Market Value by Definition:
According to Fannie Mae, “Market value is the most probable price that a property should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus.”
Basically, this is the amount you can expect to get if you keep your house on the market for a few months provided everything goes smoothly and you have potential buyers coming to see your home on a regular basis.
Assessed Value by Definition:
According to Investopedia, “An assessed value is the dollar value assigned to a property to measure applicable taxes. Assessed valuation determines the value of a residence for tax purposes and takes comparable home sales and inspections into consideration.”
Understanding assessed value can be a bit confusing. County property accessors give values to homes for tax purposes, however, these values are not reflective of changes in market value.
Appraised Value:
But wait, there’s more. Your appraised value can differ from both of these. While they might be 100% correct, this is still the opinion of one. Whereas other methods are mathematically calculated based off of your home’s history and market conditions.
What The Internet Has To Say About It:
The large real estate sites have their own formulas for determining property values. They do not always accurately reflect YOUR home personally. Think of it as Kelly Blue Book for cars. It is a close guess but determining what the ACTUAL market value can be much different. People report seeing these numbers off by $20k, $50k and even more!
What it Means For You As A Seller:
Do your homework! Make sure you have all the numbers listed above and understand terms such as the equalization ratio and fair market value. Make sure you are working with a true professional who can help you to accurately determine the market value of your home.
Setting a great asking price is critical. You do not want to set it too high and have to repeatedly lower it to get buyers in the door. Your pricing history is public information, and repeatedly lowering your price can make buyers think there is something wrong with it. And for obvious reasons, you don’t want to set your asking price too low.
