Need a pre-listing appraisal? Contact James Earp Appraisal Service

Avoid having your home on the market too long or selling yourself short by getting an appraisal to demonstrate the right listing price.

Many people are surprised when they find out that the market value of their house is a lot more than they'd planned, so investing in a professional appraisal actually allowed them to receive several thousand more dollars than they thought they would when their home was sold. There are also plenty of home sellers who think their home is worth a lot more than it really is, and an appraisal helped them to realistically price their home in order for it to sell. Overpriced homes will not attract serious potential buyers, which means no offers and no closing and that you have wasted valuable time, money, and efforts. Each month that your home is still on the market is another month you have to pay its mortgage. And in the meantime, you're stuck paying the mortgage while your house is still sitting on the market.

With today's fluctuating market conditions, you should definitely appoint a licensed appraiser to get a fair listing price for your home.

If you're working with a real estate agent to sell your house, more than likely, they'll provide you with a comparative market analysis (CMA) that includes comparable houses for sale in your town. It's a customary starting point in determining your home's listing price. If you're going to minimize the house's time on the market and maximize your profit, this is a vital step.

Even if you've been working with the most experienced real estate agent, it's in your best interest to also have a third-party's objective opinion of value prior to signing a Listing Agreement.

And that's where James Earp Appraisal Service comes in! We'll perform a pre-listing appraisal so both you and your agent have a detailed analysis of the most recent and similar comp sales and an accurate description of your home's features.

James Earp Appraisal Service can help you decide on a realistic selling price so your house will bring in buyers, and we can also:

Be a very valuable negotiating tool once you find an interested buyer
Provide written proof of your house's quality inside and out to blow away potential buyers
Make you aware of problems and eliminate last-minute repair hassles
Decrease the chances of unknown obstacles that cause negotiations to fall through
Do away with waiting for the buyer's appraisal to have confidence the deal will close.

Improvements to add value

In addition to "how much?", there may be equally important questions to ask yourself before listing your home. Ask yourself "Would it be better to paint the outside of the house before we sell it?", "Would it help to put in that third bathroom?", "Do I need to finish my closet remodel?" Everything we do to our houses can affect their value. But not everything will have an equal affect. While a kitchen remodel may improve your home's appeal, it may not add nearly enough to the value to justify the expenses.

We'll help you make some of these decisions. An appraiser has no vested interest in what amount the house sells for, unlike a real estate agent. Your fee to us is based on efforts to finalize your report, and not a percentage of the sales price. An appraisal fee from James Earp Appraisal Service is based on our efforts to complete the report, and are not a percentage of the sales price. Our fees are not a percentage of your home's sale price — our appraisal fees are based on efforts to complete your report. A professional appraisal from James Earp Appraisal Service helps homeowners like you make the decisions on investing in their homes and settling on a fair sales price.