I love this business, but.................

[Dee Dee]

Ha!
I have an inspection tomorrow for a house in the mountain boonies with an outdoor in-ground pool. Last house I appraised with a pool in the mountain boonies was the one and only time that an underwriter gave me all sorts of grief (zero pool comps, an amenity that would cost $50,000 to build but no measurable value in this market area per the underwriter). House is puny, huge shop/barn. Homeowners think it's worth a fortune because of the amenities. Pool sat empty all last summer due to drought conditions (they're on a well).
Without seeing the place yet, all comps (and there aren't many, thanks to subject being within evacuation standby distance of where the Hayman fire was last summer) indicate that the home is likely to value out at up to $60,000 less than they paid for it 4 years ago 8O .
If this is the case, there's no doubt who will be catching all sorts of crap about it.
If this turns out like I'm afraid it's going to, it'll be the fourth appraisal order in a row that the value estimate comes in for less than what the homeowner purchased it for. Even a number pusher couldn't cherry pick their way around the comps to make it look better.
I'm getting very discouraged.

 

[xmrdfghap]

<span style='color:brown'>I liked the guy who was upset that I dissed his home...the one he custom built just the way he liked it.......42" deep base cabinets in the kitchen (imagine trying to get the last can of tuna out of the bottom of that thing), two bedrooms, one bath....just a master bath, to use the toilet you went through the master bedroom.......and primary access to bedroom 2 was through a closet...I've seen walk in closets, reach in closets, but front door closets/walk through closets? To take a shower you walk through the closet into the entry way (doubles as an entry closet), through the entry way, through the living room, beside the dining room and into the master bedroom.........and if you have to sleep in the 2nd bedroom, just make sure you have a fresh bedpan....the master bedroom had an entry lock on it. "What do you mean functionally obsolete? I just built it last year!!!"</span>

 

[Dan Leggett]

Pool sat empty all last summer....

Dee Dee. I know we're in different soil conditions but in my neck of the woods that would be a big red flag for me. Letting the water turn into a green frog pond and cleaning it later is more desirable than risking the stress the side walls will suffer without the weight of the water offering offsetting support. (Terrell, or some of you other old oilfield hands, I'm talking hydrostatic head weight here, right?) And remember to picture the empty pool after a hard rain. Fresh water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon, unless you have a wide concrete apron/patio around the pool edge, a lot of weight will be pushing against the side walls.

If it is a gunite pool I would look for stress cracks. If it is a liner type look for bulges in the liner, high and low. You may want to condition your report to an "expert's" inspection.

Most of all don't get discouraged!!! You (we) wanted to be appraisers, right?!?!?

 

[jtrotta]

TC

when they calls, all I say is I did it on purpose, cause I really enjoyed talking wit chu when I was there 8O they are immediately at a loss fer words and I won't say another word, jus set the phone on the desk and wait till they start screaming obsenities, best part is when they hang up and I don't :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: that really frosts their privates :wink:

snowglobemastery

8)

 

[Bemis Pownall]

TC,

Come on, the homeowner doesn't care about that, they
only called cause you didn't hit value.

Things I didn't give enough value to:

Gazebos
Fungi ridden spas
Built-in cabinets
Granite Countertops
Huge Outbuildings
Docks, Decks

But I've never had a complaining call if I hit value.
go figure

elliott

Dont forget about those ceiling fans!

:icecream:

 

[Ken in Arkansas]

How about a centrally heated and cooled garage?

 

[Carnivore]

TC,

Don't feel bad, last week a homeowner told me I destroyed their life with my appraisal! (See former post) AND was told by an Insurance company to change my Cost Approach!

Blue1, you anti-family values person you,

Funny, a three hundred dollar fee destroyed there life. Boy talking about living on the edge. Maybe they needed a second opinion at which there life then would have been destroyed by a more respectable six hundred dollars.

tee hee

 

[Dee Dee]

Dan,
Thanks for the 'heads up' information about pools. They're so rare in these parts that I know very little about what to look for. Bizarre coincidence (or just bad luck? 8O ) that I think I've gotten the job of appraising the only two in existance for a 20-mile radius.

As is mentioned earlier, this house is very small for the area, but they have a big barn which apparently has living area on the second floor (detached w/full bath and a big open room). This is unusual in my market, and I've never seen that type of living space counted in the GLA.
Also need 4wd to get there and tall snow boots(per homeowner).

Although the fee quoted is above my normal, I suspect that by the time this one is finished I'll be wishing I had thrown it out or charged more.
Oh well...just another day in appraiser land. :wink: :lol: