An active listing priced at $415,000 for 90 days without an offer tells the appraiser what about value?
Correct Answer
B) It suggests value likely lies below $415,000 — an upper bound
Why this is correct: An active listing that has not sold after a typical market exposure period (90 days) suggests the list price exceeds market value. It indicates value is likely below the list price, serving as an upper-bound indicator. Why the other choices are wrong: "It sets the value at $415,000 exactly" is false; listings are asking prices, not concluded values. "Nothing whatsoever, since only closed sales carry any evidentiary meaning" is too strict; listings provide secondary market context. "It sets a floor under the final opinion" reverses the logic; unsold listings suggest a ceiling, not a floor. Exam tip: Prolonged unsold listings suggest value is below the asking price.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Why this is correct: An active listing that has not sold after a typical market exposure period (90 days) suggests the list price exceeds market value. It indicates value is likely below the list price, serving as an upper-bound indicator. Why the other choices are wrong: "It sets the value at $415,000 exactly" is false; listings are asking prices, not concluded values. "Nothing whatsoever, since only closed sales carry any evidentiary meaning" is too strict; listings provide secondary market context. "It sets a floor under the final opinion" reverses the logic; unsold listings suggest a ceiling, not a floor. Exam tip: Prolonged unsold listings suggest value is below the asking price.
More sales-comparison-approach Questions
Excess land differs from surplus land in that excess land:
A subject property has a 3-car attached garage. The appraiser locates two valid paired sales: Sale 1 (with 3-car garage) sold for $512,000; Sale 2 (with 2-car garage) sold for $497,600. Both properties are otherwise identical — same age, quality, GLA, lot size, and neighborhood — and sold 5 days apart in a balanced market. The appraiser also confirms via public records and listing photos that no other functional or physical differences exist. What is the indicated contributory value of the *third* garage stall?
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An appraiser analyzes three paired sales to isolate the effect of a fireplace. In Pair 1, the property with a fireplace sold for $12,000 more; in Pair 2, $10,500 more; and in Pair 3, $13,500 more. All pairs are highly similar and recent. The appraiser selects $12,000 as the final adjustment. Which principle best supports this selection?
A paired sales analysis yields an adjustment of −$15,000 for a property located on a busy arterial street. Later, the appraiser discovers that all three paired properties with arterial exposure also had 20% smaller lots than their non-arterial counterparts — a difference not initially controlled for. What is the most appropriate action per USPAP?
An appraiser identifies two comparable sales that are identical in all respects except that Sale #1 has a finished basement (1,200 sq ft) and sold for $432,000, while Sale #2 has an unfinished basement of the same size and sold for $408,000. Both sales occurred within three weeks of each other in a stable market. The appraiser intends to apply a per-square-foot adjustment for basement finish to the subject property, which has a 1,000 sq ft finished basement. What is the appropriate paired-sales-derived adjustment amount per square foot for a finished basement?
Three sales support $520,000; the borrower's purchase contract is $505,000. May the appraisal conclude above the contract price?
An appraiser develops a $3,200 adjustment for a fireplace based on a single paired sale. The subject has a fireplace; Comparable A does not. The appraiser applies +$3,200 to Comparable A. Later, the appraiser identifies a second pair showing a $4,600 fireplace contribution. The appraiser replaces the original adjustment with $3,900 — the simple average — and applies it to Comparable A. What is the appropriate USPAP-compliant action regarding the adjustment amount?
A comparable sold for $300,000 with the seller carrying a loan 2 points below market, a benefit worth $8,000. What is its cash-equivalent price?
Three comparables adjust to $412,000 (gross adj. 5%), $405,000 (gross adj. 22%), and $410,000 (gross adj. 8%). What is the best-supported value conclusion?
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Resales of the same renovated condo model, one year apart, differ by 4% with no unit differences. The cleanest use of this pair is:
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A certified general appraiser is adjusting a comparable that is 12% larger in GLA than the subject. Market data from five recent paired sales indicates an average price premium of $42 per square foot for additional area. The subject’s GLA is 2,500 sf. What is the mathematically correct dollar adjustment to apply to the comparable’s sale price?
