Knowing the true value of real estate

There are a lot of ways that you can value real estate. They may not all be right but they are used. Zillow is a website that comps (sold homes) homes and comes up with a price. The problem with Zillow is it does not take into consideration of the condition of the home. Also was it a short sale, forclosed, retail, tax, trustee sale. You need to know that to get a good idea of what your home is worth.Other things to consider 1-2 bath or more. Garage, no Gargage-Fixup, not fixed up....and much more. Zillow does not take that into consideration.The other way some people do it is thru their friends. They tell them what homes are selling for in that area and boom thats it. I had a listing once that I comp'ed (value of sold homes in that area) and the client had talked to a neighbor. This neighbor had went to some open houses recently in a luxury high end area. He for some reason noticed the bathrooms in these luxury homes and informed my potential client that his bathroom was nicer than any luxury home bathrooms. Therefore his conclusion was that his home was worth 3 times more than any other home in that subdivision was worth. I didn't take the listing.The right way and my only way I do value a home, whether it's an investment home or not is thru MLS (multiple listing service). Realtors are the only ones that have access to this but it's the best information you can get.You need all the details. For example condition, Sq ft, bedrooms, bathrooms,what type of sale is it, and you want the property in the same subdivision or 2 miles radius of that propetry. You want to see the Days on Market and the sales price. You may want to drive the area and see if the lower prices ones are by apartments, busy streets, commercail etc.When you get all these facts you can easily make an informed decision on what that home is worth in todays market. This will help you make money on your home whether you are living in it or if your an investor.One other important tip I should mention if you are an investor is to watch the square footage. Why? Flooring is usually the most expensive part of rehabbing a home. So I like to keep my investment homes around 1100-1800 Square feet. Less fixup more money for you as an investor

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Brett young
Valley Realty
Owner/ CEO Roof Top Investment
Real Estate Investment
http://www.rooftopprofitmax.com