The presence of mold is a contentious issue for building owners, builders, insurance companies, real estate agents and others. Mold addendums to sales contracts are now offered by many real estate boards for use by their members in sales transactions. As a professional appraiser or inspector you need to understand mold and all its…
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Speaking Like a Pro By Mike Casey Professional phrases for common situations: Newbie: “This is stupid,” or “Geez, will you look at this!” Pro: “For increased safety, we recommend…” Or “For optimum performance we recommend…” Newbie: Instead of the “Code Word” say: Pro: “Not serviceable, nonstandard, substandard, unconventional, inadequate, temporary.” Newbie: “It’s old.” Pro: “The…
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Editor’s note: Expert knowledge of your local market is key to expanding your practice into consulting and review assignments. Many banks and national appraisal firms employ “sub-contracted” independent appraisers for administrative reviews. According to the author, knowing your local market will helps you understand potential factors affecting future sales prices, instead of relying entirely on historic sales. Understanding...…
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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…
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Relocation Appraisals: What’s Not to Like? by David Brauner, Editor of WRE According to Dean Helsom, CRP relocation appraisals are one of the most satisfying types of assignments for all the right reasons: full fees, an absence of the typical pressures that appraisers face today and work that is challenging and rewarding. What’s not to...…
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Live and Learn Complaints, Errors, Actions Blue Grass Missteps Larry Disney, Executive Director, Kentucky Real Estate Appraisers Board says that approximately 95 percent of all Kentucky complaints are real property appraisal assignments of one-four unit properties. He says the reasons for complaints vary but the most frequent violations are one of the following. * Not...…
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Cautionary Tale! Keeping Track of Work Files Recently, an appraiser was the subject of disciplinary action by his State Board. The violation cited was “failing to produce records for an assignment under review.” If you maintain work files for five years, as per USPAP, and figure you can stop reading because it could never happen...…
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Identity Theft – Appraiser Style The best advice comes from an FBI agent, though unfortunately for one appraiser, it came a little too late. That advice is: Be very careful who you work with and never give anyone authority to use your electronic signature. Here’s why. Billy G., we will call him while the investigation...…
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Five Suggestions for Honest Appraisals by Doug Quenzer, Quenzer Appraisals, Inc. As we all know, lender pressure can vary but I agree that ultimately it is the appraiser who says yes or no. I’ve been there many times. The real question is how do we get rid of appraisers who always bow to lender pressure?…
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Leveraging AVM Technology From Form-Filling to “Collateral Valuation” By: Darius Bozorgi & Jeff Bradford What business are you in? It’s a question that ice manufacturers should have asked themselves as the refrigeration business advanced with the invention of the refrigerator and they lost business. Or railroad tycoons pondered as the transportation business evolved from the...…
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