E012: Discussing Value and Appraisals with Valucentric’s John Barcelo

In this episode, Nicole Saunches speaks about appraisals and the appraisal process with John Barcelo of Valucentric.  

For customers looking to secure a mortgage, it is good to know what an appraisal is and what is involved with the process.  For consumers who haven't purchased or sold a property in the last several years, the regulations surrounding appraisals has changed quite a bit as a result of the real estate crash and nefarious practices by professionals in the real estate industry.  

For cash buyers, appraisals and an appraisal contingency can be a great tool to ensure that a buyer is not overpaying for a property. I would recommend specifying that you would like to order an appraisal for the secondary market.  These are the same type of appraisals that mortgage originators order when processing a transaction.  The difference between information that can and can't be used in an appraisal for a private party versus the information utilized in an appraisal for the secondary market and necessary to meet the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines.

USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) is the generally recognized ethical and performance standard for the appraisal profession in the United States and utilizes three approaches when determining appraisals.

1. Income Approach - in residential sales, this is typically used for rental properties or properties a homeowner is trying to create income from
2. Sales Comparison Approach - This approach uses data from recent and proximate sales from the subject property to determine a price.  This is the most common approach used by residential mortgage companies.
3. Cost Approach - This approach helps to determine what it would cost to rebuild the structure.  This approach is most often used in insurance claims and in new construction.

Also in this episode, John provides tips for a homeowner so they are able to maximize the property's value when selling their home.  He also shares what information is beneficial for homeowners and/or listing agents to provide to the appraiser. He talks about which elements are most disputed in an appraisal and what a homeowner or prospective buyer can do when an appraisal does not meet the contract and/or list price.  He points out that not all square footage is considered equal when it comes to accessory dwelling units, explains how appraisers approach square footage discrepancies and reveals an appraiser's viewpoint on price per square foot.

Finally, he talks about the AVM tool that Valuecentric offers.  The AVM tool provides a property value and range of value for a property as well as the confidence level of the market recommendation.  It defines the market status (buyer's market, seller's market or neutral).  It includes data on sales for similar properties in the last year as well as a value forecast highlighting the property's value for the past five years and projecting it for the next three years.  It also includes information on active listings and historical sales of similar comparables.  It also provides data related to the gross living area, lot size, bedrooms, bathrooms, age of the home both for the subject properties and nearby properties in the neighborhood.  The report also includes analysis for days on market for sold and de-listed properties, the months of supply, a market index showing the market status and the risk level for 1-year risk of decline.  Finally, the report ends with a glossary.

For more information about John Barcelo and Valucentric, please check out their website at: valucentric.com.  For homeowners, prospective buyers and/or prospective sellers who wish to order an AVM report or would like additional information about the appraisal process, they can call Valucentric at 813-252-1140.