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Automated valuation models (AVMs) are services that incorporate data and mathematical modeling to provide real estate property valuations—usually providing a snapshot of a property’s momentary value, using comparables, much like an appraisal. However, appraisers who suspect that AVMs could render human appraisers irrelevant apparently don’t…
Rumors of a 2017 housing bubble that is set to pop may be exaggerated. The housing market has been in a slow recovery since the mortgage-backed securities crisis of 2007 and the severe economic downturn of 2008. Given the cyclical nature of real estate,…
How much will modern smart home technology affect an appraisal, if at all? Nowadays, a homeowner can control just about any home device, remotely, via a smartphone: computers, HVAC, audio/visual equipment, surveillance cameras, ovens and slow cookers, you name it. Will a home that’s…
Appraisers are usually able to disclose quite a lot about their methods and the information they’ve used—and it’s best to be prepared to share that information promptly, especially if the appraisal is not what was hoped for. Transparency and communication in appraisals is essential. How…
How do you spot and judge market trends and news events that might influence your appraisal, or that you should bring to the attention of the client? If you’re in a situation where the value of a property could rise or fall dramatically from…
You’ve been assigned to appraise a property in a remote area, or in a neighborhood where few sales have occurred lately. How do you arrive at an accurate appraisal if you’re not sure of your comparable sales? Can you take an approach to the…
No matter what industry you’re in, when things get busy it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It can seem impossible to get all of your work done with only 24 hours in the day. But there are some tried-and-true methods for eliminating the minutiae to…
Should you execute an appraisal engagement letter with your clients? Absolutely. Is the engagement letter enough to ensure that you remain compliant with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)? Not necessarily. An appraisal engagement letter is a legally binding document that defines…
It’s been a few months since the national state of emergency was lifted from Flint, Michigan. But the city’s housing market may be in a state of unrest for several years as water pipes are replaced and the real estate market continues to stabilize…
Editor’s Note: Our recently published blog post, Hiring a Remote or Virtual Assistant: Can It Really Increase Your Earnings?, received several comments and questions about hiring a virtual assistant for your appraisal business. This article is a follow-up to that post to show how…
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