Appraisal & Consulting

Recognition that appraisal reports are an argument - by Roger Durkin

Successful narrative appraisal report writing is based in the recognition that the appraisal report is an argument. An argument is a set of assertions supported by logic and evidence. According to USPAP and Black’s Law Dictionary, the term credible means worthy of belief.

Valuing commercial solar photovoltaic arrays - by Curtis and Friel

The Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter alongside the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will be hosting “Residential & Commercial Valuation of Solar” with Sandy Adomatis. The two-day seminar will take place on November 4th and 5th at Worcester Cleantech Incubator

Real estate appraisal: The good, the bad and the benefits - by Linda Sepso

Appraising was a surprise career for me. I always thought I was going to be a teacher–even got a degree in education and taught preschool for a few years. Then the little children I taught were my own children, and truthfully, I thought I’d go nuts if I taught school all day

Maine Chapter of the Appraisal Institute update - by Donald MacKay

A goal for the Maine Chapter of Appraisal Institute has been to improve the number and quality of our educational offerings, with an eye to attracting appraisers from other regions to our courses. With the bank thresholds increasing, technological changes, and various market and regulatory changes,

Bifurcated appraisals – A way to cut costs? - by Shaun Fitzgerald

Does anyone remember when mortgage operatives required that only certified appraisers could inspect a property? Trainees (with a minimum of 45 hours of appraisal-specific education) couldn’t inspect a property without supervision; licensed was not good enough either.

What is “green” and how does it affect appraisals? - by Sean Sargeant

My hometown has an environmentally friendly laundromat. How do I know? They have a huge banner stretched over the front door that states “ECO-Laundry.” In addition, the letters are all printed in bright green. I mean, what could be more reassuring about their commitment to the environment

Self-storage and economic development - by Albert Franke

We all have too much stuff. Some of us are hitting the age when we are downsizing and in doing so, need somewhere to store all of that stuff. Millennials, many of whom are deferring home purchases and prefer apartment living, need extra storage for their belongings.

Appraising and underwriting during periods of inflection - by David Kirk

Market inflections are a challenge for both the appraiser and underwriter in the commercial property markets. Economic and property market trends are used for forecasting, and forecasting methodologies are often relied upon in commercial property markets.

Opportunity Zones: A good bet, but still a bet - by Daniel Calano

Most of you probably know what an opportunity zone is. I’ll do a brief rundown and then focus on the opportunities for real estate development and the potential risks. Briefly, opportunity zones were created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Southern Maine’s current appraisal environment & challenges (or, drinking through the fire hose) - by Russell Barrows

The current residential appraisal environment in Southern Maine continues to be challenging, but mostly in a managing the near overwhelming workload. This appears to be directly related to a combination of extremely favorable interest rates as well as what is normally higher demand during a typical, yearly appraiser “cycle.”