Casa Fresco › Valuations
What is your property worth?
Sam Fox Brennan, California real estate broker, DRE #02178674, prepares a written broker opinion of value from recent local sales and the listings your property would compete with. It is not an appraisal.
Casa Fresco is an investment company and is not a brokerage. The opinion is Sam’s own work as a licensed broker. Some purposes need a licensed appraiser instead, and this page says which.
- Prepared by
- Sam Fox Brennan, California real estate broker
- License
- DRE #02178674
- Counties
- San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Fresno
An opinion, an appraisal and an estimate
People use these three words interchangeably. The table shows how they differ.
| What it is called | Who prepares it | What it rests on | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker opinion of value | Sam Fox Brennan, California real estate broker, DRE #02178674. | Recent closed sales, the listings a buyer could choose instead, public records and what you tell him about the property. | Deciding whether to sell. Setting an asking price. A conversation with a partner or your family. A first look before you talk to a lender. |
| Independent appraisal | A California licensed or certified appraiser. | The appraiser’s own research and analysis, usually with an inspection, reported to that profession’s standards. | A number that a lender, a court or a tax return has to rely on. |
| Automated estimate | Nobody. A real estate website’s pricing model produces it. | Public records and listing data. The model has not seen the property and can miss its condition, permits, renovations and view. | An instant starting point before you ask a person. |
When you need an appraiser instead
A broker opinion of value does not take the place of an appraisal. These are the usual cases.
- A loan or a refinance
- The lender orders its own appraisal. A broker opinion of value can give you a first look before you apply.
- Probate
- In a court-supervised probate, a probate referee designated by the court generally appraises the real estate (Probate Code section 8902). A broker opinion of value is still useful for pricing the sale.
- Trusts, tax basis, buyouts and lawsuits
- These generally call for a licensed appraiser.
If you need an appraisal, Sam can refer you to a licensed independent appraiser. You hire the appraiser directly, and the opinion is theirs alone.
Neither Sam nor Casa Fresco provides tax or legal advice. Your attorney or tax advisor can tell you which kind of valuation your situation calls for.
What goes into the opinion
What the records show
Public records give a price and a date. The MLS shows what a property looked like inside when it sold, how long it sat and whether the price was cut. It also shows what is for sale today, which is what a buyer could choose instead of your property this week.
Sam has MLS access on the Central Coast and in Fresno County, and he works from the MLS and the public record together.
What you can tell him
Records do not show the shape a property is in today. Tell Sam about its condition and about the work that has been done, with or without permits. Tell him anything a search would miss: a view, a second unit, a roof at the end of its life.
If the property is rented, send the rents and the lease terms.
What it could be worth
A broker opinion of value prices the property as it stands today. What it could be worth renovated, re-leased or with a second legal unit on the lot is a different question, and the answer depends on what the work would cost as well as on sales.
Casa Fresco also buys property
If Casa Fresco might want to buy or partner on the property, Sam tells you before any opinion is prepared, and the written opinion says so.
We also suggest a second opinion from a broker or appraiser who is not a possible buyer.
When Casa Fresco makes an offer it is the buyer, acting as a principal and intending to make a profit. One of its owners, Sam Fox Brennan, is a licensed broker, and nobody at Casa Fresco is your agent in that sale. The offer is a buyer’s price. It is not an opinion of what your property would bring on the open market. You may get more by listing it, and we encourage you to get independent advice before you answer.
For a property Casa Fresco might buy or partner on, the question we ask is what it could be worth after the work.
Tell Sam the address and what the number is for: a sale, a conversation with a partner or just knowing where you stand.
Valuations are prepared by Sam Fox Brennan, California real estate broker, DRE #02178674. We read every message and respond personally, usually within two business days.
- Call(530) 635-8196
- Emailcasafrescogroup@gmail.com
- Office407 Traffic Way, Suite B, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420