Do you know all the local, regional, and national factors that impact the value of a home?
At EXP Realty, we understand that buying a home is one of the biggest and most important decisions you will make in your lifetime. And after working with tens of thousands of buyers, we’ve learned that there are three concerns (we call them the “BIG THREE”) that all homebuyers have in common.
Our goal is to make sure you never have to ask yourself: How do I know that I’m not overpaying on my new home? That’s why our process begins broadly and narrows its focus until it is specific to you. Here are just a few of the tools we use to make sure you are making the right offer on a home:
FHFA House Price Index (HPI)
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) serves as an indicator of house price trends at various geographic levels, including state and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA). Their index “does not project the actual value of any particular house. Rather, it projects what a given house purchased at a point in time would be worth today if it appreciated at the average appreciation rate of all homes in the area.”
In short, the FHFA measures average price changes in repeat sales on the same properties.
It’s important to note that FHFA lags local MLS data by 90 days. However, it is considered to be the more accurate indicator of MSA and regional trends. To determine the actual value of any particular property, we have to narrow our focus to examine the local real estate market and specific factors related to the condition of home.
EXP Realty's Comparative Market Analysis
A Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) is an evaluation of similar, recently sold homes that are near a home that you want to buy. The price range from the CMA can then be used as a guide for deciding on an offer price. Preparing a CMA for your chosen property before submitting your offer is one of the most valuable services your agent can provide you. For your CMA contact your agent today.
Zestimate
EXP Realty prefers to utilize the above resources to help you determine the most appropriate offer to make on your dream home. However, if you’re shopping around on other sites, as well, you may come across the infamous Zillow ZestimateⓇ. The Zestimate is an estimate of value using a proprietary formula, calculated from tax records and user submitted data. It’s a starting point that doesn’t account for condition, features, or specific location. Only 32% of the time is a Zestimate within 5% of the selling price in our NC markets.
Begin Your Buyer’s Experience Today
By its very nature, all real estate is local, but national and regional trends also impact value. Interpreting each of these trends to establish reasonable market value is one of the most important services your EXP associate can perform for you.
The EXP Experience introduces you to our strategies for conquering your homebuyer concerns, from planning for your home search to preparing for closing. But nothing can replace having an EXP agent by your side. If you would like more information about buying a home, our experts at EXP Realty are here to help.
All real estate is local. In order to make confident real estate decisions, we believe it is important for you to have timely and neighborhood-specific information. If you would like more information about buying a home in NC, our experts at EXP Realty are here to help. Contact us today to speak with a EXP agent about buying homes or land in North Carolina.