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Deal Hinges on Appraisal But There Are No Good Comps

LoveInTheHouse
12 years ago

I'm in contract again and everything looks good. The next thing that's going to happen is the appraisal. I'm worried about it because there are no good comps nearby. The last time I was in contract, for $259,900, the appraisal came out to $259,000. Now I'm in contract for $239,400. It's only six months later. So you would think there'd be nothing to worry about. But the buyer's loan officer was concerned that there are good comps. I assured her there were, but truthfully, the first appraiser had to rely on comps not close by, and when we were pricing, we had to go far or else do a lot of adjustments up and down for the ones we used nearby. The thing is, I'm in a rural area. There are only a thousand people in my whole town, so there are not a lot of things for sale period, especially properties just like mine. I have a ten acre horse farm with a nice house that only has one bathroom and I have a horse barn you could live in. There are nicer houses with more bathrooms on less acreage or with no barns or houses with more acreage and ramshackle barns, houses on two acre lots and dairy farms on a hundred acres. Nothing exactly like mine. But if you just go by the data, square footage, number of baths, number of outbuildings, mine might APPEAR to be lower in value. Until you actually go and see them in real life. Which was what my husband and I did when we priced it. I know I am priced for the market because I've been under contract three times in one year, four if you count the one that fell through almost immediately due to a personal problem the buyer had. Two times for the full asking price (when it was priced higher) or close to it. So the thing is, I'm worried this latest buyer won't be able to get his mortgage because there are no good comps that the appraiser will be able to show to validate his opinion. Thoughts please.

Comments (44)

  • LuAnn_in_PA
    12 years ago

    "So the thing is, I'm worried this latest buyer won't be able to get his mortgage because there are no good comps that the appraiser will be able to show to validate his opinion. Thoughts please."

    Quit worrying... it won't change a thing.

  • Jamie
    12 years ago

    I would do two things:
    1. Make sure the appraiser has the addresses of the comps used for your appraisal 6 months ago,

    2. Find out yourself if there are any very recent sales that the appraiser might have missed.

    Appraisal is all about taking off $4000 (or whatever) from the comp that has an extra bath, and adding $7000 to the comp that's in poor condition, in order to come up with the would-be house that is similar to the subject, and the would-be price of that house.

    A country appraiser should be able to adjust for the difference in acreage and acreage quality, and in highest and best use of a property.

    The only reason to "help" him by providing your own comps is if he might be a bit lazy, which is not uncommon.

  • C Marlin
    12 years ago

    I agree w/Jamies, try to find some comps yourself.
    Print up a simple sheet with your amenities/upgrades and comps. Keep it simple and clear, it may help.
    Thre appraiser is human and can be swayed with the positive info.
    Also clean, clean and stage.

  • ncrealestateguy
    12 years ago

    What jamies said. If you do not have a copy of the last appraisal, do what you can to get it! Even if you have to pay for it.
    Good luck LITH.

  • liriodendron
    12 years ago

    The appraisal process is fully able to make appropriate adjustments between two not quite identical properties. The adjustment factors (up or down as needed) are all clearly spelled out. This is where, as long as the data is correct, you have nothing to worry about.

    I agree with other posters, the more recent sales you have that might take effort to dig up and the other appraisal report will help the appraiser find what he (and you) needs most easily.

    The only dicey thing about appraisals is that they put little to no weight in the factor you alluded to:

    (quote) "Nothing exactly like mine. But if you just go by the data, square footage, number of baths, number of outbuildings, mine might APPEAR to be lower in value. Until you actually go and see them in real life."

    Appraisals aren't about what properties look like, except in the sense that a run-down house that is feature for feature identical to a perfectly kept-up house will get dinged for condition. But as far as overall appraised value, desirability takes a backseat to concrete things like sq feet, acreage, amenties, #baths and beds and kitchen upgrades. The appraisals will also take into account distance between one property and another and the reported date of sale adjustments if housing market values are in flux.

    Aside from getting the other appraisal and any recent comps together, you have nothing to do at this point.

    Still keeping my fingers crosed for you. Have you checked to see if the house in NJ that you were thinking of before is still available? (And not flooded out by Irene?)

    L.

  • cas66ragtop
    12 years ago

    I hope this deal finally goes through. I know you've been dealing with this for a loooooooooong time.

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I do have the first appraisal. It was absolutely glowing. The property was above average in everything. BUT it did mention that the appraiser had to go a distance to find comps. That's what I'm worried about. Because the banker lady specifically asked me if there were good comps around. So I don't think I should show this appraisal to the new appraiser, other than the first page that shows the price he appraised it at because I don't want the new guy to get it in his head that there are no comps here. I want him to work with what's here, like you guys said, adjust up or down. What do you guys think about that? Should I give him the whole thing or no?

    Liriodendron, yeah, on paper my property doesn't sound great compared to others (mostly because of the one bathroom) if you go by the data, that's true. When we were pricing this place, we did tons of drive-bys. I was nervous we were going to have to price it lower, until I got there and saw our competition. So yeah, I think that's a problem for me if the appraiser never looks at any of them in real life.

    I will do what you all suggested and have a nice package ready for the appraiser to help him out.

    Liriodendron, and yes, the house I'm interested in in NJ is still available. We actually made an offer which he rejected. If all goes well with my buyer, we're supposed to close in a month. So I have to get cracking and find a place to live. But of course this deal is not solid.

  • jane__ny
    12 years ago

    When we listed our house, another house two doors down was on the market for over a year. Same size house, same size property with pool. Built by the same builder in the 1960's.

    Except for this house (which hadn't sold yet) we had no comps close by. While we were listed, we were praying we would sell before our neighbors house because it was a terrible comp.

    The owner had died and the only child was selling it as is. The house had the original baths and kitchen. Nothing had been done except replacing the roof 5 yrs earlier. The house had sat vacant for 2 years and the son kept dropping the price. One other negative factor was the house was on a corner which got a lot of truck traffic. The list price was now $350,000 less than my list price.

    Sure enough it sold shortly after we accepted an offer on our house. My RA went to work finding comps in other Towns and neighborhoods. She prepared a list of all the upgrades our house had and pointed out that my neighbors house should not be regarded as a comp. She also included some great pictures of our house as a reminder of the differences.

    When the appraiser arrived, she introduced herself and handed him a packet and explained why she wanted him to please review it before making his appraisal.

    The appraiser made it clear he had no interest in discussing anything with her or anyone else, but did take the packet and thanked her.

    His final appraisal was our the accepted price. Let me tell you, we sweated that one out big-time! I have my wonderful Realtor to thank for handling this matter so efficiently and quickly. I know it worked.

    Have the info ready for the appraiser when he comes. Don't worry about using comps from another area if there is nothing closer. My Realtor did and it worked.

    Good luck,
    Jane

  • live_wire_oak
    12 years ago

    If you have to go far out of your way to find "comps", then they aren't comps. Real estate is about location first of all. Your neighbors ARE your comps, even if they have to be adjusted some. Second indicator of value is the square footage/beds/baths. Unfortunately, your 1 bath is really going to hurt you there. Hopefully your square footage and number of bedrooms can balance that out. The third determiner in an appraisal is the amenities. You only get a bit of a bump on that. You're not going to have a 50K bump for luxury appointments in a neighborhood of 200K starter homes. You might get 10-15K. Workshops, sheds, hobby orchards, motocross tracks, and stock ponds add very little monetary value to a home. They do add quality of living value for the prospective buyer, but that does not translate into very much $$.

    I hope this appraisal works to help you to sell your home. It's been a long haul, for sure!

  • ncrealestateguy
    12 years ago

    The difference of sq. ftg. and bedrooms can not be adjusted twice... he will adjust for the sq. ftg. difference and leave it at that. After all, bedrooms are nothing but sq. ftg.
    A full bathroom is only worth about $5000. At least here in NC.

    Live Wire Oak wrote: "Workshops, sheds, hobby orchards, motocross tracks, and stock ponds add very little monetary value to a home. They do add quality of living value for the prospective buyer, but that does not translate into very much $$."
    This is correct. Some items add profitability and some add marketability.
    I would still give him the previous appraisal, and if he can find comps closer in, he will.

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I just scrutinized the old appraisal. It appraised out higher than what I sold it for. I'm not too worried about the price. But I did see he wrote "zero comps." And then he listed the distance he had to go for the comps he did use--16 miles, 21 miles, 25 miles. Nothing is close where I live. It's a rural area. The leader of our local horse club recently sold his property and that would be an excellent comp for me but he's almost 40 miles away--that's how spread apart we are here--he's that far from me and we belong to the same horse club and ride together. I just know the bank is going to object because they keep saying no. It's one thing after another! And I want to go home! Sorry for crying, lol.

    I will do what you all said. I will give him the whole appraisal NC.

    Does anyone know if banks giving USDA loans would accept comps farther away? I'm thinking if it's a USDA loan, that means they are rural and wouldn't they understand that we're all spread out?

  • maurenemm
    12 years ago

    Hugs! Try not to worry about this too much. There isn't a lot you can do at this point. If the appraisal comes in a bit low, you still have the option of lowering your sales price or negotiating something with the buyer so as not to lose the deal entirely.

    I bet the appraisal will come out fine.

  • phoggie
    12 years ago

    LITH~~ I know the "want to go home" feeling.....so do I~~
    Good luck with you sale this time. I know you have had so many heartaches in selling your place.

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks guys!

  • jane__ny
    12 years ago

    Its going to happen. Just hang in there,

    Jane

  • phoggie
    12 years ago

    Love~~~
    I don't want to be "nosey", but I have followed your posts with much interest for quite awhile. I know you are in a rural setting (1000 people), with acreage.....but I was wondering how far are you moving and are you down-sizing in your move? What are your age ranges...mid-life or older? Have you purchased your new home already? We are in the "older" bracket and hoping to down-size "back home" to a smaller community (3,000). I love the smaller towns and friendly people. I do hope that your appraisal and closing goes will for you and you get moved "back home". Best wishes and lots of luck.

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    Sending positive energy your way too, LoveintheHouse!

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    You guys are the best with all your finger crossing for me!

    Phoggie, I remember your story too. I live in Virginia and I'm moving back to Jersey. I lost my mother last year and suddenly, after 8 years being away all together, I am terribly homesick. We don't have any family down here. I'm 51. Every day that this house doesn't sell, this sounds silly but I'm afraid I'm going to get cancer like my mother (leukemia) and die down here. And I'm so sad for my dad, I want to get home to help him. Plus I want my daughter to be around family. I didn't realize how important family was until I lost my mother. I'm luckier than a lot of people in that I don't HAVE to move. But it feels like an urgent situation to me.

    We're not downsizing price-wise, but since Jersey is a lot more expensive than southern Virginia, I'm not going to be able to get what I have here. It's going to have some kind of issue in our price range. It will surely be a fixer-upper, but as long as I can get the acreage, that's okay. We'll be bringing the horses back with us, of course. Some people are surprised to learn that Jersey is not all urban. There are areas of farmland and it's known as the Garden State.

    Once I got in contract again, I made another offer on the same house we were in contract on when I had the last buyer. It was still available. I offered a little less because we are coming out with less and the seller said no. We made another offer. Waiting to hear. I would have liked to wait until the appraisal is done on my property here so I know everything is going to go through, but I was afraid we'd lose that property up there. It's the Garden State but still, acreage in our price range is not easy to find and real estate has been moving quicker up there. If he rejects this offer too, which is what I expect, I'm going to have to go back up there and look at what else is available before I will go any higher.

    I know you want to go home too. It's really hard, isn't it?

  • ncrealestateguy
    12 years ago

    LITH,
    You are doing right in making an offer on the farm in Jersey. The first rule in RE is to get the property under YOUR control. Once it is in your control, you can move on to the next step, including backing out w/o punitive damages if the contract is written up well.

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    LoveintheHouse, I live in southeastern VA, but not in a rural area (VA Beach). I wonder where you are! I lived in NE PA for 13 years (Bethlehem) & know there are some BEAUTIFUL areas in NJ! Expensive too--property taxes can be sky-high, but I know the big picture works out for you. NJ gets a bad wrap. It's not all like Camden, fortunately! The place you put the offer in on sounds gorgeous. Best of luck!

    NCrealestateguy, would you say more about "... first rule in RE is to get the property under YOUR control."

  • liriodendron
    12 years ago

    LITH,

    Your comment about NJ not being all urban made me chuckle.

    I inherited a country property in Rappahannock Co. Va from my Mother. When I was down there wrapping up things for the sale people, seeing my NY license plate, pretty often said to me, "Isn't it nice you can be down here in the country for a change." The thing is I live in very much more rural area upstate NY on a much larger farm. I found Rappahannock County to be too close to a big city for my taste.

    Once down there I stopped on the road to help a young couple with a flat. After putting out road flares and helping to get the lug nuts loose and taking them (and flat tire) to be repaired and bringing them back to the car, the girl allowed as how she had never met anyone from NY before. And was surprised because she had heard we were all hard and mean and I wasn't like that at all and she was so thankful for that! So I told her to fughedaboutit, and toddled on in my typical upstate old-lady way. Geezum crow!

    She did teach me a lovely Virginia country idiom though: When faced with an apparently irremediable situation, she suggested the best path was sometimes to "leave it lay where Jesus flung it!" Useful advice, at times.

    Hoping today brings you progress on the appraisal front. (If not, can you just "leave it lay" over the weekend?)

    L

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Stinky, I live at Smith Mountain Lake. I'm in south central Virginia. You're right about the big picture working out. Property taxes ARE sky high but the wages are a lot higher too. People don't realize that. Everything is relative.

    Liriodendron, yeah I know, that's funny.

    NCRealEstateGuy, yes, could you talk a little more about that? About the first rule in real estate being to get the property under your control. That would be real interesting.

  • phoggie
    12 years ago

    LINH~~ We seem to have so much in common, but at least you have some hope~~which I don't seem to have. Rather funny how you said you feared dying there and not getting to move "bank home"....I also have this fear of dying in this "god forsaken town" and hope it is not where Jesus has flung me.

    DH "says" he wants to move too, but I don't think he sees the urgency that I feel.....at 80 and 70, time is awastin'...and it waits for no one.

    I am praying that you do get this all put behind you and you get the closure that you need in your life. Losing a mother makes life change in so many ways. Mine has been gone a long time....had ALZ so her mind has been gone longer....but I still miss her terribly. Blessings to you.

    Oh by the way....to anyone in the NE.... Are the leaves turning yet? I loved driving through all of your beautiful states several years ago in the fall.

    Hang in there LITH....

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    LITH, thanks...Lake Smith Mountain...gorgeous! I'd never heard of it, so I Googled, & simply beautiful pics came up. What wonderful views!

    Sorry the area just didn't work out for you. In spite of nice amenities, & our best effort, we just don't always click with a place. At least you know that NJ is "where it's at" for you. Others search & search for that place to call home, to no avail.

    Continued good wishes being sent your way for a smooth sale, closing, and move!

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    Or rather...Smith Mountain Lake, LOL! *I* live near a Lake Smith...minus the mountain!

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Stinky, thanks for the compliment on my town!

    Phoggie, how come you don't feel hopeful? What's happening?

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    Yes, Phoggie, you sound very sad...do you need to talk?

  • phoggie
    12 years ago

    LINTH and Stinky---

    Thanks for your concern. I guess that selling in this town in at stand-still and my yearning to get out of here is so great....miss being with people back home so much.

    We found wood rot and carpenter ants in our huge deck...DH said his son could fix it....started July 4 and almost nothing has been done...first, he got over-come by the terrible heat we had....then pulled a muscle in his leg...still doing PT....DH won't let me get anyone else to come fix it....says it will cost too much....so meanwhile, we have had two house showings and the rotted deck is a MESS!!! I am tempted to pull it off of the market until it is fixed...heaven only knows when that will be...DH and his family NEVER get in hurry to do anything! Their motto is "never do anything today that can be put off until another day"!

    I said the I feel DH doesn't have the burning desire to get out of here as I do. His family is here...dead-beat as they are. Meanwhile, I am very sad....tired of showings that go no where....seeing homes in my desired town get sold...and so it is, what it is. We have been on the market for over a year and I am tired of keeping everything in a "show now" shape.

    There are things that I would like to do to make this house more desirable....as some of the posters have suggested...but he is still living in the 70's and doesn't see that our "tired furniture" needs to be replaced to make the house look more modern. I do have to admit that it is very well built and the new furniture just isn't made like that anymore...but most of the funiture belonged to him and his late wife and it is not my taste but he doesn't see the need to replace it. I sold most of my things with my former house that I had before we were married...that is the way they wanted to buy it. He is not wanting to paint some of the rooms in a more neutral color because he thinks the new owners will want something different anyway.....and darn it, the realtors all agree with him!!!!

    It is now fall...winter will be coming shortly...so I fear we will be here for another one. Every year for several years, I had hoped it would be the last holiday season we spent here....and we could be back home by the next year so we could be nearer my family again.

    Oh well, I am having a pity party....but sure do appreciate my new found friends on these posts. Again, thanks for thinking of me. And LITH, I do hope you get back home before the holidays, so you can be where you need to be....so blessings on this contract going through.

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Phoggie, I know what you mean, worried about being stuck for another winter. Will your husband agree to lower the price of the house to reflect the repairs it needs and how it's outdated? Or can you? A person's emotional health is just as important as needing to sell because of financial reasons. Homesickness can make you physically sick. Have you communicated all of this to him?

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    Phoggie, I'm sorry you are feeling so disappointed. Sometimes it seems nothing goes our way, but those are the times when we have to believe that things are happening for reasons we can't explain, understand or make sense of. (Something bigger than us is at work?)

    One day you may look back on this sad time from a joyful place and understand why you had to wait. I have a feeling something wonderful is on the horizon for you, but it's not ready yet...not now.

    I realize it's so hard! Waiting, wishing, yearning & hoping. It's easy to say "have faith," but believe something will happen that will be just great for you!

    It's very important right now, not to focus on the negative...that can become a self-fufilling prophecy. Think positively. Imagine where you want to be. See yourself there. Don't say things like, "This move will never happen..." Instead say, "The house I want in the place I love is getting more within my reach every day."
    Best wishes.

  • lynxe
    12 years ago

    LITH, you haven't said what part of NJ you're interested in, but depending, you might consider PA. After all, there are large parts of it that are directly across the river from NJ. For now, at least, property taxes are lower, and it's still a retiree-friendly state. I haven't followed NJ real estate pricing in a long time, but it seems to me you may do as well or better in PA. Something to consider perhaps.

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Lynxe, I have considered PA. It's a retiree-friendly state?--well, I'm definitely not retired. We're never going to be lucky enough to be able to retire. We're self-employed and therefore we've been house hunting all over the state because wherever we go, we have to restart business all over again so we have that freedom. And risk. The location must be within an hour of a busy area, so in the tri-state area, that pretty much means we can go anywhere! Right now I have made a deal on a place in south Jersey. But if that doesn't happen, I wouldn't rule out PA. Do you live there? I'm not too familiar with PA other than New Hope (I LOVE New Hope), Lancaster, etc.

  • stinky-gardener
    12 years ago

    Oooh, I love New Hope too! Yes, PA could be a less pricey option. Bucks County near New Hope is pricey though. There are pricey towns in PA, for certain. Have some familiariy since as I mentioned, I lived in Bethlehem for 13 years which was just over the border from NJ. I visited a bit of NJ and certainly NYC, while I lived there.

    Lehigh Valley, PA (Bethehem, Allentown, Easton) has a modest cost of living, and they have Wegman's...worth a move imo!

    As Lynxe said, it may be worth checking out!

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Easton sounds familiar. If I went to PA, I wouldn't want to be too far away from NJ because that's the whole point of moving--so I can be closer to family. They're all in NJ and I'm in VA. We actually used to do a lot of work around the Philly area when I lived in Jackson, NJ (where Great Adventure is.)

    Anyway, this whole thing might be moot. I'm in contract on a house in Woodstown, NJ. That's where Cowtown Rodeo is, if you've ever heard of it. It's an hour from Philly. It's one of my target areas and I'm really excited. It's all going to hinge on if my buyer gets his mortgage and I'm scared to death because I've been under contract a number of times already and keep losing the buyers because they can't get mortgages for one reason or another. So I'm a nervous wreck now. If I lose this buyer, I'm going to lose the house because there were other offers.

  • ncrealestateguy
    12 years ago

    LITH,
    Have they completed the appraisal yet?

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Nc, thanks for asking. Yes, the appraisal was done and the banker told me it "looked fine." Whew! I have to say he was a great appraiser because he knew exactly what he was dealing with as far as the type of real estate this is. Then we had a scare because the bank wanted documents the buyer was having a hard time getting. Supposedly now that's all under control. The banker told me "everything looks good," but it's 6 days before we're supposed to close and there's still no mortgage commitment yet. I can't wait any longer. I've had to start packing, close business, order truck, horse hauler, etc. And I still don't know if it will really happen.

  • ncrealestateguy
    12 years ago

    Congrats on the good appraisal! You are almost there.

  • Jamie
    12 years ago

    Love, this chapter's gonna have a happy ending. YaY!

  • liriodendron
    12 years ago

    Holy smoke, LITH, does that mean you are closing on the VA house next Friday? Are you then closing on the NJ house right away? I got a little lost at the ins and outs of your dual real estate sagas! Is your NJ place, the winery one?

    I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope it all goes super smooooothly for you this week.

    Are you moving the hay or conveying it? LOL! (I moved cordwood -18 cords of it - when we came out here to the farm, but it wasn't as far as from VA to NJ. I cursed every blasted log, but where else would I find such perfectly well-seasoned fuel as the stuff I already had?)

    Good luck! (And please, keep us posted.)

    L

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks guys!

    Lirodendron, yes, we're supposed to close THIS Friday! Then we're going up to Jersey on Tuesday and will close on the next one on Wednesday. My buyers are letting me stay in here for two weeks after closing but with all the trips back and forth, it's really not a lot of time. We're moving ourselves to save money. In the beginning we were going to get movers but every time I lost a buyer and we put it back on the market, we put it back on for less money and so now I'm coming out with less. Therefore we're doing all the moving ourselves. As far as the hay, we're going to take one load in the horse trailer, close to 100 bales, and the buyer will buy whatever is left over. She lucks out. I'm selling it to her for the same price I paid but she doesn't have to get it and stack it!

    It's not the winery house. When we lost one of our buyers (I can't even remember now which one because this has happened so much), the seller of the winery house wouldn't give us a house selling contingency even with a kick-out clause. After we found another buyer, we went up there again to look at it and look at some others while we were at it. It looked horrible after going through the winter and we were so relieved she didn't lock us in! We felt like we were given a second chance! We found a better place, more suitable for the horses, with more acres and nice pasture. It's an old house too. Not grand like the winery house but I'll fix it and make it really cool. Thanks for asking! Check out my blog again for a real interesting update about this stress I'm under and the message I got.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country

  • liriodendron
    12 years ago

    LITH,

    I loved your story! Keep the Valentine close to you as a talisman this week.

    I have never sold (or bought) a house w/o the kind of drama you have now, but it has always gone through OK in the end.

    Here's hoping you have the same experience!

    L

  • phoggie
    12 years ago

    LITH,
    I enjoyed reading your story~~ What an adventure...and do
    keep that Valentine close...it was your "sign from mom".

    I have followed your selling of your house and keep hoping that THIS time is the one~~ I am anxious to see your new
    residence...and I know you will make it "home" very quickly.

    Keep those posts coming...and God bless you in your new
    move.

  • barbcollins
    12 years ago

    LITH - Yeah!!!

  • LoveInTheHouse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    It does make me feel at peace. When I should be freaking out right now because.... the buyer can't close! I'm going to start a new post so I can update everyone, lol. I don't know why I'm laughing...