We know there is science in art. Musical scales. Perspective and the golden ratio. The ordered sequence of a good novel. It’s difficult to be a good artist without knowing, or at least intuitively applying the truths found in the logic. Both science and art reflect our search for the truth. Our primal human nature […]
An opinion of value is just that. Everyone has one. Asset value is wanted for one of three reasons: to measure risk, forecast profit, or to achieve fairness. Mostly the clients are collateral lenders, investors, and regulators/litigators. An appraisal is an opinion of value by an appraiser acting in appraisal practice. There are other opinions […]
A “hybrid” appraisal is a new name for where the property inspection is separated from the analysis and appraiser’s certification. It is faster and cheaper and. . . This is Part 5 of a (soon to be, so far) six part discussion of Hybrid Appraisals. Part One, Two, Three, and Four are behind these links. […]
If you pick comps the old way, you may be violating USPAP every day! The old way of selecting data worked well for the old days. Gather seven or eight that look good, go look at them, make a couple of phone calls, and pick four or five for your report. That was the way […]
Appraisers have been taught to first analyze the subject property. Is this correct? What would an economist do? Would she analyze the property, or figure out the market? Well yes, an economist would try to figure out a market. First, it’s important to consider what type of market we are talking about. What are the […]
Digital disruption is what happens when new data technology and new business models crash into the old goods-and-services ways of doing things. But of course, this cannot possibly affect appraisal. After all, appraisal is about judgment, sharpened by years of experience, education and training. But it’s worth a look. Is it possible? Several causes of […]
You did a bad—a USPAP violation! They said so! Are they right? A violation. A strong word. Clear and succinct. Easily understandable by anyone. Of course. Black letters on white. Where in USPAP does it identify (for real property) what is a violation or not? We can look at three parts of USPAP; First there […]
We believe we know what we know in four basic ways. Do you know which one is you? Charles S. Pierce identified four basic ways we come to believe that we know what we know. It is interesting, for my own benefit, to understand how my personal beliefs came to be, and how the general […]
Vintage appraisal focuses on a point value opinion. In reality, clients need help with estimating collateral risk, or investment potential. Risk or reliability, if measured, is the uncertainty of the analyzed result, or the opinion of value. Lenders, investors, portfolio managers today are aware of the power of today’s technology. They need a measure of […]
There’s some evidence that appraisal as a marketable service is finished. Several things point in this direction. First, we must clarify what is an appraisal for purposes of this blog. It’s an opinion of value. An appraisal is a valuation service provided by an appraiser in an appraisal practice, representing that he/she complies with USPAP […]
We have been taught that appraisal solved one problem: the opinion of value. We were taught an “appraisal process” (now a “Valuation Process”). The process is called a procedure. It goes like this:[1] Identify the problem Decide on your scope of work Collect the data and describe the property Analyze the data (include market analysis) […]
If your work is reliable, it’s credible. If it’s credible it may not be reliable. USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) defines credible as “worthy of belief.” So how does one strive to be worthy? Well the automatic answers are . . . automatic: 1) have education/training; 2) have experience; 3) have integrity. Let’s […]
Bank regulators are nearing a decision to raise residential real estate transactions appraisal threshold to $400,000 from $250,000, for certain transactions. Perhaps it should be set to $2million, or $5million. It strikes me that we have two separate taxpayer regulatory/administrative/quasi-governmental organizations working in opposition. On one hand we have the Appraisal Subcommittee and The Appraisal […]
As an appraiser, it is time to look forward to this next year. For me, it seems looking forward always means looking backward. Oh well. Perhaps life is just like the appraisal process. We are asked to predict forward—based on the past market sales. Sometimes I wonder if a present even exists. Just as soon […]
New Year’s resolutions are certainly good, even great wonder and intent. I have made a few. I don’t remember any ever working out. But some things did work out. I ask: What was the difference? The difference is between January 3rd and December 28th. Generally, I had resolved to make some resolutions right away, on […]
