RECENT BLOG POSTS
The Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) was designed to help bring some uniformity into the appraisal process related to mortgage work. After all, appraisers were not very uniform in the way they described condition and quality.  This applied not just to condition and quality ratings, but to a myriad...
06/08/2016
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This article was originally published in Working RE hereThey were very kind to allow me to republish and I offer it here for reach outside of the appraisal field as I believe agents might find it useful to understand what types of issues appraisers face in consideration of lake front appraisals, ...
09/17/2015
Courage of your convictions …….Or put your money where your mouth is As an appraiser who works a very small area, and has for many years, I am fortunate to have quite good relationships with the agents in my community. Because of this, I get a lot of calls and emails asking for help when they run...
05/15/2014
Market snapshot – comparing Ann Arbor and Saline Prologue I admit it; I am a data junkie. There is something about graphs and charts that I just get all-geeked out about. Maybe it is simply having too much time on my hands, or maybe it is a thirst for knowledge (hoping for the latter, but with un...
04/16/2014
Latest comparison to online valuation models   It is quite frustrating to see how many people rely on these online value estimators to either price their home, or use it for marital dissolution, or other reasons. As will be shown in a minute, these can be off by a significant amount, either low o...
04/15/2014
Appraising the Right Way - Part 1 - Requiem for a Dream Reposted with permission by Woody Fincham, SRA and yours truly     We are two appraisers separated by a three- hour flight or a nine-hour car ride.  We have never met in person, but have come to know one another through social media.  We are...
03/23/2014
What is a bifurcated market? I am sure you have all heard the term bifurcated before; the question is what does it mean? Basically a bifurcation of the market relates to two different market segments that may have the appearance of being the same, but in essence are not; two different branches as...
03/12/2014
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What is comparable?   Strictly speaking, a comparable property is one that is a substitute for another property. It is uncommon to have properties that are directly comparable, but let me offer you a car analogy that should help you in choosing comparable properties for your market analysis, or t...
02/27/2014
So many ways to measure (part 2) Yesterday I wrote about two different parts of the analysis of market conditions and today I will finish my story. There are a number of different ways to measure the market, but what I am doing now (and I do change things up as I learn of new techniques) is takin...
02/10/2014
So many ways to measure Markets are rarely identical and what happens as a nation isn’t necessarily what happens in a county, or what happens in an area, or even a submarket. We hear a lot about the improving market conditions that are occurring nationally, but as in all things real estate, the m...
02/09/2014
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Rachel Massey, SRA, AI-RRS

Proudly appraising Washtenaw County since 1989
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