Question: Mr. Spool: I read your article (How to Increase Residential Appraisal Income) and it was very informative. I have been marketing to agents but your article gave me the great idea to offer free classes as another marketing tool. I was wondering if you could share information as to what your classes entail. I…
Read More
Editor’s Note: Marc Gottesdiener, an appraiser involved in real estate 40 years, has worked as a litigation consultant and expert witness since the early 1990s. Read his advice for expanding your practice into non-lender work as a consultant and expert witness.
Read More
A successful merger takes time and money to put into motion. Six to 12 months is the norm. And when you start paying lawyers, accountants and facilitators, it can be quite expensive. Accordingly, there must be commitment.
The larger the number of participants, the more complicated the process becomes. You will require a good accountant, lawyer,…
Read More
Before I started AppraiserDepot.com, I owned my own appraisal shop in Oklahoma City . Like many of you, the one part of the business that I struggled with was advertising. Since I didn't have a marketing background, I had trouble coming up with creative ideas that made me stand out from my competition.
After brainstorming for…
Read More
Next Big Thing: Appraising Small Businesses By Lloyd R. Manning Not that many years ago Xerox and others were harshly criticized for not entering the small copier business. Headlines read: “The millions no one wanted.” It was only after the Japanese inundated the small copier market that American companies woke up to realize they overlooked...…
Read More
Taking Care of (Your) Business by David Brauner, Editor Two files sitting on my desk and several other stories this issue speak to why the success or failure of your business in today’s world depends on knowing who you work for and who you work with, as much anything else. One file concerns an appraiser...…
Read More
Business for residential appraisers started slowing down in mid-2003. While your competitors are still reacting to short term increases and declines in business, now is the time to plan for the future.
The residential lender business is notoriously volatile, with wide swings in demand. You can keep a steadier flow of business by diversifying your lender…
Read More
Anthony Perkins, a seven-year appraiser who runs a nine-person appraisal shop in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been a Medallion “partner” for several years. Perkins decided to diversify because life as an appraiser is getting harder and because of what he sees as the enormous potential of the indoor air quality (IAQ) industry. Today, he has…
Read More
Five Step Program for (Honest) Appraisers By Phil Boehm We live in interesting times. Large and small lending operations are doing battle for the remnants of the re-fi market. The Internet makes it easy for small, aggressive shops to compete with larger lenders on rates and fees. Borrowers are much smarter and much more likely...…
Read More
“Comp” Checks: Turning Requests into Orders “Please check the comps first and call me immediately if the value is not there.” Sound familiar? Or the mortgage broker who calls from parts unknown asking: “Do you check comps first? I don’t want my borrower to pay for an appraisal they can’t use.” Just as lender pressure...…
Read More