Property value question?

I am buying a house that was built in 1988. The real estate agent says that the value of the house is around $ 260,000. Should i belive her. Its a pretty nice house with large bedrooms and buetiful bathrooms and it is pretty well maintained. But the house has been on the market for about 2 years. Why hasn't it sold yet? and is the price im paying right for the house?

Thanks for your help.

Answers:
ask for prices of local homes sold recently,she has this info...offer low if it's been that long
If it's been on the market for ages, haggle hard. You'll be able to knock a significant amount of money off of that price. Also, get an independent survey done and ask for another real estate valuer to come in and check it out first to make sure.
usually when a house is on the market for 2 years,there is a reason. market value is determined by what other houses in the area are selling for comparable to the house type etc. the seller might have this as a firm sale reason being it's not sold yet. try an offer of 240 on the house if you really like it and see what happens.
It depends on where the house is located and what other houses in the same zip code have sold for in the last year. If it's been on the market that long there might be something structurally wrong with it. Ask the realtor for a record of property sales in the area and Proceed with caution. Good luck.
The house is assessed for taxes It is in the county or township the house is located in. They list the price they consider the house is worth. This is done by the local government, not the realtor, although they may know each other. Don't be afraid, call the town administrator, and ask for the assessed value of... and give the address of the house. They may tell you to come in and obtain it, I would want to see it in writing, and see if the assessed value has changed in the last two years.
The other advice is true also. Ask for comparable recent sales, the last year or two of sales of homes in your area, within a mile. Compare the size of the home and lot, and amenities, and the price sold, with the price you are paying.
A three bedroom house will cost less than a five bedroom house in the same area. Talk to a few neighbors, go to the local church on Sunday, and talk to the clergy. They may give you clues as to why the house didn't sell sooner.
You may discover an incentive to allow you to ask for a lower price, or ask for something added in at no cost.
Hi, go to www.zillow.com.

Type in the address of the house and town. It will come to a page and then scroll down and click on the picture of the house w/address. You can see the bird's eye view of the house and it will give you the assessed value when you click on the little boxes and it will give you prices of the other homes around it. This website is great and for comparing homes.
County or city tax assessments are typically inaccurate and Zillow information isn't much better.

How is the agent assessing value? Is she showing you information about similar properties that have sold recently? Has it been on the market for awhile and now there have been some price adjustments? Is it not passing a home inspection? Is it not appraising for the offered amounts? These are questions you need to ask.

I know there have been some properties on the market for a long time because they were just priced too high, but I think seller's are starting to realize that they have to be realistic about what buyers are expecting.

It's not the same exploding growth market it was in recent history.
You can do a little research yourself on Zillow.com. Find out what other homes near this one are selling for and that will give you a general idea. Zillow is not always accurate with their estimates so I would go with the agent's recommendation for value. Most agent's are very familiar with the market in their areas and they have all the MLS data to research comparables. Have your agent print out comparable properties from his or her MLS and show them to you. If you do not trust this agent then you can always get other opinions but be wary of the agent that will tell you what you want to hear just to get your business.

Good luck!

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