in different parts of the country.
Interested in what homes in a certain neighborhood have been selling for?
You can now obtain free online sales data on what homes in different regions have sold for recently (as well as historically). This is an excellent tool if you’re interested in sale price trends in your neighborhood or in an area where you’re considering buying.
Need the most accurate possible online appraisal?
There are now services available online where, for a nominal fee (much less than the cost of a standard home appraisal), you can obtain an electronic appraisal of a particular property including information on local schools and analytic data such as price per square foot. This tool is great for potential buyers investigating a particular property or for homeowners who are thinking of refinancing or getting a home equity loan. This is the most thorough home valuation tool short of a physical appraisal.
Thinking of selling your home?
Another great way to get the value of your home is a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) prepared by a real estate agent. New online tools let you get the process started with the click of a mouse. Simply fill out an online form and arrange to have a real estate agent in your area provide you with a free, no-obligation Comparative Market Analysis.
Want to get connected with a licensed appraiser?
The most accurate and unbiased way to value a home is to enlist the help of an appraiser. Now it’s easy to find a professional appraiser without having to leave your home or dig through a phone book. You can put though an online request to arrange a full professional appraisal of your home’s value. (You’ll pay only the fee for the appraisal.)
All of these options are available at your fingertips. Whether you’re interested in a full electronic appraisal or just wondering what that house around the corner is worth, you can simply log on and go!
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RealEstate.com offers all of these options in their new home valuation center. “The new Home Valuation Center provides five different ways to assess home value, plus access to information not readily available anywhere else,” says Ben Joslin, vice president of RealEstate.com. “Our goal is to provide something for everyone.”
Find out how much your home is worth today! Visit http://www.realestate.com/value to get started.
Published on March 06, 2007