What
standards
do
appraisers
use
to
estimate
value?
A:
Appraisers
use
several
factors
when
estimating
a
home's
value,
including
the
home's
size
and
square
footage,
the
condition
of
the
home
and
neighborhood,
comparable
local
sales,
any
pertinent
historical
information,
sales
performance
and
indices
that
forecast
future
value.
For
detailed
information
on
appraisal
standards,
visit
the
Appraisal
Institute
website,
www,appraisalinstitute.org,
or
contact
the
Organization
at
550
W.
Van
Buren
St.,
Suite
1000,
Chicago,
IL
60607;
(312)
335-4100.
Q:
Where
do
I
get
information
about
housing
discrimination?
A:
For
information
about
housing
discrimination,
call
the
U.S.
Department
of
Justice
at
(202)
514-2000,
950
Pennsylvania
Ave.,
NW
DC
20530,
www,usdoj.gov,
or
your
local
U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
office.
For
detailed
information,
the
booklet,
"Your
Loan
is
Denied,
Defending
Yourself
Against
Mortgage
Lending
Discrimination,"
is
available
from
the
Center
for
Investigative
Reporting,
131
Steurt
Street,
Suite
600,
San
Francisco,
CA
94105;
call
(415)
543-1200;
or
visit
www.muckraker.org.
Q:
Where
do
I
get
information
about
closing
costs?
A:
For
more
on
closing
costs,
ask
for
the
"Consumer's
Guide
to
Mortgage
Settlement
Costs,"
Federal
Citizen
Information
Center,
Pueblo,
CO
81009;
(888)
878-3256;
www.pueblo.gsa.gov.
Q:
Where
do
I
get
information
on
housing
market
stats?
A:
Your
HomeJoy
Real
Estate
agent
is
a
good
source
for
finding
out
the
status
of
the
local
housing
market.
So
is
your
statewide
association
of
Realtors,
most
of
which
are
continuously
compiling
such
statistics
from
local
real
estate
boards.
For
overall
housing
statistics,
U.S.
Housing
Markets,
www.meyersgroup.com,
regularly
publishes
quarterly
reports
on
home
building
and
home
buying.
Your
local
builders
association
probably
gets
this
report.
Finally,
check
with
the
U.S.
Bureau
of
the
Census,
www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing.html,
in
Washington,
D.C.;
(301)
763-3199;
www.census.gov.
The
Chicago
Title
company
also
has
published
a
pamphlet,
"Who's
Buying
Homes
in
America."
Write
Chicago
Title
601
Riverside
Ave.,
Jacksonville,
FL
32204;
(888)
934-3354;
www.ctic.com.
Q:
How
do
I
reach
the
IRS?
A:
To
reach
the
Internal
Revenue
Service,
call
(800)
TAX-1040;
www.irs.gov.
Q:
Where
do
I
get
information
on
lease
options?
A:
Contact
your
HomeJoy
Real
Estate
agent
(www.HomeJoy.com)
or
read
up
on
lease
options
at
the
public
library.
If
you
have
a
real
estate
attorney,
ask
if
he
or
she
has
any
prepared
information
you
can
review.
Most
bookstores
have
a
fairly
hefty
real
estate
book
section
these
days.
Many
current
real
estate
books
have
at
least
a
section
on
lease
options.
If
you
are
considering
a
lease
option,
be
sure
you
do
your
homework
first.
And
have
an
attorney
or
financial
advisor
on
hand
to
review
any
paperwork
before
you
sign.
Q:
Where
do
I
get
information
about
finding
a
real
estate
attorney?
A:
To
find
a
real
estate
attorney,
contact
your
local
bar
association,
which
may
offer
local
referral
services.
You
may
also
ask
friends
or
your
HomeJoy
Real
Estate
agent
for
their
recommendations.
When
you
have
several
names,
call
each
to
find
out
about
fees
and
their
level
of
experience.
Q:
How
do
I
find
a
home
inspector?
A:
Your
HomeJoy
Real
Estate
agent
is
one
source.
But
keeping
them
independent
from
the
agent
may
be
a
good
idea.
Inspectors
are
listed
in
the
yellow
pages.
You
can
ask
for
referrals
from
friends.
Ask
for
their
credentials,
such
as
contractor's
license
or
engineering
certificate.
Also,
check
out
their
references.
Copyright
2006
Inman
News
Features
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