Who Can Best Value a Home?
Posted by Hank Miller on
The discussions surrounding the question of “what’s a home
worth” will never end, because there is no standard answer. Sure the reflex text book answer is “what a buyer is willing to pay” but that’s hardly the complete picture. A home has a number of “values” and most are not tied to the buyers in the market. There is a best answer of course, it also happens to be the simplest one. Spoiler alert...it’s not what it sells for. This short clip provides a common sense overview, below that we get more into the weeds.
Purchase Price
The purchase price is the amount the buyer agrees to pay the seller; this tends to support the “it’s worth what a buyer will pay” idea. Does it? Consider:
- The costs of selling – commissions, repairs, closing costs,…
2486 Views, 0 Comments

Many variables influence the price of a home, size is one of the most influential. How many times is “price per square foot” referenced? Using price per square foot to value a home is unreliable, it is wildly inaccurate for multiple reasons. But it's accepted and big homes rule; you don’t typically see small homes at the top of the value range. Families are the…
and the foundation was failing in several areas, spectacularly so. Based on a thorough look around the entire basement and the site, two major issues stuck out: tree roots and very poor water management. Several trees are very close to the home and good sized roots were against the home in several areas, these are a constant source of pressure as the tree grows. Poor control of surface water is always a recipe for disaster; it's the cause of a multitude of issues. In this case, the two combined and the result is epic deflection of the walls in this foundation.
the most quoted "sources" when home values are discussed but it is so flawed that on any level, it cannot stand even the softest of challenges. In fact, price per square foot is so unreliable that it makes automatedvaluation models (think Zestimates) look reliable.
requirements for their home. The best improvements are valued by both the owner and the market (the…