What is the Mission of the Analogue Blog and Why You, as an Appraiser, Should Care. A blog shares “thoughts, opinions, and experiences.” The intent of this blog is to provide a starting point for thoughts, opinions, and experiences – perhaps a starting point for a community of activists. There are a growing number of […]
Because the Appraisal profession is in trouble. I have heard these words from many people. From inside the AI, and from those outside. From members of the ASA, and other national organizations and from the many growing local organizations (mostly residentially oriented). Yet there is a need, a real need — for appraiser competence — […]
I’m reading a book named “Start with Why,” by Simon Sinek. Start with Why makes the point that people who rally behind something are more motivated by a common cause, than by a common solution. Our cause is motivated by hearing, seeing, and reading about fellow appraisers’ concerns. There is anger and frustration and disappointment. […]
When I first decided appraisal might be a great career, a couple of things felt good. First, appraisers were respected, even admired. Respected for their special knowledge and professional impartiality. Second, there appeared to be a real need for impartial service. Service which wasn’t provided anywhere else. There was no licensing. It was based on […]
An email subscriber’s question: Sent by Alfred O. How do we make the appraisal profession great again? We know WHY we do this. Appraisal means something to us. We have something to give. We’re here because we care about this profession and believe it’s the best answer to what our society needs. Appraisers have the […]
Can I Reproduce? Please? Why won’t they teach me how to reproduce? We hear of a “reproducibility crisis.” What is it? Who cares? How does it affect me? And finally – Do we reproduce properly in the appraisal process? Depending on the author, the scientific method can be broken down into four parts, or five […]
Recent presentations and articles on “Big Data and Appraisal” universally say that big changes in technology and analytics are affecting appraisal. What I don’t hear is: What can I do about it? Will I be able to work in five years? Will our appraisal organizations be around? If there is a place for me, what […]
Damn, isn’t just plain thinking enough? Now he sez I gotta start thinking about thinking too?! Ted Whitmer was teaching his AI “Third Party Provider” class in Houston last week, the day before the Stats, Graphs, and Data Science1 class, for the AI Chapter’s annual 28 hour recertification week. I was privileged to drop in […]
Yes. Appraisal as we know it is dying. Can it be saved? No. So what should I do? What should “we” do? To answer these questions, we need to look at causes and conditions. Some of these are obvious. Judgment is good; Analysis is better. Human generalization is excellent; Computation is fast. Good comps are […]
Stats can be troublesome. Knowing the why, the what, and the how of statistics can help rescue the appraisal profession. Continued misuse and misunderstanding will help bury it. Let’s look at these three questions. We look at misused words, statistics, and the opportunity. First: “The main problem with statistics is words.” Statistics is the study […]
We read articles and advertisements on how to prove an adjustment. Is this possible? How wonderful it would be. To prove an adjustment, just push a button and bam! Out comes the correct answer. How could we have we missed this? Of course, if such a simplistic and exact answer was possible – anyone could […]
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 […]
A year ago, in a land free of enemy Covidians, the topic was the failed resolution. We suggested a new attitude and new way to tie intent to results. Simple. Do yesterday to change today! Then know that today becomes yesterday in a blink. Blink. So today we suggest certain steps. These involve unlearning (as […]
Government regulations should serve the public trust. How can this not work? Being government is not easy. There are always trade-offs. Sometimes, new regulations can solve problems; at other times they can embed old problems, or beget unintended consequences. Government regulations, by their very nature, can bog down progress. Regulations follow some general principles regarding […]
Three-Hundred plus One! Cyndi Law is our editor-in-chief, webmistress, and main force for Valuemetrics. She informed me, from the results of our internet provider’s SEO rules, that last week was our three-hundredth post! And the topic, appropriately, was how outdated ‘established’ appraiser education blocks better valuations, better economic health, and enlightened public policy. The outdated […]