Stephen Matonis, MAI, Sara Schwarzentraub, MAI, and Michael Vargas, Associate member, discussed the appraiser’s vital role in pricing real estate for divorcing couples in The Wall Street Journal Nov. 29. They also addressed the pros and cons of specializing in the “tricky” field.
Matonis explained that while the business may be lucrative (appraisers often charge four times their normal fee for this type of work), the time and effort necessary when litigation is involved may not be worth it for some. “This type of work really isn't coveted among appraisers,” he says.
Appraising property in a divorce raises the stakes. Vargas told the Journal that “there always are competing and dueling interests about what to do with property. Ultimately, no one wants to lose.”
Schwarzentraub told the Journal that “If I make both parties unhappy, I probably have a good number for the property.”
Also featured in national media coverage this past week were AI President Sara W. Stephens, MAI, REALTOR Magazine; Michael Hobbs, SRA, PRWeb, Yahoo! News, Benzinga and Virtual Strategy Magazine; Michael Crowley, SRA, Energy Central; Jennifer Schnell, SRA, Virtual Strategy Magazine, DMN Newswire and Individual.com; and John Busi, MAI, Cushman & Wakefield, citybizlist.
These stories are among the recent media coverage included in the “AI in the News” feature on the members-only section of the Appraisal Institute website.
Appraisal Institute members appearing recently in local media coverage include AI President Sara W. Stephens, MAI, The Orange County (Calif.) Register; Alvin “Chip” Wagner, SRA, Chicago Tribune; Michael Hobbs, SRA, Times-Union (South Bend, Ind.); and Michael Crowley, SRA, Sauk Valley Newspapers (Dixon-Sterling, Ill.).
See the latest media coverage about the real estate valuation profession, the Appraisal Institute and its members. Media coverage at “AI in the News,” found on the member log-in page of the Appraisal Institute’s website, is updated daily and also includes the latest news releases from the Appraisal Institute.