A & E Appraisals Blog - Maricopa County Arizona - Real Estate Blog

Re-printed with permission from Appraisal Press:

The market data we use is not as perfect as the “paired sales” examples from our textbooks. Are you finding it hard to prove your adjustments? Are you still using a list of block adjustments that your supervising appraiser gave you? Would you like to be more of an expert for your area?

If you said yes to any of the above, we have something in common, perhaps along with the majority of appraisers in the industry. I remember (as a trainee) asking my mentor, “Why do we use $10,000 for every pool adjustment or $15,000 for every location adjustment”? For a moment, silence, before the standard “because…that's what the market reaction is in this area...”

Not knowing different, I carried the tradition (and the boilerplate we used) with me once I received the “golden ticket” (my residential license). That was my moment; I knew it all and yet, “I did not know what I did not know”.

I was in for an awakening, as just months after licensing a veteran appraiser called me on the carpet, and asked for supporting documentation for my adjustments.

That evening, I fumbled through a crash course in adjustments. The next day, the review appraiser “took me to school” as he showed that I could not prove what I did and that my adjustments and value opinion were far from reality, lesson learned.

Fast forward to a few years later (after I left that shop and gained the tools required to support my “debits and credits”), I am, challenged once again. This time there is no “courtesy call”, my appraisal (along with my ego) is rejected.

Apparently, a Texas reviewer (grading my California report) did not get the USPAP “geographic competency memo” and rejected my report because of comp location. I thought I was clear when I stated that there was no discernible difference in the north or south side of a major dividing street. Obviously, he did not agree and my statements on his “competency” were of little comfort to my client. I had a bruised ego and the lender had “no deal”.

It took hours to prepare my rebuttal, after which I was reading posts on an appraiser’s forum and happened across a graph that showed market trends. It occurred to me that the same technique could be used to measure and display the difference (or lack thereof) between geographic locations.

With a little practice, I was able to show less that 1.0% difference between the “price/square foot, on one side of the street, compared to the other.

I won the rebuttal, was hooked on graphs. Armed with a new skill, I set out to become the “expert” when it came to using graphs to uncover the differences, display them in the report and prove my adjustments.

What is Trend Analysis?

From the Dictionary of Real Estate Appraial 4^th edition:

“A quantitative technique used to identify and measure adjustments to the sale prices of comparable properties; useful when sales data on highly comparable properties are lacking, but a broad database on properties with less similar characteristics is available. Market sensitivity is investigated by testing various factors that influence sale prices.”

In the past, it was time consuming and required a trained eye (and a lot of analysis) to spot trends in the marketplace or a specific neighborhood.

Technology, MLS data, spreadsheet programs, the ease and speed of “point and click” or “cut and paste”, removed the barriers to entry for most of the common trend analysis tasks. Once the information is cleaned and sorted to the “subject’s market segment”, producing an accurate and convincing “snapshot of the market” for your appraisal report can be accomplished in minutes.

Under difficult market conditions, underwriters and review departments are handing out “appraisal conditions” like “Larry the loan officer” gives out comps checks. Today, clients are “subsequently requiring” us to provide that which should be provided in every report (initially), “support for our conclusions”.

"Money moves on motivation”

If there is a “market reaction” to a location, feature, view, or other “big-ticket” item, you can make it apparent with graphing and the graph provides the client with the “smoking gun”. We can’t just say “it’s so because” … we are required to support our words with the facts and nothing does that better than a “picture of the data itself”.

With Pivot table charts you can graph adjustments for location, view, amenity, condition and other variables, along with displaying sales trends or other movements in the housing market. You can graph any data set, however what should and should not find its way into the numbers? I am referring to “segmenting the data” and removing factors that skew the output. If you do not its “garbage in and garbage out” and you might as well toss it, because a skilled analyst will identify it in a “New York Minute”.

5 rules to follow for credible results.

Define the Appraisal Problem, and then Define the Market : Are we examining Market or the Neighborhood trends?
Let the Data talk to you, think with you, but not for you – limit variables: Allow the data to show the trend, the data will confirm or dispute your initial thoughts and findings.
Market Segmentation / Delineation are keys to credible adjustments/Trends: Segmentation is key to answering the “One-Unit Trends” and relating them to the subject property.
It is a tool, not a substitute. : Graphing is support for but nor a replacement of “common sense”.
If it wouldn’t be in the market grid, it shouldn’t be in the graph. : If the data selected is not relative, it is not reliable.

Data can be “graphed” to illustrate “money moving on motivation”. They key is to develop the techniques, correctly employ them and clearly communicate your findings to the reader.

Are you ready to learn how? For a free instruction video on “Introduction to Graphing” go to www.TheGraphGuy.com and click on the “Free Video” tab. The Nuts & Bolts of Spreadsheets & Graphs DVD is also available on Scoop Gear.com

About the Author

Anthony A. Young is a Certified Residential Appraiser and principle of Young & Associates Real Estate Appraisal Company in San Ramon, California, where he specializes in the valuation of complex and "high-end" residential properties and housing market trend analysis.

He has taught hundreds of Professionals within the Real Estate industry on graphing and charting techniques for studying the buying behaviors to conclude adjustments in valuations and has developed a "How-To-Do Trend-Analysis DVD" that teaches professionals to statistically measure (and visually graph) the behavior of the Real Estate Marketplace over time and to provide supported and credible results within the appraisal report.

Anthony is frequent contributor on topics associated with statistical analysis, market trends, and graphing to analyze and support adjustments and value conclusions throughout many Real Estate industries Chat Forum. He is currently pursuing the SRA designation while on the path to his MAI within the Appraisal Institute and is a member of Real Estate Appraisers Associates (REAA)

For examples of what he teaches, upcoming classes, and useful information for you Valuation firm log on today to www.TheGraphGuy.com

AZ Real Estate Commentary

Real Estate Trend Analysis and Graphing - What is it & Why we need it - 5 Basic Rules