Home Valuation
What Is My Home Worth in Shelby County
A valuation walked in person, with the comparable sales it came from and the number she would actually list at.
An automated estimate has never driven down your street
It does not know that the house three doors down backs onto the rail line, or that the school corporation boundary runs behind your fence, or that the roof was replaced two years ago. Automated models work well in uniform subdivisions with a steady stream of near-identical sales. Most of the nine towns Jennifer works are the opposite of that, which is exactly where those models are least reliable.
So she walks the house, pulls the sales she can defend, and gives you a range plus the single number she would list at. It is free, there is no obligation, and you keep the comparables either way.
What comes back to you
- The three to five comparable sales the price came from, with the actual addresses
- A range that is honest about uncertainty, and the single number she would list at
- What she would fix before listing, and what she would leave alone
- An estimate of net proceeds, so you know what actually reaches you
Four steps, none of them automated
She walks the house
Not the photos, the house. Grade, roof line, mechanicals, what has been maintained and what has been deferred. An algorithm cannot see any of that and it is frequently the difference between two identical-looking listings.
She pulls the comparable sales she can defend
Three to five, with the actual addresses, chosen because they genuinely compare rather than because they are nearby. In a thin-comp market this is judgment supported by evidence, and you see the evidence.
She adjusts for what makes yours different
Square footage, lot, condition, and the local facts a spreadsheet misses. Backing onto the rail line matters. So does the county line running behind your fence.
You get a range, and a number
The range is honest about uncertainty. The number is what she would actually list it at, which is a different and more useful thing than an estimate.
Appraised, assessed and market value are not the same thing
Market value
What a willing buyer would actually pay today. It is the only one of the three that determines your sale price, and it is the one this valuation estimates.
Appraised value
A licensed appraiser's formal opinion, usually ordered by the buyer's lender to protect the loan. It can come in below the agreed price, which is a negotiation, not a disaster.
Assessed value
The county's figure for property tax purposes. It runs on its own cycle and frequently sits well below market. Do not price your house off your tax bill.
Tell her about the house
She will come back with the comparables, a range and a number. No obligation, and no lead desk in between.
If you would rather talk it through first, call or text (317) 488-7739. If you are weighing whether to sell at all, the seller's guide covers what the process actually involves, and past sellers describe how it went.
If you are buying next, see the buyer's guide, or compare towns on the communities page. Jennifer is solo. The person who reads this is the person who walks your house.
About valuations
No. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser's formal opinion, usually ordered by a lender, and it costs money. This is a broker's opinion of value, prepared by the agent who would list the house, and it is free. They frequently land close together. When they do not, the reason is usually that the appraiser is working from a narrower set of comparables.
Usually a few days from the walkthrough. Longer in the thinner markets like Rushville or Greensburg, because finding three genuinely comparable sales there takes more work than it does in Greenwood.
No, and there is no obligation attached. Some people want the number for refinancing, for estate purposes, or because they are simply curious what the last five years did. That is fine.
Use one, as a starting point. Then understand what it cannot see: condition, what has been maintained, whether the lot floods, which side of a county line you sit on. Automated models work best in uniform subdivisions with lots of recent sales. Most of these nine towns are the opposite of that.
Still worth knowing. It tells you what repairs are worth making now and which ones to skip, and it sets a realistic baseline for planning. The seller's guide covers what actually returns its cost.
No.