Property Assessment

Plan to Attend the 76th Annual Assessment Administration Conference

The International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) will hold their 76th annual international property assessment administration conference August 29 through September 1 in Orlando, Florida.  This year's conference theme is Building Strong Communities through Assessment Innovation.  A broad range of educational sessions are planned for each day, from appraisal issues to tax policy.

Attendees typically include assessors, appraisers, attorneys, tax agents and managers, real estate professionals, and tax collectors, just to name a few.  In 2009, attendees came from 49 states and 12 other countries. 

I've attended several conferences for the opportunities they afford me to connect with others who are interested in property assessments and the effective administration of the property tax.  I've had a chance to talk face-to-face with industry experts, see the latest in technological innovations and hear about there applications in real life situations, network with colleagues, and make new acquaintances.  While at the same time I've received continuing education credits too. 

According to the IAAO conference brochure and schedule "the 2010 conference addresses current issues related to the economy and foreclosures, personal development, tax policy, innovations in technology, IAAO committee activities, and a new track for IAAO councils and sections topics."

IAAO is an association of more than 7,300 property assessment professionals. Since 1934, IAAO has been the recognized leader and preeminent source for innovation, education, and research in property appraisal, assessment administration, and property tax policy.

For more information click here to visit the IAAO website conference link.

Who Would You Like to Thank for Getting You Started in Your Profession?

Was there someone who helped you when you were first starting out in your profession?  Here's your chance to say thank you and give others some ideas on how to help a struggling colleague.  I wish to thank Marvin Wood, Dick Ingram, and Jerry Vander Roest for taking the time to teach me some of the appraisal skills that they had acquired.  I was all eyes and ears and I watched attentively and listened acutely.

The people we work with, especially when first starting out, can either inspire us to want to be like them or we learn what behaviors we don’t want to model.  I feel very fortunate that my first exposure to employment in local (county) government was with a dedicated group of people who had professional aspirations.  My first boss encouraged me to become state-certified as an assessor with the Michigan Board of Assessors.  The real estate appraisers in the property tax equalization office were genuinely determined to accurately and uniformly estimate market values of agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential properties for tax purposes.

Many of the things we learn early on in our professions stay with us throughout our careers.  If we are lucky we find opportunities to pass on what we have learned to others.  Some say that it’s our responsibility to pass on what we have learned.  I agree with this way of thinking and I firmly believe that most of you do too.  That’s why many of us still enjoy our professions after being in them for many years and look for ways to fulfill our desire to pass our knowledge on to others.

How the Power of Questions Can Improve Your Professional Life

Ask a Question and Open a New World of Possibilities

The 7 Powers of Questions: Secrets of Successful Communication in Life and at Work  by Dorothy Leeds.  I personally recommend this book, having read it in 2002 shortly after it was published in 2000.  While the book has merit on many levels, I recommended this book to real estate professionals and real estate valuation specialists because it can be a tremendous help in doing your job, advancing your career, and is a tool for surviving controversial issues that may arise.  Stop for a moment to think of how useful questions are in day-to-day work routines that you perform.  Here are just a few that came to mind while I was writing this post:

1. Questions addressed to potential buyers that help determine their needs and at the same time lets them know you are on top of your market
2. Questions to ask the property owners before listing a property or gathering other facts about the subject property
3. Questions to include when verifying sales conditions to determine whether a sale is an arm's-length transaction
4. Questions to ask yourself when developing long-term goals and what you want to achieve during your upcoming job evaluation period or during your career
5. Interview questions for gathering market information (comparable sales, income and expense experience, ownership, etc.)
6. Fact finding questions when writing a letter or e-mail to a property owner or their agent

Amazon.com describes this book as "[a] unique book [that] reveals the seven powers of questions-and shows how to use them most effectively. Learn how questions can improve relationships, help determine what people really want, uncover opportunities, persuade others, and get more out of every business or personal encounter."

You'll find thousands of great questions and when and how to apply them to work and personal life situations. It's also a very readable book by a successful writer who is a communications consultant.  For a minute try to imagine working for even one day without being able to ask questions.  Now work at improving your ability to ask powerful questions.

What are your three most important questions?

Are You Ready for Career Advancement?

Getting Things in Order for your Next Promotion or New Job Opportunity
 
During the most productive years of our working lives most of us are seeking ways to advance our professional careers.  Whether through promotional opportunities available with your present employer or by changing employers, you can significantly advance your career.  But would you really be ready for that promotion or job opportunity if it came available in the next 30 day?
 
Many of us want to be promoted or desire to be the successful candidate selected for that top job that comes along.  Unfortunately, many times we are too busy in our current position with its day-to-day responsibilities that we don’t take the time to adequately prepare for our own advancement.
 
Here are four suggestions that will hopefully get you off and running in the direction of advancing your career.  Please let me know if you have other suggestions that we can add to this list.

1.  Understand the current requirements of the job you seek.

Research position descriptions for the job promotion that you hope to get or for the job you hope to land if you look for work elsewhere.  Most personnel offices have job descriptions online or available upon request.  Take some time to look at recent job postings on web sites for potential employers or organizations that you are a member of that posts job opportunities.  What experience, skills, new technology, and education levels are required or desired for these positions?  Being ready means keeping up with what employers want in your field.

2.  What would success look like?

Spend some time visualizing the perfect career advancement opportunity that you have in mind.  List the day-to-day duties and the annual cycle of activities that you might perform in your new job.  Try to picture the people that you would be working with (from the staff you might be managing to the other professionals and experts with whom you may need to work).

3.  Have a plan

We’ve heard it a million times.  You can’t expect to reach the right destination if you don’t have a plan.  Perhaps bestselling author Stephen Covey said it best when he said, “Before you climb the ladder of success make sure it’s leaning against the right building.”  Your plan should include updating your resume at least once each year and keeping a list of major work accomplishments.

4.  Take Action.

Put together an action plan that incorporates your findings from the items that you researched, visualized, and planned above.  Each week choose at least one item that you want to take action on.  It can be as simple as a phone call or as time consuming as setting aside time each week to study for a degree, designation or certification in your field.  Your action plan should include the identification of people who can serve as coaches or mentors.

Celebrating 3 Years of Blogging About Property Assessments

Our Property Assessment blog is celebrating three years of blogging success today!  During this time more than 110 feature articles have been posted along with several reports and whitepapers of interest to professional property assessors and those who are concerned about actions and policies related to assessments.  Unique blog topics have included:

Assessors as Managers – Feature articles about managing the assessment function that included managing assessment personnel, next generation initiatives, and project management

Media Toolkit – Resources and story angles for journalists about property assessments and effective public relations programs

Myth Busters – Demystifying property assessments and removing some of the misinformation about property assessments

Property Assessment Careers – Ideas, tips and suggestions for people considering a career in property assessment administration and those who wish to advance their careers

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last three years and hope that you have found the content we posted useful.  Whether you work in assessment administration, real estate sales and service, tax advocacy, or tax policy, we look forward to many more years of blogging about assessments.  Let us know if there are issues that you would like us to write about and please considering being a guest author.