Blog

Archive for March, 2011

March 29, 2011 Habitat for Humanity Homeowners Rarely Default

In a recent study, Habitat for Humanity proved that low-income families can do just fine with mortgages. Even though families who own homes through Habitat for Humanity have incomes that fall well below the median, typically a population at risk for foreclosure, the foreclosure rate on Habitat for Humanity homes is very low.  One reason [...]

March 24, 2011 Real Estate Appraisers, Real Estate Agents, and Broker Price Opinions

In the world of real estate appraisal, there’s no question that certified real estate appraisers are the most qualified people to determine the value of a property. But a growing trend is seeing real estate agents doing exactly the same thing. And the appraisers aren’t happy about it. Real estate agents, in helping potential buyers [...]

March 22, 2011 Legislation Filed to Increase Credit Unions’ Lending to Small Businesses

Earlier this month, Senator Mark Udall (D-Col) filed legislation to increase the amount of assets credit unions – non-profit banking providers – could lend to businesses. Currently, credit unions are only allowed to lend 12.25% of their assets to businesses. Udall’s legislation calls for that amount to be increased to 25%. According to a statement [...]

March 17, 2011 Asset Verification and Inventory Appraisal

An important aspect of Present Value LLC’s business that isn’t often discussed on this blog is asset verification and inventory appraisal. These services let a business owner know that the inventory or assets that are supposed to be the warehouse or supply closet are there. This information is important for many reasons, including allowing a [...]

March 15, 2011 In the Shadow of a Lockout, NFL Players Order Appraisals

The real possibility of a 2011 NFL season lockout affects an entire cross-section of people, from players and owners to season ticket holders, merchandise sellers, and food vendors. But real estate appraisers? It seems that many of the higher paid players – among them New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, [...]

March 10, 2011 Appraisal Subcommittee to Study the Establishment of a National Appraisal Complaint Hotline as Required by Dodd-Frank Act

As part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was put into effect last July, a National Appraisal Complaint Hotline was supposed to be put into place within six months after the date of enactment, if such a hotline didn’t exist. The Act required that the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) of the [...]

March 8, 2011 What will Happen Post-Fannie and Freddie?

There’s a draft of a proposal in place right now that describes a plan to phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the next five to seven years, but even before the plan is finalized, borrowers could be affected by the parts of the plan that don’t require Congressional approval. For example, people may [...]

March 3, 2011 American Society of Appraisers Offers Webinar on International Financial Reporting Standards

We’ve spoken at length in previous blog posts about the upcoming shift in accounting standards from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It’s a complex and sometimes confusing subject that will affect all certified appraisers in some way. The American Society of Appraisers has announced a webinar titled “Fair Value [...]

March 1, 2011 Five Posts to Help You Navigate Your Business’s Taxes This Year

Everyone’s favorite time of year – tax time – is just around the corner. Here are five blog posts that can help you as you begin to pull all your paperwork together to file. Cost Segregation If you are planning on buying or improving a building for your business, your CPA may recommend a cost [...]