Using The Assessor Sketch Instead

[TRESinc]

Some clients have specific language that the sketch be prepared by you, digital, with your calculations shown. So they would kick a copy of even a good drawing back if you used only that.

this is exactly what all my lending clients require - original sketch with calculations.

 

[Overimprovement]

MEASUREMENT is fundamental to appraisal. You should take your own measurements, per ANSI or BOMA standards, to the inch and draw architectural type floorplans that show approximate wall thickness. This is fairly easy to do with Chief Architects "Home Designer Pro" or the more expensive "Chief Architect Premier".

I typically do measurements with a tape measure and $500 laser meter.

1. I make too many measurements of the interior to use an IPad app for drawing. Green graph paper. Fast and easy. Arrows all over. I can jump out and make a separate sketch of a hall way with exact measurements.

2. Outside first. Measurements to the inch. Doors and windows usually measured from closest corner. Photos as well, in case I miss something.

3. Inside. For each floor, first do a walk through to visualize the layout of all rooms, hallways, entrances. Do a rough sketch to lay down rooms for subsequent measurements. Be cognizant of openings to the upper story and dead spaces, as well as the garage. All measurements to the inch. If you add up the interior width measurements (best if you can do this and avoid interior walls) and subtract from exterior width and divide by two, you get the approx wall thickness. Ext walls are typically 6" or 4" and interior 4". But we have those hidden spaces like around the bathroom where a double wall makes extra room for piping. In very old homes, e.g. in San Francisco, you find larger hidden spaces - for one reason or another. But you can't always see hidden spaces and for this reason, you never want to promise an interior accuracy greater than +/- 6" - which should be good enough, except you must be accurate on anything that goes into calculation of GLA. If you do this right, you will have double arrows all over the place, with foot/inch measurements.

4. When you get back to the office, use Chief Architect to enter the measurements. This goes pretty smoothly as you can add in exterior and interior dimensions and move the walls around to make them match your measurements. You can choose 6" or 4" walls or make them whatever thickness you want. You can't alter the exterior measurements. But you can fudge on the interior if needed, as walls are rarely exactly 6" or 4" or whatever. And, you may have missed some hidden area. You invariably find some problems that have to be solved (and this is when you wish you had over measured or double measured a bit more.)

With experience you will find this becomes easier. But I have to warn, 125+ year old triplexes in San Francisco that have had dozens of improvements over their lifetime, complex room layout, hidden spaces and the like, will put your powers of visualization, recording and measurement to real test.

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/videos/overview/pro (choose "Walls-Rooms" for a good video)
https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/
https://www.chiefarchitect.com/

Bert--the $275 fee is for the entire appraisal report, not just the sketch.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

You should take your own measurements, per ANSI or BOMA standards, to the inch

That's worse than stupid, it's false accuracy. How can you adjust comps to the inch if you don't measure the comp? The assessor didn't. Therefore you can only adjust on the basis of the scale the source (Realtor? assessor?) used. Introducing false accuracy to your adjustments must put a smirk on the face of a reviewer that knows better.

 

[Tom Woolford]

Bert--the $275 fee is for the entire appraisal report, not just the sketch.

The only time I do interior sketches if there is a functional problem. Otherwise, room placement labels is sufficient. Perimeter measurements are critical, but not wall placement.

 

[Tom Woolford]

Most times the assessors files are correct however I have caught many errors because the builder submitted blueprints to the assessor that were modified without notification.These errors were from 250 sf to 800 sf .
Many realtors and home buyers were mad whne notified. When I re measured the properties with realtors in tow ,the realtors signed off on the measurements. All done with digital measuring devices.
use the assessors sketch/measurements with caution. verify.

I've seen furnished blueprints be off by 2-300 s.f. because I didn't get up to date prints. VERIFY always.

 

[RCA]

That's worse than stupid, it's false accuracy. How can you adjust comps to the inch if you don't measure the comp? The assessor didn't. Therefore you can only adjust on the basis of the scale the source (Realtor? assessor?) used. Introducing false accuracy to your adjustments must put a smirk on the face of a reviewer that knows better.

You keep getting so many things mixed up. What are we going to do?

But I'm not going to call you stupid here, because it is a common objection and just maybe you are putting us on.

First, IF you can accurately measure your subject property, and if you have a good argument that the adjustments should be done using the assessor data, then you should be free to do so. So there is never any "false accuracy". It is your job to be as accurate as possible to "ensure public trust" in the profession.

Second, appraisers and real estate agents OFTEN get sued over inaccurate measurements leading to inaccurate GLA. So, appraisers need to be very wary about developing tunnel vision. There are many dimensions to consider.

Third, depending on the locality, the assessor most likely takes his plans from the architect's plans - which are the ones submitted for approval. The architect's measurements most likely will not take in outer wall covering, which may amount to an extra couple of inches depending on the type of construction. If you want to go to the effort, you "can" determine this - but it is probably too much work - unless you already know subdivision patterns in this regard. But you ought to keep it in mind as a common pattern.

Fourth, inaccuracy also surfaces when the contractor alters the architect's plans and doesn't get approval from planning with adjusted drawings. There is often no pattern here. Sometime my subject property GLA is off 15% or so because the contractor took out a good chunk of the second floor to create extra open space and high ceilings - and the planner or assessor didn't take note for one reason or another. Should I assume all the neighborhood contractors did that with every comp? - Not likely.

The best you can do is measure your subject accurately, make a best guess about the comps and then make the appropriate adjustment. Your own accurate measurement of the subject property will often give you invaluable insights about the neighborhood.

There may be an argument that, more often than not, when you do accurate measurements of a home you add more to the planner or assessor's GLA and the opposite. I often walk into such mixed neighborhoods with older homes and lot of remodeling, I can't say that. In fact it is a way to discover that remodeling has been done with or without permit. And that may tell you a lot right there.

But I must say when I measure a property that another appraiser measured for the same loan, where he followed the assessor drawing and GLA, and I come out 20% more, - I wouldn't switch places. Especially if everything came under review by the state.

 

[Lee Lansford]

In my area, the assessor uploads Apex sketches of floor plans online. The homes here were nearly all built since 2000 and the sketches are very reliable. I'm considering just inserting the assessor pdf into my reports instead of re-sketching and stating that the measurements were confirmed on-site. Is anyone doing this?

2 quick thoughts: #1, you are responsible if you rely upon the assessor's measurements. #2, a test of what is acceptable is what do your peers do and what do clients and regular intended users expect you to do?

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

the assessor most likely takes his plans from the architect's plans

I've worked several states, none which require architect plans. I've yet to see anyone sued or sanctioned for measuring to the foot. No state I know requires either BOMA or ANSI standards. Yet to see a Realtor who reports SF to anything but SF...

 

[RCA]

I've worked several states, none which require architect plans. I've yet to see anyone sued or sanctioned for measuring to the foot. No state I know requires either BOMA or ANSI standards. Yet to see a Realtor who reports SF to anything but SF...

What does your comment have to do with the quote? Your dots just don't connect.

You can search google for varions on " realtor sued for incorrect GLA california living area" and you will get easily get over 100,000 hits. I don't have time to look at more than just a couple. But certainly, based on my own experience in California and Google, this happens quite a bit. How often Realtors or appraisers loose is hard to say. In some cases, you have to prove harm - and some realtors get lucky: https://www.nar.realtor/legal-case-summaries/bowman-v-presley-lawsuit-over-square-footage-proceeds.

I'm not going to do any more of your homework for you. I have other things to do. If you don't want to measure with the same accuracy as another appraiser then that is your decision.

-- But interesting, I just came across an AI handout by John Hibbard, an old mentor of mine:

"Fee appraisers working for me would submit appraisals for my final review, and I would find numerous faults in each report. Sometimes I would get angry, because I was overwhelmed by the burden of reviewing so many “bad” reports. The appraisers got angry, too. Some told me that “The list of things you find fault with is endless”. It seemed to me that these appraisers were not sufficiently motivated by concerns for “quality”, or that they did not take enough “pride in their work”. I told them “Being an appraiser is like joining the priesthood: It does not make any difference whether the fees we receive match the amount of work required. It does not matter if our competitors cut corners. We should strive for perfection”. In return they called me names. When applicants for appraisal positions arrived at my door, I told them they could make more money working for any one of our competitors, because of the “extra” work required in my company."

https://www.norcal-AI.org/amass/doc-get-pub/article/601/2018_Res_Symposium_Hibbard_Combined.pdf

My only complaint with John is that he didn't charge more money. Or, did he?

 

[Eli]

Plans are not always accurate. Builders change things many times after the plans are submitted for the building permit. Homeowners or builders or developers change their mind during construction. That’s fine. The final product don’t have to match the original plans. Many times it don’t.