Pre-Listing Appraisal Services from Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc.

Avoid having your home on the market too long or selling yourself short by getting an appraisal to demonstrate the right listing price.

So many people are blown away when they find out that the market value of their home is much more than they had planned, so investing in a professional appraisal from us actually allowed these sellers to get several thousand dollars over what they thought they'd get for their home. An appraisal helps those who have an over-inflated opinion of their home's value to realistically price their home in order for it to sell. Overpriced homes will not attract serious potential buyers, which means you have wasted time on money and are left with no offers. Each month that your home is still sitting on the market is another month you have to pay the mortgage. All the while you're stuck paying the mortgage while your house is still sitting on the market.

Using a licensed appraiser is the top way to get a sharp listing price for your home in today's fluctuating market.

Working with an agent to sell your home? More than likely, you can expect them to provide you with a comparative market analysis (or a CMA) that includes comparable houses for sale in your area. It's a customary starting point in determining your home's listing price. For anyone looking to get most profit out of their house, which includes not having it for sale too long, this is a natural move.

In our opinion, though, you should also get a pre-listing appraisal from a professional who's sole occupation is to analyze real estate - PRIOR to listing your property - even if you're working with an experienced real estate agent.

And that's where Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc. can help you! We can perform a pre-listing appraisal so you and your agent both have an accurate description of your house's features and a detailed analysis of the most recent and similar comparable sales or "comps".

Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc. can help you decide on a realistic selling price so your house will bring in potential buyers, and we can also:

Be a very valuable negotiating tool once you have found a potential buyer
Provide written proof of your home's shape inside and out to impress potential buyers
Make you aware of problems and eliminate repair hassles at the eleventh hour
Reduce chances of unknown obstacles that can cause sales to deteriorate
Do away with waiting for the buyer's appraisal to have confidence the deal will close.

Upgrades that improve your home's value

Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc. can help you answer the many important questions to ask yourself before listing your house. Questions like "Should we paint the entire house before we sell it?", "Should I put in that third bathroom?", "Should I complete my kitchen remodel?" You may not realize it, but everything we do to our houses can affect their value. But everything will affect it in a different way. Remodeling your kitchen may improve your home's appeal, but be sure to figure out the costs involved before diving in. It might not justify the time and costs involved.

Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc. can help you with these important decisions. Appraisers have no vested interest in your final selling price, like a real estate agent do. Your fee to us is based on efforts to complete your report, and not a percentage of the sales price. An appraisal fee from Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc. is based on our efforts to finalize the report, and are not a percentage of the sales price. Our fees are not a percentage of the sales price — your fee to us is based on efforts to complete your report. So a professional appraisal from Germano & Van Leeuwen, Inc. will help homeowners make the wisest decisions on investing in their homes and deciding on a fair sales price.