property assessment: Property Assessors Can Help Real Estate Professionals – Try This! - 08/23/10 04:51 AM

As a service to local real estate professionals the following links (click here) will allow you direct access to 14 assessors in the Greater Northern Virginia Area.  Both assessment office website links and links to assessment databases are provided.  This is not an advertisement.  I encourage you to bookmark this post so that you can:
Quickly access real estate assessment information in Northern Virginia for your own use; Encourage assessors in other parts of the country to provide a similar public relations service; or Re-blog this posting for use by your own clients or readers (please mention me as the … (0 comments)

property assessment: Myth Buster: An Appraisal Should Convince Anyone to Lower My Assessment - 08/20/10 04:14 AM

Important Differences Bewteen Appraisals and Assessments
While an independent appraisal prepared for the purchase or refinancing of your home may help you when challenging your assessment, it may not be the silver bullet you expect it to be for the following reasons:
The "effective date" of value may be outside of the study dates used by the local assessor and considered by the appeal board.  For example, if the assessor's effective date for valuation was January 1, 2010, using a study period where sales were considered during the entire 12 months of 2009 (the previous calendar year), the assessor or … (2 comments)

property assessment: Underneath it All Isn’t It Really Just the Real Estate Market? - 08/16/10 04:06 AM

The Real Estate Profession is a Very Mature Profession
Aren't bank-owned, distressed, foreclosed, short sale and whole sale properties just another term for the real estate market?  Yes, these are new conditions in the market or influences that were not thought to be part of a normal market a few years ago, but underneath it all it's still just the real estate market.  And, of course, those who don't adapt to change have probably been left out or felt the pains of moving too slowly in a fast changing market.
I understand specialization from a marketing point of view: letting … (7 comments)

property assessment: How First Time Home Buyers Can Learn More About Property Taxes - 08/11/10 05:09 AM

Resources that Help Explain One of the Reoccurring Costs of Property Ownership: Property Taxes
Fact: You will pay property taxes every year that you own your home.  While ideally you will want to try to control all of the costs of homeownership, in reality you'll need to start with those that result in the highest long-term savings.  
One of the best resources for property owners who want to know more about property taxes is the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO).  Founded in 1934, the IAAO is a nonprofit, educational and research association.  As a professional membership organization of government … (4 comments)

property assessment: A Property Tax Strategy for Commercial Real Estate Owners - 08/04/10 04:02 AM

Effective Tips for Non-Residential Property Owners
Most public relations materials from local assessment offices are focused toward residential property owners.  Although a majority of the properties they assess may be residential, the tax payers in the community who have the largest tax burden (as measured by assessed values) are non-residential property owners.  Non-residential properties include multi-family apartments, office buildings, retail and service facilities, office buildings, industrial complexes, shopping centers, special use properties, etc.  While agricultural land and farm operations are also non-residential property, they will not be covered in this article.
The following tips are intended for non-residential property owners … (4 comments)

property assessment: The Unprofessional Assessor Myth – Discover the New Reality - 08/01/10 12:21 PM

Myth Buster: Assessors Add Value for Construction Features Without Clear Reasoning
There are lots of areas of misinformation in our society.  Every profession takes on an effort to try and inform the public of misconceptions, refute misinformation, and dispel myths.  For years property assessments (personal property and real property) have been the subject of misinformation.  While assessors have not done enough to educate the general public in what they do and how they perform assessments, a large dose of misinformation comes from our fellow real estate industry experts.
Most misinformation is perpetuated by those who believe the misinformation to be … (2 comments)

property assessment: Plan to Attend the 76th Annual Assessment Administration Conference - 07/26/10 04:42 AM

The International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) will hold their 76th annual international property assessment administration conference August 29 through September 1 in Orlando, Florida.  This year's conference theme is Building Strong Communities through Assessment Innovation.  A broad range of educational sessions are planned for each day, from appraisal issues to tax policy.
Attendees typically include assessors, appraisers, attorneys, tax agents and managers, real estate professionals, and tax collectors, just to name a few.  In 2009, attendees came from 49 states and 12 other countries. 
I've attended several conferences for the opportunities they afford me to connect with others who … (0 comments)

property assessment: Who Would You Like to Thank for Getting You Started in Your Profession? - 07/23/10 03:56 AM

Was there someone who helped you when you were first starting out in your profession?  Here's your chance to say thank you and give others some ideas on how to help a struggling colleague.  I wish to thank Marvin Wood, Dick Ingram, and Jerry Vander Roest for taking the time to teach me some of the appraisal skills that they had acquired.  I was all eyes and ears and I watched attentively and listened acutely.
The people we work with, especially when first starting out, can either inspire us to want to be like them or we learn what behaviors … (5 comments)

property assessment: Why Assessed Values Don't (and aren't supposed to) Correspond to Appraised Values, Listed Prices, and Sales Prices - 07/21/10 06:08 AM

Finally - Clarification on Why Assessments Are Only Assessed Values
As a regular contributor to several real estate community forums and question and answer sites, I've come to the conclusion that local assessors need to make a renewed effort to inform the public of how real estate assessments are determined and what they mean.  One of the reoccurring questions that I see is "Why isn't my assessed value the same as the appraised value by the lender's appraiser, the listed price, or the sales price?" 
Even in the best of economic conditions and when real estate market forces are near … (0 comments)

property assessment: Top 5 Websites: Real Estate Agents and Agencies According to Alexa.com - 07/16/10 10:36 AM

What Can You Learn From the Top 5 Real Estate Agents or Agencies?
As part of my work as a property tax assessor I think of other assessment offices as my competition.  I monitor assessment offices throughout the country and don't limit my competition to offices that are of the same size.  I'm continually asking if my customer relations, quality standards, and valuation techniques are keeping up with those set by the ones I look up to as examples of high achievement.  One way that I do this is by visiting their websites.
 
According to a recent search of Alexa Top … (3 comments)

property assessment: Demystifying Real Estate Appraisals - 07/12/10 01:04 PM

Internet Resources for Real Estate Professionals
As real estate professionals you are called upon to determine acreages, review legal descriptions, and have a general understanding of property valuation.  Here are some sources that appraisers and assessors use that may help real estate professions like you and your clients better understand appraisal issues.
If you are perplexed by an appraisal term, here are several online appraisal terminology sources:
Appraisal Terminology, AAA AppraisalAppraisal Terminology, Luciano Appraisal ServicesAppraisal Terminology, Maine valuation Company
And forget trying to carry acreage formulas and conversions in our head.  A good online resource is Online Conversion.  This easy-to-use resource … (0 comments)

property assessment: Keeping Current with Changes Affecting Real Property Assessments in Virginia - 06/30/10 12:55 PM

A Resource Guide for Property Assessors and Property Tax Agents and Managers Working in Virginia
The majority of the legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly during its 2010 becomes effective July 1, 2010.  Modern property assessment practices require that assessors keep up to date with current legislative proposals, laws, and court decisions. The following are suggested resources to help you keep up to date on these changes. Several statewide resources will provide a review of legislative changes that will need to be considered for upcoming assessments.  Suggestions are also made so that you can add local city and county … (0 comments)

property assessment: Help Your Clients Challenge Their Property Assessments - 06/28/10 08:22 AM

Guidance in Presenting a Property Tax Appeal Case
So you've filed an appeal of your property assessment.  In my experience about 35 to 55 percent of people who challenge their property assessments are successful.  They may not get the entire reduction that they hope for, but they get some reduction in the assessed value by the appeal board (complaint filed with the assessor, board of assessors, board of equalization, board of review, etc.).
Your potential for success will increase if you are prepared and can keep calm while dealing with an emotional issue like the value of your property.  To … (0 comments)

property assessment: Glossary of Terms for Property Assessment - 06/20/10 04:44 AM

Basic Property Assessment Terms for Real Estate Professionals
Each profession has a terminology associated with the cyclical routines they perform.  I believe that one of our goals as real estate valuation specialists should be to reduce the amount of jargon we use, either in our speech or written communications.  But in reality some jargon is unavoidable and if others continue to use it we need to help those who hear it to understand it.
I want to thank two people who inspired me to write this article: residential real estate appraisers Meg Stewart of Frisco (Collin County), Texas, who has … (0 comments)

property assessment: Recommended Website: International Property Tax Institute - 06/16/10 01:33 AM

Go International in Scope with a Career in Property Assessment Administration
International Property Tax Institute
Like many professions a career in property assessment administration has global possibilities.  The International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) recognizes this fact and helps to provide aspiring professionals with the tools they need today.  For those who wish to remain working in there current state or province, the IPTI will inform you of what others are doing, lessons learned, and mutual challenges being faced in property tax administration worldwide.  As most of us who have been in this field for several years know, we can learn many … (0 comments)

property assessment: Myth Buster - No Properties Are Comparable to Mine for My Assessment Appeal - 06/11/10 06:03 AM

Myth:  I'm not appealing my property assessment because they require that I demonstrate how my home's assessment compares with comparable properties and no other homes are like mine.
Myth Buster: Even if you have a one-of-a-kind home, there are others in the vicinity that are similar to yours for comparison purposes.  Here are some key points to keep in mind when selecting comparable properties:
1. Comparables for tax appeal purposes can generally be: (1) comparable assessments; or (2) comparable sales.  Most state tax laws allow property owner to appeal their assessments based on assessment uniformity using comparable assessments or based … (0 comments)

property assessment: Money Saving Tips for First Time Homebuyers - 06/02/10 10:15 AM

Reduce the Reoccurring Cost of Property Taxes
As a new property owner, you want to do everything you can to keep your cost of ownership as low as possible.  One important cost is the local property tax.  As a city assessor and practicing property tax consultant, I advise property owners to:
Be sure that the local assessment office is sending the assessment notice to your current mailing address and not to your mortgage company or lender.  Although your bank or mortgage company may have set up an amount in escrow account in order to pay the real estate taxes, as … (0 comments)

property assessment: Celebrating 3 Years of Blogging About Property Assessments - 06/01/10 10:41 AM
 
Our Property Assessment blog is celebrating three years of blogging success today!  During this time more than 110 feature articles have been posted along with several reports and whitepapers of interest to professional property assessors and those who are concerned actions and policies related to assessments.  Unique blog topics have included:
Assessors as Managers - Feature articles about managing the assessment function that included managing assessment personnel, next generation initiatives, and project management
Media Toolkit - Resources and story angles for journalists about property assessments and effective public relations programs
Myth Busters - Demystifying property assessments and removing some of … (0 comments)

property assessment: Summer Reading Time Suggestions - 05/31/10 12:37 PM

Three Book Suggestions for Property Assessors (and Real Estate Office Managers)
Assessors deserve a vacation and I encourage you to take at least two weeks off to relax and recharge.  Having traveled widely (16 countries and counting) and lived in Chile for four years I can tell you first hand that Americans take the least amount of time away from work.  Almost every Chilean I know takes at least three to four weeks off each summer (yes, consecutively) and most Europeans do too.  I know also that most of us think we are just too important to be gone that … (0 comments)

property assessment: Continuous Improvement in Property Tax Assessment Administration - 05/27/10 06:31 AM

 Why Now Could Be the Best Time to Plan for Improvements
When you are in the middle of a storm is not when you want to spend a lot of time thinking about what you could have done differently. You are too busy with critical matters at hand.  When assessment notices were being mailed, as calls came in from citizens who had received notices and had questions and concerns, and as assessments were being challenged time didn't allow you the opportunity to reflect.  Most of us were busy trying to keep up with day-to-day demands.
On the other hand you … (0 comments)

 
Richard L. Sanderson, helping improve local property tax systems (Richard L. Sanderson Consulting)

Richard L. Sanderson

helping improve local property tax systems

Kalama, WA

More about me…

Richard L. Sanderson Consulting

Address: 264 Simmons Rd, Kalama, WA, 98625

Office: 971-707-9607

We love working with corporate asset managers, public policy directors for membership organizations, project managers for think tanks, and academics researching property tax policy.


Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog