By: Kelly Gibbs
Whether you are the buyer or the seller in a real estate transaction, you may be asking yourself this very question. In a market where inventory is scarce and buyers are abundant, there is nowhere but up when it comes to a list price (when a home is priced right and properly marketed of course). The list price is almost like a suggested starting point when a new home pops up on the market in Cincinnati, OH neighborhoods like Norwood, Pleasant Ridge, Oakley, Hyde Park, Mt Lookout, Columbia Tusculum, East Walnut Hills, Madisonville, Mariemont, Madeira, Deer Park, Blue Ash, Montgomery, and many more! If your home is in great condition, well taken care of and updated, located in a high-demand neighborhood, and will be priced right from the start, then there is a really good chance you could be one of the lucky sellers to receive more than one offer for your home!
It is a common saying in real estate that a property is worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it and a seller is willing to sell for. Well, whoever came up with that saying forgot to mention the appraiser! Before you put your home on the market and accept an offer it is important to know how a real estate transaction can play out. So, what happens if your home doesn’t appraise for the selling price on the accepted purchase contract? One of several options must be decided.
You can dispute the appraisal report (this could make sense if something big was missed by the appraiser, otherwise the appraiser will typically not adjust their report).
You can lower the selling price to match the value determined by the appraiser.
The buyer can come up with the difference (however this is not likely for several reasons).
The buyer and seller can compromise and split the difference.
The buyer can walk from the transaction.
The goal of all parties is typically to find a way to keep the deal moving forward towards a closing. Now in the event that an appraisal issue comes up you will be more prepared to handle the situation. Working with an experienced, knowledgeable, local Realtor also makes a big difference. A savvy experienced agent will educate you on potential outcomes of the offers in hand prior to accepting a contract and will do everything in their power to protect you from finding yourself in a low appraisal situation. What can a listing agent do to help prevent a low appraisal after a bidding war? I will save that for my next blog post. Stay tuned!