Appraisal & Consulting

MA/RI Chapter of Appraisal Institute president’s message for September - by Bud Clarke

The Appraisal Institute recently held its 2018 Appraisal Institute Annual Conference at the Downtown JW Marriott Nashville on Monday July 30, through Wednesday, August 1. The meeting featured world-renowned keynote speakers, nearly 30 breakout sessions

Counselors attend the annual meetings to compare notes - by David Kirk

Markets are persistently positive, with moderate volatility in securities and capital markets registering earnings reports, transactions and bankruptcies, tweets and trade news. August nonfarm payrolls increased by 201,000 jobs, nicely rebounding from 147,000 in July.

Disruptive tech in commercial real estate - by Daniel Calano

A lot has been written about disruptive technology. At its simplest definition, disruptive technology is a completely new approach to a problem or business, typically only available because of a growing digital culture.

Update from the State House for appraisal professionals - by Allan Cohen

I wrote two articles, Column A and Column B, for today’s NEREJ. I tossed Column A. Here is Column B: The state’s 190th legislative session was not kind to the real estate appraisal profession. Mandatory licensing, which is commonplace

The value of industrial buildings these days - by Eric Reenstierna

When we peel back the veneer and see how industrial buildings tick, we find that the same factors that made them more or less valuable in 1996 still apply today. Pick a building up, move it five miles down the highway, and you may find that it has gone up or down in value by 20%.

Reporting changes: What you need to know about proposed 2020 USPAP changes - by Bill Pastuszek

Reporting is at the heart of what appraisers do. Whatever was done, good or bad, to reach the conclusion gets communicated mostly through written appraisal reports. Here are some things to know about proposed 2020 USPAP changes currently being exposed.

Highest and best use analysis in a hot market - by Maria Hopkins

As developable land becomes more and more scarce especially in the Eastern area of the state, those wanting new construction have often had to buy an existing house and gut renovate or demolish and rebuild.

Compliance: Why would it take so long to get it right? - by Wayne Valliere

As a field practitioner, I have often wondered, about the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) forms not being USPAP compliant (Why aren’t FNMA Forms USPAP compliant?). I guess FNMA, either hasn’t heard of USPAP; or like most federal and state government agencies, just don’t care.

Self-storage market: A changing environment - by David Ubaghs

As of early 2018, the national self-storage market fundamentals are recovering following a pause in 2017 as illustrated by first quarter reports from the public REITs. Following the recession, the self-storage environment was characterized by increased acquisition of existing facilities

Market for green and high performance homes expands - by Brad Hevenor

The emerging market for green and high performance homes continues to expand into the residential real estate mainstream in southern New England. The shift in demand is being driven by homebuyers – who cite health and comfort benefits, concern over the environment