Once a home seller has accepted an offer to purchase their property, the end of the home selling journey may feel close.
However, the mortgage lender of the homebuyer may appraise the property for a lower amount than the purchase price. If this happens, it’s vital to examine the terms of the appraisal contingency in the purchase contract.
Contingencies are put in place to protect both buyers and sellers in real estate exchanges. An appraisal contingency is very common to find on the buyer’s side of the purchase agreement. It protects homebuyers if their lender's appraisal comes back lower than the amount needed to purchase the home.
Dropping an appraisal contingency clause can be very beneficial to home sellers, as it increases the chances of the purchase decision going through.
This option can be tricky for homebuyers as it leaves them unprotected if the appraisal comes back lower than expected, but may make their offer more appealing in a competitive seller’s market.
If the appraised value of a home is less than the listing price, the seller has the option to back out of the deal if they feel they would end up losing money.
The seller doesn’t have to lower the price, however, if the homebuyer has an appraisal gap guarantee, they have agreed to cover the balance with their own funding if the appraisal comes back low.
Working with your real estate agent, home buyers and seller’s can create and examine the appraisal contingency to make sure it’s best fitting their home selling and buying standards.
Teresa's beginnings were at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She was child #5 of 8 and born into an Air Force family that moved all over the United States but usually ended up back in the Washington, D.C. area. Teresa attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and received her bachelor's degree in business from George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia. Some of her prior careers include: computer buyer in Fairfax, Virginia; Deputy Clerk at the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado; Police Officer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Bed & Breakfast owner in Stowe, Vermont. Teresa obtained her license as a Realtor® in 1998. She has been through many ups and downs in this profession and continues to learn every day. She very much enjoys the real estate profession and the wonderful people she has met and assisted along the way. In order to serve her clients and customers, Teresa continually attends classes and seminars. Some of her Designations and Certifications include:
Teresa has also served and continues to serve on several boards:
In 2007, Teresa was named Vermont Realtor of the Year.Teresa and her husband, a local attorney, moved to Stowe in 1987. They had two sons and Stowe has been their home for the past 36 years. She still feels the Stowe area is a wonderful place to raise a family, there's always something going on. Teresa can often be found behind the lens of her camera documenting the beauty of the area and its many events.As an update, Teresa's older son is now a Doctor/resident at the University of New Mexico's Emergency Management Program. Her younger son graduated from James Mason University and currently resides in Chicago, IL as a supervisor for OKTA.