A. Selecting the comparables. The appraiser must report a minimum of three comparable sales as part of the sales comparison approach. The appraiser may submit more than three comparable sales to support his or her estimate of market value, as long as at least three are actual settled or closed sales. Generally, the appraiser should use comparable sales that have been settled or closed within the last 12 months. However, the appraiser may use older comparable sales as additional supporting data if he or she believes that it is appropriate. The appraiser must comment on the reasons for using any comparable sales that are more than six months old. In addition, the appraiser may use the subject property as a fourth comparable sale or as supporting data if the property previously was sold (and closed or settled). If the appraiser believes that it is appropriate, he or she also may use contract offerings and current listings as supporting data.
For properties that are in established subdivisions or for units in established condominium or PUD projects (those that have resale activity), the appraiser should use comparable sales from within the same subdivision or project as the subject property if there are any available. Resale activity from within the subdivision or project should be the best indicator of value for properties in that subdivision or project. If the appraiser uses sales of comparable properties that are located outside of the subject neighborhood, he or she must include an explanation with the analysis.
For properties in new subdivisions or for units in new (or recently converted) condominium or PUD projects, the appraiser must compare the subject property to other properties in its general market area as well as to properties within the subject subdivision or project. This comparison should help demonstrate market acceptance of new developments and the properties within them. Generally, the appraiser should select one comparable sale from the subject subdivision or project and one comparable sale from outside the subject subdivision or project. The third comparable sale can be from inside or outside of the subject subdivision or project, as long as the appraiser considers it to be a good indicator of value for the subject property. In selecting the comparables, the appraiser should keep in mind that sales or resales from within the subject subdivision or project are preferable to sales from outside the subdivision or project as long as the developer or builder of the subject property is not involved in the transactions.
Because rural properties often have large lot sizes and rural neighborhoods can be relatively undeveloped, there may be a shortage (or absence) of recent truly comparable sales in the immediate vicinity of a subject property that is in a rural location. This means that the appraiser will often need to select comparable sales that are located a considerable distance from the subject property. In such cases, the appraiser must use his or her knowledge of the area and apply good judgment in selecting comparable sales that are the best indicators of value for the subject property. The appraiser should include an explanation of why the particular comparables were selected in his or her analysis.
