Moving out of Residential Lending Work By David Brauner, Editor Cheryl Kunzler, SRA, began transitioning out of residential loan work two years ago for the usual reasons: she was fed up with lender pressure to hit values and to meet turn times that do not permit thorough reporting. What she feels after making the leap,…
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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.
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Investigating Forensic Inspecting According to inspector Joey Caballero, the best thing about “forensic inspecting” is the challenge. “It’s not like a typical report. These cases make you concentrate more and work harder. They make you a better inspector.” Caballero, inspecting 12 years, has handled 15-20 cases over the years where he’s been called in to…
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The walnut paneled courtroom is nearly empty. The case being heard this morning does not warrant the interest of local court observers. This is a condemnation case about a utility easement running across the land of a property owner (plaintiff). Leaning back in their leather chairs sits a panel of three judges, grim faced, disinterested,…
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It may be hard to imagine today but sometime in the future you may find yourself with not enough work to keep you busy, especially when interest rates begin to climb. Even if you’ve reached a certain point in your practice and find that existing clients and word of mouth keep you relatively busy regardless…
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While many appraisers are still struggling along doing appraisals for lenders and AMCs, some are branching out into other areas within the appraisal field, such as reviewing appraisals for lenders and appraising for estate purposes and divorces. Notably, one area that has not been widely explored is forensic appraisal, i.e. providing attorneys expert appraisal advice…
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Some home inspectors specifically solicit work as an “expert witness” as a matter of choice. Others find their way into a courtroom or deposition hearing when they’re drawn in by opposing parties, usually because their testimony is deemed relevant to the lawsuit at hand. In these cases the home inspector often is served a…
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Editor’s Note: This survival guide for home inspectors provides valuable advice for anyone in business today. Slow Times: Survival of the Fittest By Glenn R. Curtis C.M.I. Master Inspector If the connection between naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and your business isn’t obvious, it should be: in tough times only the strong make…
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