If you are relocating to the Salisbury, NC area, I would suggest checking prices of homes currently listed that are similar to the one you are considering buying. Our market here is still reasonably good but prices have not escalated drastically in the past few years. Another question to ask is if the seller has done major renovation/repairs. You can search current listings on my website at http://www.SalisburyNCHomes.com. I recommend having a local real estate professional serving as your buyer's agent prepare a market analysis on any home you are considering purchasing. Lin

Make sure you have a BUYER AGENCY AGREEMENT. SIGNED. If you have this type of agreement, the agent will be representing your best interests, not the seller. Your buyer agent will be able to pull comps that will represent a true purchasing picture to date, whereas, if you use the listing agent, you will probably only get to see comps that support the listing picture at the time the listing was taken.

What is most important is not what the seller paid, but what the fair market value is today. Your agent should be able to pull up comparable properties in the area that show what similar properties are selling for today. Use that as your guide, not archive history and not the tax value. The market is changing every day. A buyer’s agent could be a great asset.