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Archive for May, 2010

May 27, 2010 The Importance of an Unbiased Third-Party Opinion

To derive a proper opinion of value, no matter what the situation, getting an appraisal performed by an unbiased third party, such as a certified appraiser, is always the best course of action.  To be unbiased, the professional developing the opinion of value should not have any vested interest or participation in the opinion of [...]

May 25, 2010 Brand Strength Contributes to a Business’s Value

Synergy Marketing Group recently published an interesting white paper that discusses the importance of thinking of brand building as an investment in an organization. The white paper is titled “Brand Equity Is a Business Asset.”  One topic the white paper brought up is that a business’s brand is a frequently overlooked part of a company’s [...]

May 20, 2010 Be Sure to Use a Reputable Appraiser

An article in the May 19 edition of The Champion tells an important cautionary tale about a Georgia-based real estate appraiser who was sentenced to almost three years in federal prison for his part in a real estate appraisal scam. According to the article, Edward Farley, the so-called ringleader in the scam, caused $23 million [...]

May 18, 2010 Glimmers of Hope in Small-Business Lending

After more than two years of stagnation, it appears that small-business lending is on the rise. The Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index, which measures the overall volume of financing, increased 4% in March 2010, the first year-on-year gain since October 2007. A recent Time Magazine article reported that many small and community banks are [...]

May 13, 2010 Machinery and Equipment Auctions

Earlier this month, a major industrial auctioneer sold more than 3,600 heavy equipment pieces at a two-day auction held in Texas, proving that there is a strong demand for heavy machinery and equipment. Nearly 3,000 people from 41 different countries bid in person or registered to bid for items online during the event. Online bidders [...]

May 11, 2010 HVCC and Uncertainty

The May 8 edition of The Los Angeles Times features an article titled “Home appraisals still fraught with uncertainty despite new code of conduct,” and its focus is no stranger to this blog – the HVCC. As the article points out, the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) was supposed to result in better, more [...]

May 6, 2010 Appraisers Seeking Resources to Determine the Value of Green Buildings

Real estate appraisers are struggling to determine the value of green building construction because the market is still in its infancy; there is lack of comparable property data and other market information. The current real estate market poses difficulties for any new construction appraisal, and the nascent green building construction market is exceedingly more difficult [...]

May 4, 2010 Obtaining Loans for Green Construction

The federal government encourages green housing construction and many agree that using sustainable, resource-efficient materials and construction methods is important, but actually getting a house built with green technology can be difficult. The mortgage crisis has made many lenders risk averse and before making any mortgage loans, they insist on credible, accurate appraisals with comparable [...]