Home Value Stories

Have you ever heard of a mouse jiggler? Have you ever used one? What does a mouse jiggler have to do with real property appraising or any profession for that matter? One thing is for sure, being a mouse jiggler can hurt us and others. In this episode, I talk about what a mouse jiggler is and how that relates to other work.

Are you a building owner? Do you manage a condo association, coop, or HOA? Have you thought of raising your property value by making your building more efficient? Are you a homeowner or tenant looking to save a little money?  In this episode, I sat down with Tina Larsson of the Folson Group to discuss saving money and raising property value by being more efficient. Check out the Folson Group at www.thefolsongroup.com. I hope you enjoy this episode!   

Have you ever asked an appraiser how much value an additional bathroom or garage space will add to their home? Or how much will remodeling a kitchen increase their home's value? Did you feel like the appraiser didn't really give you a straight answer? There's a reason for that! I talk about it in this episode. I hope you enjoy it! 

Have you had your home appraised? If so, what does the report indicate about the market trends in the neighborhood of the home being appraised? Why is this so important? I talk about this topic in this episode. I also sit down with Tim Andersen, a USPAP instructor, who sheds some light on the matter. I hope you enjoy this one!

In this hot real estate market, where home prices are increasing at eye-popping rates, do you feel like we are in a housing bubble? How can we tell? In this episode, I sit down with appraiser Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel, Inc. to talk about housing bubbles.

Are you thinking about investing in real estate to create cash flow? What's the best approach? When is the best time to start? What is the ideal property to purchase?  I sat down with Willie Mandrell, author of the book The Mandrell Company, to find answers to these questions. I hope you benefit from Mr. Mandrell's wisdom and experience in turning real estate into cash flow!

Are you thinking about selling your home? Have you considered staging it? What is staging, and how can it help you sell your home more quickly, and for potentially more money?  In this episode, I discuss how home staging got its start. I also visit with REALTOR and professional home stager (and cat rescuer), Kara Sciaulino of Lokal Realty, about how staging can benefit a seller, and some tips on making a home more attractive to buyers. You can also find Kara on Instagram at kara_sells_cleveland.  I hope you enjoy this episode!

In this hot real estate market, home prices are being bid up to levels that defy logic. That begs the question, what does market value really mean? Is it simply the price someone is willing to pay for a home, or is more involved? I discuss the matter in this episode. I hope you enjoy it!

At the end of many appraisal observations, aka inspections, a well intentioned homeowner or Realtor will ask me what I think about what the market value of the home is going to be. In this episode, I discuss at what point in the appraisal process the appraiser has developed their opinion of the market value of the property. I hope you enjoy!

Are you going through probate, or do you anticipate doing so in the future? How can you make the processes go as smoothly as possible? Can you bypass probate if you have a will? In this episode, I visit with Attorney Jacqueline Roberts, who provides some excellent information that can help make the probate process go as smoothly as possible. I hope you find this information to be beneficial!

Are you in the process of buying a home? Chances are good that you are going to be competing with other buyers. How can you win the bid? In this episode, I visit with a homeowner who shares their story of why they sold their home to their buyer. I also visit with a seasoned REALTOR, Jayme Sandy, who shares tips on how to win the bid. I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Are you trying to price your home to sell? Are you basing your value solely on the size of your home? In this episode, I offer you some tips that may help you to fine tune your analysis so that the price per square foot that you use is reflective of the market value of your home. I hope you enjoy this one!

Are you trying to locate homes that are comparable to yours? In this episode, I talk about things that appraisers look at when determining whether a home is comparable or not. I hope you find this information useful! 

Are you trying to price your split-level home to sell? Did you know that gross living discrepancies are one of the biggest reasons homeowners and real estate agents end up with value issues? How can you avoid value problems and price your split-level home correctly? I will give you some tips in this episode. I hope you find it helpful!

With the launching of the two NASA astronauts into space yesterday, I though it would be fitting to also escape the current atmosphere on earth, and have some fun taking space and sci-fi terms, and coming up with made-up definitions for real estate. I hope you're over the moon about this final episode of season two. Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered what you can talk with the real estate appraiser about, and what you cannot talk about? I discuss it in this episode. I also share five ways appraisers can protect homeowners and real estate agents. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Have you ever had an infestation of some kind in your home? Some types of infestation can do a lot of damage to a home, which leads to a loss in value. In this episode, I talk about a number of relatively common home infestations that can do a number on a home's value.

Have you ever used an AVM, like Zillow's Zestimate, to determine the market value of your home? Are AVM's really reliable? I talk about it in this episode. I also provide six examples of homes I have appraised in comparison to what Zillow says they are worth. I hope you enjoy this episode. I also hope that you and your family stay safe!

The world, as we know it, is changing rapidly. This is also true with the appraisal profession. How can the homeowner and the appraiser remain relatively safe and still perform an appraisal inspection that can be most beneficial for all? I discuss it in this episode. 

In this episode, we take a little tour of the interior of a home. Come with me as we perform an FHA appraisal on the interior. See what appraisers look for in an FHA Inspection.

Are you getting ready to sell your home? Do you anticipate that one of the potential buyers may be using FHA financing? Are you getting ready to refinance your home using FHA financing? Either way, you'll want to make sure that your home is FHA compliant. In this episode, I discuss some common FHA violations I see on the exterior. I hope you find this episode useful and fun!

In this episode, I sit down with Seth Zaremba, owner of Zinc. Zinc is a company that offers insurance for homeowners, renters and business owners. We talk about insurance coverage and things to think about when it comes to coverage. We talk about homes, reproduction vs. replacement insurance, personal property, flood insurance, mold remediation and much more!  There's something for everyone in this episode! In full disclosure, I do not complete commercial appraisals myself, however, I know of great commercial appraisers if you need one in Northeast Ohio! I hope you enjoy this episode. www.zincinsurance.com www.clevelandappraisalblog.com www.findmyappraiser.com www.consumerhomevalue.com

There is no question that anyone can sell their home for any price. However, how probable is it that the homeowner will get what they are asking for? That's what appraiser's have to determine. I talk about it in this episode. I hope you enjoy it!

Are you considering selling your home to an iBuyer? How do they work? What should you keep in mind before selling to an iBuyer? And what does the song "Pop Goes the Weasel" have to do with the iBuyer business model? Find out in this episode.  I hope you enjoy it!

Marriage and home ownership often go hand in hand. There are many similarities between the two. In this episode, I sit down with my lovely wife, Heather, and we chat about love, life and home ownership. We hope you enjoy!

Have you ever wondered how long a real estate appraisal is good for? I'm often asked this question. I answer it in this episode. I hope you enjoy!

Have you ever wondered why adjustments are made on some real estate appraisals? What do they indicate? How do real estate appraisers figure out the amount to adjust, for different home features? I answer these questions in this episode.

Have you ever had your home appraised? Was the appraiser's opinion of value lower than you anticipated. What if you have solid evidence that supports a higher opinion of value? What can you do about it? I discuss it in this podcast.

One of the first things an appraiser is taught in class is that the cost of something does not equal its value. We see a classic example of this with the penny. In this episode, I discuss how this principle relates to new construction homes and home improvements.  I hope you enjoy!

You've probably never thought of the Rubik's Cube and real estate appraisals being similar. While they are not related, there are some fun similarities between the two. I discuss eight in this episode, just for fun! I hope you enjoy!

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between a home inspection and an appraisal inspection? What can you expect? I talk about it in this episode. I also interview a home inspector. Enjoy!

If you've ever been to a carnival, you know that emotion can lead to dropping a lot of cash on games and rides. The same type of emotional response can be seen in housing. In this episode, I talk about it. I hope you enjoy!

In this episode, I discuss some of the changes taking place in the real estate appraisal profession, and how I have adapted. I will also discuss some interesting parallels between the appraisal profession and the Double Tree of Casorzo. 

Welcome to my new podcast! In this first episode, I give you some information about the goal of this podcast and what you can look forward to in future episodes. Thanks so much for listening in!