10 Step Business Tune Up By Doug Smith, IFAS Use this ten step program to reach your business and personal potential. It isn’t about finding new clients as much as is about fine-tuning your current business to maximize your potential and be all you can be. Do a reverse business plan. Knowing what you know...…
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Preparing for Success By C. W. Wilson, GAA/RAA The following quote is enough to make any appraiser reach for the sleeping pills. “The appraisal profession may be dying…Loss of present appraisal markets to other professionals and the demand for non-appraisal analysis which will be provided by firms outside the appraisal industry will limit the appraiser’s...…
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Protecting Your Digital Signature By Sean Heath Something occurred to me as I was going through my mail. No one is rushing out to forge my TV Guide renewal form or my letters to Mom. We don’t hear of anyone forging junk-mail removal requests or party invitations either. Obviously, these types of documents are trivial...…
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In the wake of the GAO study, stake holders, including several appraisal organizations, have submitted comments to Congress. A joint letter from American Society of Appraisers, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Appraisal Institute and National Association of Realtors writes: “With a patchwork of state laws and ineffective federal oversight allowing for only…
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Appraisers: Doing the Bump “Bump Logic” and Why It’s in Your Future This is why you may be doing the “bump” in the near future, even if you don’t dance. “Bump Logic,” as explained at the recent Predictive Methods Conference (hosted by Veros Software), is the process of selecting the appropriate valuation method for a...…
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Risk Management Strategies for Avoiding Complaints By Alan Carson Good home inspectors don’t get complaints. We thought we might catch your attention with that opening sentence! Actually, we believe that all home inspectors get complaints eventually. Why? There are several reasons but part of the answer may lie in our definition of a home inspection,...…
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Editor’s Note: In this visionary piece, David Biggers introduces you to the future of appraising. Internet: Highest and Best Use By David Biggers When it comes to technology, the appraisal industry has gone through two major upheavals over the past 20 years and is in the process of a third. The first two shifts substantially...…
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Editor’s Note: Even in these go-go times it pays to keep on eye on the bottom line. Noted author and long-time appraiser Lloyd Manning takes it down a notch to revisit some business basics. Spring Cleaning: A Business Refresher Lloyd R. Manning To run a successful appraisal or home inspection practice you must do several...…
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Appraisers and Mold – Responsibility, Competency and Liability By Doug Smith, IFAS The mold issue is a developing story and one that is gaining momentum everyday. When it comes to mold, there are three important areas appraisers need to consider. First, due to the dangerous nature of some molds, appraisers must take their responsibilities seriously...…
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FHA Liability: A Case Study Editor’s Note: When the FHA increased responsibilities for appraisers a few years ago – making their duties more like a home inspector’s, many predicted increased liability exposure for appraisers and a flood of lawsuits. This is one appraiser’s story. As it takes a few years for problems to surface and...…
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