just because a comp has a finished basement, doesnt mean it has a “finished basement”. how big is the finished basement? whats in the basement – bedroom(s), bath, theatre, workout area, etc? what are the quality of the improvements? what kind of flooring is in the basement? was the basement finished by the homeowner or was it done professionally? the list can go on and on. has anyone ever seen two finished basements that are exactly alike? i havent.

how about a built-in pool? how big is the pool? how deep is the pool? how big is the patio around the pool? is there landscaping around the pool? how big is the fencing around the pool? what kind of fencing is around the pool?  was the pool area finished by the homeowner or was it done professionally? the list can go on and on. has anyone ever seen two built-in pools that are exactly alike? i havent.

like Dustin wrote – this is not an exact science, never has been an exact science, and will never be an exact science. some people just dont understand that we arent torquing nuts on an assembly line at GM here. after also being a realtor for a decade, i can tell you that people ARE willing to pay more for a big deck that has multiple stories, composite materials and fancy woodwork, than a deck that is one-story, wood and 100 sf. even common sense tells us that this is what anyone would do, and what we as buyers would do. in our reports, we should be allowed to make any adjustments freely, and be able to make adjustments that we feel are appropriate and reasonable, without having to somehow always prove everything. because there are so many variables, appraisers trying to determine exact adjustments for every little detail in our report, is in all reality more often that not, never going to happen.

the bleeding continues . . . . .