Appraisal & Consulting

Summertime: Is the living easy? - by Bill Pastuszek

It’s the middle of the summer. A bit of a drought here in Mass. Some heat in the last couple of weeks but considering that one could have been in Paris in July or Phoenix almost any time, it hasn’t been too bad.

CT real estate taxes – What? Really!? Why?

This isn’t another article complaining of high taxes in CT. They are quite high, fourth in the nation behind New Jersey, Illinois, and New Hampshire. That’s clearly the fault of liberals who want to spend too much, conservatives that don’t want to govern, and our fellow citizens who can’t be bothered to either pay attention or vote. It’s also not because of those things at all.

Housing conundrum: Conflicting policies - by Daniel Calano

How do we make housing more affordable? Simple answer: We can’t...at least for now. It’s a tough question with complicated answers, in large part because well intentioned policies are working against each other.

Recession and Recovery - by David Kirk

The Counselors of Real Estate will crack the code at the annual meeting in Boston September 11-14. Cheers, Chowder and Change promises a current comment on ground zero. Cash is loaded in a cluster of barrels, all prepared to unload.

The case for a career as a commercial real estate appraiser - by Anthony Graziano

Finding people to fill jobs seems to be a common problem across industries these days, and the commercial appraisal field is no exception. According to the Appraisal Institute (AI), research shows the number of appraisal professionals has been shrinking at a rate of 2.6% per year for the past several years.

Sense of the Data - by Bill Pastuszek

I know this could be construed as broad generalization, but it’s up here for discussion. Many economic behaviors result from decisions based on

Inflation fighting: Impacts on real estate? - Daniel Calano

Interest rates are finally increasing. Red hot inflation, now at overall 8-10%, is in the Federal Reserve Bank’s cross-hairs. The Fed increased the short term borrowing rate by .5% in May, with expectations for another raise in June and July.

2022 Halfway to…somewhere - by Brett Pelletier

We’re halfway through 2022 and I’m not sure most people have even noticed. After what has been the longest staycation of our lives, time now seems to be moving at warp speed. Now that I’ve reflected on what has felt like a nearly unending experiment

Should commercial real estate fear rising interest rates? - by Bill Pastuszek

Maybe housing is in a bubble. Some think so. The Dallas Fed was blunt in its assessment: “U.S. house prices are again becoming unhinged from fundamentals.” But their researchers don’t think it would be a repeat of the Great Recession/Housing Crash of 2008.

Why take on a trainee? - by Jennifer O'Neill

I recently sponsored a young woman who wanted to be an appraiser trainee. She found me, she knew she wanted to be an appraiser, she had already taken all her classes, and she needed a mentor.