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

Process of simultaneously appraising several pieces of property. Normally, occurs when a local government conducts a reassessment. ...

To pass property by will to an heir. Strictly speaking, real estate cannot be bequeathed to an heir, it must be devised. However, if it becomes clear the purpose of the testator was to ...

If you came here looking for the Sublease definition, chances are that you know what it means, but you need more information about it, with scenarios and facts to better grasp it. ...

Fund set aside for periodic payments, aimed at reducing a financial obligation taken out to buy real estate, or to accumulate enough funds to buy property or plant expansion. The principal ...

Large heavy piece of wood or other material generally running horizontally through a building providing support for other parts of the structure. The stringer usually runs in the direction ...

Illegally keeping or holding on to someone else's property. An example is a tenant staying in the apartment after the lease has expired. A court order may be sought to evict the tenant. ...

Association of people not treated as a corporation. Examples are a limited partnership and a group of cooperative owners. ...

The term amenity value refers to the worth or pleasant feeling added by using or seeing something. The amenity value definition would be the value that an individual amenity adds to the ...

(1) Rectangular area bounded on all sides by consecutive streets. It is part of a platted area. (2) Substantial amount of real estate properties to be sold together. (3) Group of houses, ...