Definition of "Fair market value"

The definition of Fair Market Value in the real estate business is the highest amount that could be received on the sale of a property when there are a willing buyer and a willing seller. But that seems kind of vague, right?

Let’s give Fair Market Value some context:

Truth is whenever a home seller says “I want to sell my house!”, both the home seller and the real estate agent wants to sell the property for the highest price they can, right? However, the home buyer, obviously, wants to buy the house for the lowest price he/she can. So, an “arm wrestling match” regarding the value of the property begins. At the end of that negotiation, when the home seller and the home buyer agree on a price, we have the Fair Market Value of that estate.

Things you should be on the lookout to define a precise Fair Market Value of a property:

- How is the market right now? Do a Comparative Market Analysis.

- Is the house in good conditions? Have a professional Appraisal of the property done.

- How much would it cost to build a new one just like yours? Try the Replacement Cost Approach.

RealEstateAgent.com ADVICE:

Now that you’ve done your homework regarding Fair Market Value the choice is yours: you can either access our Real Estate Agent Directory and search our amazing database for that trustworthy real estate agent that will help you make your house sell, or you can keep searching for other terms on our Real Estate Glossary box below. Good luck!

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 Terms

Legal record used to create a condominium. It encompasses the description of the property, common elements, ownership units, and acceptable uses of the residence. ...

Exposure can have various meanings in real estate and insurance, depending on the context. Let’s have a thorough look at these scenarios! Exposure as property’s ...

Statutes stipulating that the property of deceased individuals is distributed in a way that assumes that property during marriage is jointly owned and equally shared by the spouses ...

When an Appraisal is done, its ultimate goal is to define a Market Value for that property. So, in short, market value is the value of a real estate property in a free competitive ...

Measure of the typical U.S. family's ability to buy a home, published by the National Association of Realtors. When the Index measures 100, a family earning the median income has exactly ...

Mortgage placed on a property after a previous mortgage. It can be a second, third, etc. mortgage. A junior mortgage is subordinate to the terms of a previous mortgage. Junior mortgages ...

Payments made to enhance the appearance and conditions of real estate property. In so doing, the market value of the property should increase. Examples of renovation costs are siding, ...

Monies paid to use property, such as the use of natural resource extractions. The royalty payment is typically based upon some percentage of the income or fee for substances generated from ...

A certificate of ownership in a real estate company. Pledged assets for a borrowing. An example is an office building serving as collateral for the mortgage. Way of protecting property ...

Popular Real Estate Questions