Using The Assessor Sketch Instead

[Evincere]

Can you say hybrid? If you use professional assistance, aren't you supposed to note their contribution and identify them by name?

Even though the duties of the appraiser and inspector are briefly glossed over in the sales hype the one question that was never addressed in the hybrid thread or from any of the hybrid PR distribution centers is WHO supplies the selection of comparable sales the appraiser is charged with analyzing when the data (pictures, GLA, etc) is received by the inspector?

The Lender? LO? AMC? AVM comp selection? After all, the appraiser supposedly, never has to leave the desk, let alone verify GLA other than what’s published as a sketch GLA from tax data base. Reliance (Credibility) seems to be falling on the inspectors data provided.

 

[Evincere]

Duplicated delete

 

[Eli]

Most appraisers submit data to MLS on GLA in my area. They are always the most accurate. Vary significantly many many times from public records or realtor data.

It’s sad when you pull up a property and you don’t have appraiser data entered. You know your guessing if the homeowner or real estate agent don’t have a clue. Causes you to go back many times for new comps.

I have seen a case where an appraiser messed up and got sued and lost. But that is very rare.

They failed to deduct the garage from GLA in a high dollar neighborhood.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

So...as typical, we agree to disagree. Lets see if I can summarize this so far.

1. The appraiser is responsible for what is in his/her appraisal report. In other words, you are responsible for an "estimate" of the gross living area(GLA). Why do I say...estimate? Because we don't agree on whether it should be done to the inch, half foot, or foot. What do your peers do?

2. In some areas the assessor's measurements are very good, some what good, not good, or awful. You are responsible for what is in your appraisal report.

3. You don't measure the comps so how do you know if the square footage is correct? As for me...I use what is of "public record", ie, the assessor's measurements. So, how can I say, on one hand, I don't believe them and then use their data?

4. Clients impose different requirements on the appraiser. Not my client! I have never had anyone ever complain about me using the assessor's sketch.

5. We all agree..."verify". Does that sort of sum up this thread so far?

 

[Deleted member 128537]

I did one house where the assessor sketch was 1000sf off. This past week I did a house where the assessor called the finished area above the garage part of GLA (no access from the main house except through garage). Personally I think all of our adjustments for GLA are a little on the shaky side anyway. I’ll bet only 10% of the GLA descriptions in my MLS are correct. I know for a fact that most agents do not correct the GLA in the MLS when I point it out after I did the inspection. So if the assesor’s sketch is even 5% off it’s pretty close for our work. After all that’s what most realtors use.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

never had anyone ever complain about me using the assessor's sketch.

Me neither, and I see about 1 in 40 or less MLS listings that references an appraiser measurement. I do see agents that say the source for "heated area" is courthouse or public records but they add the basement or a sun room to the assessor SF. They use plans SF for new construction but our assessor measures and are rarely wrong. The agents here never measure and I have been in RE ethics classes where they tell the class to NOT measure to avoid being sued.

But measuring to the inch, converting to hundredths of feet invites more errors than you can shake a stick at. Look at any wood or vinyl siding. The cornice can vary. With either tape or laser, the measure has to be exactly level to be accurate. Is the house even square? And as Mike points out, if the assessor measures it to the SF measuring to inches will differ even in identical houses. But no one is going to be sued over differences of 10 - 100 SF

 

[Mr Rex]

Guidelines for Measuring Residential Square Footage The NCAB has not adopted any square footage measuring guidelines; however, it is expected that all licensees understand and follow an industry-accepted set of measuring guidelines. Two such methods are available through the American National Standard for Single Family Residential Buildings (ANSI) and the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (Yellow Book). These guidelines address many aspects of the measuring process, including above and below grade finished areas, ceiling height requirements, finished areas adjacent to unfinished area, finished areas connected to the house, and condominiums. Both guides include helpful illustrations. The ANSI guide also includes suggested declarations when plans of a proposed house were used or when interior spaces cannot be inspected. These publications can be ordered on line for prices ranging from less than $1.00 to $20.00, and can be found at www.ncrec.state.nc.us /publications and www.nahbrc.org/book store/bd1003w.aspx.

Both require measuring to the inch (or tenth if available).

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

The assessor for El Paso County has used 1/2 foot for as long as I can remember so that is what I also use. We had an attorney for the Board of REALTORS tell the membership to use public record rather than personal measurement for listing purposes to avoid law suits. The listing input sheet has three choices...public record, an appraisal, or personal measurement. Nearly all agents use public record. If I was to review an appraisal (don't do reviews any more) I would check the public record for subject and comps. What do your peers do? Do you have confidence in your public records?

As a side bar...have any of you ever been sued? I'm in my 38th year of appraising and can count on one hand the number of appraisers I personally know who have been. Thankfully, I'm not one of them!

 

[TRESinc]

Me neither

don't you mostly do chicken farms, and what little residential work you do is not for the secondary market?

The assessor for El Paso County has used 1/2 foot for as long as I can remember so that is what I also use. We had an attorney for the Board of REALTORS tell the membership to use public record rather than personal measurement for listing purposes to avoid law suits. The listing input sheet has three choices...public record, an appraisal, or personal measurement. Nearly all agents use public record. If I was to review an appraisal (don't do reviews any more) I would check the public record for subject and comps. What do your peers do? Do you have confidence in your public records?

As a side bar...have any of you ever been sued? I'm in my 38th year of appraising and can count on one hand the number of appraisers I personally know who have been. Thankfully, I'm not one of them!

in both counties i cover they measure to the foot.

in 20+ years i personally only know 2 appraisers who have been named in a law suit. the first was part of net fishing (they named everyone - listing agent, selling agent, home inspector, appraiser, loan officer, underwriter, lender - and they lost). the second was a law suit between appraisers over clients after the mentor retired and wanted 20% of everything their former trainee would make for the following 5 years, whether it was from an existing client or a new one. never did hear how that one ended.

 

[Eli]

What I do is start going through MLS data where appraiser has uploaded GLA first on most similar properties. See, if the government owned Fannie, you would have better data.

Something is wrong. Watch Louisiana work on antitrust law. I hope they capitalize. They will one way or another.