New construction can be difficult to appraise, especially when the home hasn’t been built yet. It can be made more difficult with your client asking tough questions about your recent appraisal on the subject. How do you problem solve when it feels like there is...

As we all know, the whole appraisal industry has been changing with technology (whether we like to or not). Now more than ever, the increase in technology has a huge impact on the future of appraisers. With a proposal pending approval and new ways to appraise rapidly...

There seems to be an uprise in natural disasters in recent years, from hurricanes to flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and earthquakes. Damage is guaranteed to follow these events, bringing catastrophe to people and their homes. When a home hit by a disaster needs to be...

On your journey to becoming the most successful appraiser you can be, you’ve probably asked yourself at least once, “should I work with an AMC?” AMCs (Appraisal Management Companies) aren’t everyone’s favorite, but they can be helpful to your success. It’s all about...

Everybody makes mistakes. Sometimes it’s hard to catch yourself in the act, so we’re here to remind you of common violations that occur in the appraisal world, and tips on how to avoid them. A mistake here and there is understandable, but continuing to make them will...

There are many risks in running a business, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anything could happen. Take for example, what happened at CoesterVMS. An appraiser at the company had his private email hacked by his own boss, Brian Coester himself. To avoid situations...

We’ve all seen those lists of “Best and Worst Places to Live”, and while we may have our own opinions, there are several factors that go into determining these lists. Things like crime, income, education, job market, and more can all play a part in where is to be...

Short-Term Rentals (STRs) are growing more and more popular. The rental business that used to be limited to commercial properties like hotels is now spreading to residential homes. With sites like Airbnb and other home sharing services, it is relatively easy to either...

Flipping houses isn't as easy as it seems on TV, and there are several problems one could run into. Partnering up with someone who knows what they’re doing and cares about doing a good job on a home can make the flipping process a lot less risky.What You Should Know...

It’s already hard enough to come up with an appraisal for unique homes. How do you even tackle one that has a “reputation” or is just undesirable? It’s probably not something we usually think about when we think about real estate, but they are out there. Today we are...

With DIY projects becoming popular—thanks in part to sites like Pinterest and YouTube videos—there is no shortage of ideas on how to convert one aspect of a home into something completely different and relatively cheap. Sometimes we think we don’t need to hire a...

Long gone are the days of paper ads and word-of-mouth as your primary forms of growing a business. Nowadays it is all about the internet. How many times do you search for a company or individual before doing business with them? Everyone goes to the web to find...

Regardless of the line of work you do, everyone experiences some type of risk associated with their business. This is no different for real estate appraisers. There are steps you can take to avoid potential hazardous situations before they even occur, which at the end...

A more simple home means saving money on bills, operating in a more eco-friendly way, and being able to focus more on life than the upkeep of a home. As newer generations deviate more from the idea of the “nuclear family”, white picket fence style, we begin to focus...