How To Calculate The Fair Market Value Of A Property?

Definition of "How to calculate the fair market value of a property?"

Wondering how to calculate the fair market value of a property?

It helps if you understand that it’s all about an estimate; you’ll hardly bull’s-eye-it.

Fair market value is the highest value a home seller and home buyer can agree to in the sale of a property.

So you can read articles about how to calculate the fair market value of a property – like this one – and try to understand the many factors that can influence not only home buyers but also home sellers and kid around trying to calculate it, but the reality is that the only way of finding out the fair market value is after hand are shaken and the deal is through.

Ok, now that we’ve established that calculating the fair market value is a way of having an “idea” more than a concrete fact, let’s take a look at the most important factors when learning how to calculate the fair market value of a property:

  • Market value: how are similar properties doing price-wise? How much are its owners asking and how much is it actually selling for? An appraisal will give you this information.
  • Home seller’s expectation: what does it matter if home buyer’s will pay $300,000 if the home seller will only accept selling the home for over $4,000? Some home sellers have no problem leaving the house on the market until it reaches the point of which they think the house is worth, so any other calculation is useless.
  • Home buyer’s purchase power: like the last one, what does it matter how many rooms the house has and how much similar houses sold in the past if *right now* (for whatever reason) there’s no one with money to spend?

So if you’re wondering why should I use a real estate agent, now you can see why. With all those factors and the variations within them, it’s fundamental that you find an experienced local real estate agent because he or she will know how to calculate the fair market value of a property and guide you throughout the home buying (or selling) process.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Questions

Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms

Individual or entity that divides up a large piece of owned land into smaller pieces generally for the purpose of developing them into homes for sale in the future. ...

(1) Sudden and dramatic increase in activity or prices. (2) Rapid economic prosperity. ...

Sections of a homeowner policy. Section I relates to the home, contents, and accompanying structures. Section II provides comprehensive coverage for personal liability and the medical ...

An Option Listing agreement is one of the many specificities of a Listing Agreement. Here’s what happens when the house seller signs an Option Listing: he gives someone (a home buyer, ...

Materials that are inherently noncombustible, are widely used in constructing exterior surfaces and include brick, aluminum siding, cement, and asbestos shingles. ...

Circumstance where no people or contents occupy or are kept in a building for at least 60 consecutive days. The same stipulations apply to property coverages as found in unoccupancy. ...

Generic name given for any association of property owners sharing an interest in commonly owned property. Community associations may be developed in condominium, cooperative, or housing ...

Property deed in which the grantor limits the title warranty to the grantee. A grantor does not warrant a title defect to the property occurring from a happening before the time of his ...

Placed by the federal government on a individual's real property for federal estate tax or income tax law violations. In the case of a federal estate tax lien, upon the owner's death, the ...