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

Structures added to framing to increase overall strength and stability. Various types of bracing include cables, rods, struts, ties, shores, additional framing, etc. ...

Demise indicates the act of “granting a lease of property” in legal terms. A demising clause refers to a particular provision of housing requirements based on family size, ages, ...

A will where the decedent's nomination of an executor/executrix is flawed, requiring an administrator to be appointed by the court and annexed to the will. ...

Analysis of a real estate sales data to appraise real estate values. Sources of real estate sales data used in the market data approach include the official records of deeds and leases ...

loan that is not secured by a mortgage on a specific property. It is backed only by the borrower's credit rating. Unsecured loan are typically short term. The disadvantages of this kind of ...

Individual or business transferring a right or benefit to another person or business. ...

Arrangement the insured and insurer share on a proportional payment for a loss. ...

The term after-tax rate of return calculates an investor’s net return after income taxes. The calculation is used by many businesses and investors to determine their real earnings. ...

An individual's bringing a legal action against a defendant. The plaintiff wants relief from the judge against a defendant. An example is investors in a real estate investment trust (REIT) ...