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How Much Is A View Worth?

By
Real Estate Agent with RLAH@properties AB95346

How much is a view worth?

I am working on a competitive market analysis for a mid-century home in Silver Spring, MD.  It's a cute house, and it's in a neighborhood with five or so sub-subdivisions, each with it's own style of houses.  And many of them (including this one) have had a lot done since they were built.  So doing a side-by-side comparison can be tricky.

This particular home, however, has something that almost everything else in the neighborhood lacks.  That would be a view.  Not just a view of woods, but a spectacular view of wooded parkland that leads down to one of the major area creeks. 

This is what you see from the deck off of the family room addition in back.

There is lots of wildlife to enjoy watching.  Once in a while, a deer or two will come calling, along with assorted raccoons and other friendly critters.  It's the kind of place that Willie the Labradoodle would love to run. 

But in calculating the impact it might have on the home's selling price, I'm not sure.  Houses in the neighborhood sell from the mid $300's in to the high $400's, and lower than that if they are granny houses that need a lot of work.  This one is in good shape and in the middle of the range for size.

Any ideas?

Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Pat:  Your lot value is like anything else when being appraised ... it's value is what someone will pay for it.  Market it the way YOU see it.  What do YOU think the value is?  A plus?  Then show enthusiasm and value in that privacy ... that view ... that nature ... that beauty.  People that are likely to see value in that will respond.  Someone that gets poison ivy ... probably not ...

Best of luck ...

Gene

Apr 26, 2011 12:11 PM
Martha Brown
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD
Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

Its a tough call. Lets say you have two identical townhouses...one backs to woods, one to other townhouses. The one backing to woods will sell faster but not necessarily for more money. The same could be the case with your sweet home.

 

 

Apr 26, 2011 12:24 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Wow, they are going to have to cut down some of those trees so they get a better view of the neighbors behind.  Now they can't see anybody!

Apr 26, 2011 02:10 PM
Nona Swann
Swann & Associates Real Estate - Indialantic, FL
Serving the needs of the Sellers in Brevard County

Pat,

Boy are getting several different views. I love the nature view. If I was a Buyer I would pay extra for that, so my answer is when you find the right buyer. The Buyer who loves nature they will pay more than someone worrying about the trees falling on their home.

I would price it as a value for the backyard and wait. The right buyer will walk in the door and have to buy this home because of the woods!

Apr 26, 2011 02:18 PM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Pat

It's a great lot and someone will paid a premium for the view.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apr 26, 2011 02:53 PM
Laura Giannotta
Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore - Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Your Realtor Down the Shore!

Most buyer's would pay more for a view like that!  On a different note, I'm lobbying my MLS for a separate listing category...we have single family, condo etc...I want a granny house category.  That really spells it out!

Apr 26, 2011 10:48 PM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Pat, if it's adjacent to land that will not be developed, then it's not just the view, but more the privacy it affords. In so many subdivisions, you can see into the neighbor's yard and home. Here you look into Mother Nature's yard, and she's never messy, and that is worth extra and only a buyer can determine how much extra

Apr 27, 2011 12:08 AM
Al & Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage - Brampton, ON
Our Family Wants To Help Your Family!

Toughie for sure Pat. We think there are more buyers that would appreciate this view than those that wouldn't.  We'd take a shot at the higher end and see what happens in the first two weeks. Might leave out the racoon bit though LOL! 

Apr 27, 2011 01:42 AM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

Pat....I think when we talk about a subdivision this lot has two bit pluses...the view...and the extra privacy it affords...both are a plus for value.

Apr 27, 2011 02:01 AM
Anonymous
Pat's sister Joan

As a homeowner who is a non-Realtor, I'm very interested in something that's come up here: What's the difference between a feature that makes a property sell faster and one that makes it sell for more? Don't they both mean "more desirable" than the comp lacking that feature? Does it mean that the house that sold faster have sold for more if it had been priced a little higher? I believe the value of backing up to undeveloped property is much higher if it means that land will never be developed.

The value of the lot and of the building: Are they assessed separately in that county's tax records like they are in mine? Are the view lots assessed higher than the lots across the street from them, or is it just by the number of square feet in the lot? When I lived in Norfolk, half the houses on my street backed up to an inlet of the Lafayette River, and the ones across the street didn't. The ones that did, always sold for more even though at low tide you could walk across the "river" without getting the tops of your shoes wet, and even though the clamshells would really stink when exposed to the air.

Apr 27, 2011 02:19 AM
#24
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

That's a tough one.  Might be worth hiring an appraiser to evaluate the value of a view in your marketplace.  They have their ways of extracting those types of figures.

Apr 27, 2011 06:28 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Thanks for your comments!

I'm going through now looking at the recent sales, as well as the competition.  So far, it looks like backing to parkland is something that helps increase the price and, if you don't ask a huge giant amount more, will get it sold more quickly.

With this one, I am being really, really careful with the numbers.

Apr 27, 2011 08:43 AM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Hi Pat - That is a pretty view alright!  Here in California most of our views are more open, but there is always a premium for a view property.  When I was in Southern California an appraiser gave $150,000 value to the view in a hillside home that appraised at $1.5 million.

Apr 27, 2011 03:41 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Patricia,

you are asking an excellent question. In the end it is about what the buyers see. Sometimes what we think is so important because we notice it, is not important to other people. It depends on the buyers. Some will see a lot of value, and would be willing to pay for it, and for some it would have very little value

Apr 27, 2011 03:58 PM
Karen Bernetti
Southington, CT

I guess you'd have to like wildlife - I'm with Jon, it definitely depends on the buyer - you'll hopefully find one yearning for the view and privacy this home offers.

Apr 27, 2011 04:22 PM
Tom Braatz Waukesha County Real Estate 262-377-1459
Coldwell Banker - Oconomowoc, WI
Waukesha County Realtor Real Estate agent. SOLD!

Pat

I think a great view would be priceless and makes the property stand on its own

Apr 27, 2011 04:52 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Pat - A little different scenario, but we just finished a hunt for land recently (for our personal use).  We were looking at parcels that were at least 8 acres, near a mountain range.  All of the acreage with views were priced noticably higher, so I definitely think a decent view would be worth a higher price.  In addition, I live in a town on a river, and all the homes with river views are priced at a premium.

Apr 27, 2011 11:24 PM
Ginny Gorman
RI Real Estate Services ~ 401-529-7849~ RI Waterfront Real Estate - North Kingstown, RI
Homes for Sale in Southern RI and beyond

Pat, check the flood maps with the creek somewhat near it just to be sure it's fine too...good luck

Apr 27, 2011 11:56 PM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

If you know the value of the lots in the subdivision, having a great view is probably a 10% premium for the lot value.  I'm not sure this is a great view, but different areas have different standards, maybe 5% of the value of the lot?

Apr 28, 2011 01:10 AM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

Now that is a wonderful view and something not everybody up there so close to the city has! That has to be worth at least a 5% increase!

Apr 30, 2011 01:23 AM