Why hire an appraiser, I can use Zillow...

While it may be tempting to rely on Zillow or other on-line appraisal apps exclusively to determine your property's value, you may find yourself holding a report which is based solely on a birds-eye view of your neighborhood.  If you spend any amount of time driving around neighborhoods in upstate New York, you quickly realize that each home is unique and may have little in common with the house next door.  Design, age, square footage, acreage - all of which contribute significantly to a homes value, can vary and thus make evaluating the property's value very difficult.  In the appraisal world, we call this non-conforming and this concept is crucial in accurately determining a homes true value.

When homes are non-conforming, you can't simply rely on the sale price of the house just down the road to determine your home's value.  So while on-line appraisal apps may take this approach,a certified real estate appraiser is qualified to visit your home and accurately determine its value based on all market conditions, in relation to the unique characteristics of your home.  Even if two homes appear similar, does this mean they are worth the same money?  We have A/C, does that mean our home is worth more than our neighbor's home, which doesn't?  Won't finishing the basement make my home worth the same as my neighbor since the living area will be the same?

Though one might think these statements are true, unfortunately this is not always the case.  Depending on various factors, the answers to these questions may vary from home to home, and neighborhood to neighborhood.  So don't rely on tools that use mass data to determine your homes worth, contact an appraiser and get the facts about home appraisal today.
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