How do you write the addendum in your appraisal reports?

[Joe Flacco]

I don't find the need to say "I" or "the appraiser" or whatever in the addendum. The property, the site the location, the data, etc. My sentences in the addendum mostly start with these types of phrases.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Nonsense. First person is bush league.

So someone else did the work? Your certification uses "I" or "We" if there are multiple signees doesn't it?

 

[Have Laser-Will Travel]

How do you write the addendum in your appraisal reports?

My goal is to always let the data, objective fact or logic speak for itself. If you double-check your addendum, you may see that references to yourself weren't necessary.

 

[Have Laser-Will Travel]

My goal is to always let the data, objective fact or logic speak for itself and avoid referring to myself. If you double-check your addendum, you may see that references to yourself weren't necessary.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

My goal is to always let the data, objective fact or logic speak for itself. If you double-check your addendum, you may see that references to yourself weren't necessary.

you need to say where you got the data, which you may do in 3rd person, but you should state exactly what YOU did. I did measure the property. I did examine the contract for sale. I did drive by my comparables. My sources were blah blah blah.

 

[Have Laser-Will Travel]

you need to say where you got the data, which you may do in 3rd person, but you should state exactly what YOU did. I did measure the property. I did examine the contract for sale. I did drive by my comparables. My sources were blah blah blah.

I do say exactly what I did, I just don't refer to myself; for example under a heading of Scope of Work I might state "Data sources included..." or "Dwelling exterior measurements were taken on-site..." It's already established elsewhere in the report in multiple ways that I'm the one completing it so, repeating it isn't necessary. The redundancy instead would tax the user with verbiage and give a less-professional appearance, IMO.

 

[RockBass]

We strictly refer to ourselves in the royal "We" when composing "Our" addendums.

When I started I used third person but found that it caused me to use a lot of passive language. Switching to first allows for less rambling sentences IMO. Personally, it felt like it would be less
"professional" before switching, but it honestly feels more professional than a drawn out sentence that has about thirty words too many in it.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

give a less-professional appearance, IMO.

We ain't writing a science paper. In court as well as deposition, I have explicitly been asked what I did. "You said the floor was "noticeably soft." Did someone tell you the floor was soft or did you observe that?"

the royal "We"

Unless you have a rat in your pocket, "I" should suffice, but ...

it caused me to use a lot of passive language.

Exactly...

 

[Have Laser-Will Travel]

We ain't writing a science paper. In court as well as deposition, I have explicitly been asked what I did. "You said the floor was "noticeably soft." Did someone tell you the floor was soft or did you observe that?"


Unless you have a rat in your pocket, "I" should suffice, but ...

Exactly...

The OP didn't ask about depositions but addendum-writing. And my reply didn't disclaim the practice of referring to oneself but, stated that it is often not necessary.

Your interjection implied that it was necessary to refer to oneself in order to "say where you got the data" and "state exactly what YOU did" but, my examples demonstrated that wasn't always necessary. Avoiding redundancy is about more-effectively communicating a report. Science paper is your idea.

 

[Joe Flacco]

you need to say where you got the data, which you may do in 3rd person, but you should state exactly what YOU did. I did measure the property. I did examine the contract for sale. I did drive by my comparables. My sources were blah blah blah.

The data is obtained.. The property is measured.. The contract for sale.. According to the agent..