Valuation Review

Dear Readers, After a recent conversation with 71-year-old appraiser Alexander “Sandy” Grice, it is safe to say that this individual, who has spent almost a half century in the profession, has seen it all with assignments that have taken some very interesting and unusual turns. Homes with history attached to them fills Grice’s resume. One particular job dealt with property, as history would prove, belonging to a witch. “Having appraised dozens of historic houses, I have gotten pretty good at dating the structures, by looking at how the timbers were cut/milled and the fasteners holding everything together,” Grice, a Virginia [...]

Dear Readers, The COVID-19 coronavirus brought more uncertainty, confusion and fear to one’s personal and professional life than most people thought possible. As we have said from the start of this national pandemic, appraisers felt the full effects of this crisis, and then some. Not only from the standpoint of how they can do their jobs with restrictions in place, but the thought of “if” they could do their jobs again with income losses escalating to a point where homeowners may not be able to afford their current houses, or even new dwellings in the days to come. But with [...]

Dear Readers, It is not an easy task to find silver linings pertaining to the country’s pandemic of 2020, and all that it took away or altered regarding one’s personal and professional life. The COVID-19 coronavirus is still a major disruption as businesses everywhere keep looking for a way to sustain, survive and keep its doors open. For those in the real estate appraisal world, it has been difficult indeed praying that such a door does not get slammed permanently in one’s face. Many, though, continue to remind appraisers that with all of the negativity and setbacks facing those trying [...]

Dear Readers, In our new world of precautious measures to ensure health and safety from the COVID-19 coronavirus, we find ourselves still preparing for the yearly conferences we eagerly look forward to attend. But the traditional planning steps have obviously changed. Instead of booking flights, making hotel reservations, packing bags and heading out to the airport to board planes taking us to our intended destinations, we now simply wake up in our own beds, put on the coffee and go to our laptops to login where informative sessions and networking opportunities are just a mouse click away. For its second [...]