Cost Approach Why Sidestepping it Can be Costly By Gretchen Gary and Richard Vishanoff “I don’t like using the cost approach. It’s too time consuming. Market-based appraisals are always more reliable. Besides, I’m not required to include the cost approach in my appraisals. It’s not relevant anymore.” Sound familiar? If you’re skipping the cost approach,...…
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Appraising Disasters: When the Levee Breaks Part II: Real Work Begins By David Phillips, SRA As the date for the inspections drew closer, we enlisted the help of the Village Clerk. She was an invaluable partner in the process because she had addresses and phone numbers for most residents. After the flood, many residents went...…
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Editor’s Note: The following is excerpted from a freewheeling online discussion among appraisers about AVMs. It makes for interesting reading: if you want to know about something – ask an expert. AVMs: Ask an Expert(s) Just what is “Value” Anyway? – Since accuracy is determined by sale price, how can an AVM not be the...…
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Many appraisers are spending their time worrying about how and when AVMs will replace their services but few actually understand how AVMs are being used today. I hope this article will debunk some commonly held beliefs and shed light on how AVMs are being used today. It will also take you inside the review…
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Three quarters of the way through the year, some appraisers are still unsure about how to deal with the change in reporting requirements that took effect January 1, 2003 (USPAP 2003). Some appraisers are going back three years on the subject and on the comparables; some on the subject only. What’s required? What’s prudent?
In…
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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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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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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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