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

A forced sale or forced liquidation typically means an involuntary sale of valuables or property for financial reasons. If an unpredictable or uncontrollable event emerges, a seller must ...

Derogative term describing a high-pressure telemarketing office where sales personnel often use extremely exaggerated claims as well as intense sales practices to convince targets clients ...

Right of an individual to be offered something before it is offered to others. For example, a tenant whose apartment is going to be converted to a cooperative has the first right of ...

One who has committed a tort. A tort is a civil wrong that occurs as a result of a breach of legal duty owed to someone, e.g., negligence. A tort does not arise from a breach of contract. ...

A portion of a real estate company's assets financed with debt instead of equity. It involves interest an principal obligations. Financial leverage is beneficial to real estate investors ...

The largest financial intermediaries directly involved in the financing of real estate. Commercial banks act as lenders for a multitude of loans. While they occasionally provide financing ...

Sales commission charged to buy shares in a real estate mutual fund sold by a broker or salesperson. Typically, the fee ranges from about 1 percent to 8 percent of the initial investment. ...

maintenance procedures conducted to prevent later repairs and furthering a longer useful life. For example, many boilers and burners are cleaned and serviced each year before the winter ...

The amount of a periodic payment, whether monthly, quarterly, or annually, including interest and principal, required for a mortgage payment. ...