Area Code 612 vs. 619
Listing agents — at least ones who want their deals to close smoothly and on time — now routinely meet Appraisers at the home.* See, “An Ounce of (Real Estate) Prevention.”
Their goal?
To make sure the Appraiser has all the info they need to support the home’s sale price.
That includes relevant “Comp’s” (Comparable Sold Properties); scoop on neighborhood trends; Pending sales; and any nearby multiple offers that the Listing agent may know about . . . and the Appraiser might not.
Last but certainly not least: the most recent version of the Purchase Agreement, with the final (and possibly amended) sales price.
Appraiser Yellow Flags
While I never tell the Appraiser how to do their job, I do like to qualify them based on their experience and geographic focus, so that I can tailor the info I provide accordingly.
So it was a big yellow flag when I received a phone call the other week from an Appraiser whose cell phone started with the numbers “619.”
If you’re not from the Twin Cities, the local area code is “612.”
It turns out that the Appraiser relocated from San Diego years ago . . . and knew the Comp’s and (Edina) neighborhood in question just fine.
Phew!!
See also, “More Than This, Less Than That“; “Real Estate Bracketing ” Advanced Beginner Version;” “The Science ” and Art ” of Doing Comp’s“; and ““Bracketing,’ Explained.”
*Really prepared listing agents advise their clients to prep for the appraisal like they would for a showing, and get there early to make sure that window shades are open, counters are (relatively) empty, etc.
