Assessment Matters by Valuebase.co

In this episode, Ron Dean, Muscogee County Assessor, discusses his role and responsibilities, including overseeing the valuation of 49,000 real properties and all business personal property in a county of 69,000 residents. His team of 14 conducts visual inspections every four years on 13,000 parcels annually, with additional inspections for changes or deed transfers. They aim to reflect market values by February and mail notices to...

In this episode, Joe McClour, the assessor of Atoka County since 2018, discusses his transition from GIS mapping to the assessor's office, highlighting challenges like retraining a new staff and adapting to software changes. He emphasizes the importance of hiring smart, team-oriented individuals and the necessity of careful hiring to minimize retraining and firing. McClour detailed the evolution of digital mapping in his office...

In this episode, Mike Twitty, a former commercial appraiser, discusses his transition to becoming a Property Appraiser in Florida, emphasizing the importance of leveraging technology for efficiency. His county, the second smallest in land mass but sixth in population density, faces unique challenges, including high property density and diverse development. Twitty highlights the impact of new condominium inspection laws and the need...

In this episode, Louis Fitz Morris, Assessor of St. Tammany Parish, and Michael McNeil, Technology Director, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on remote work, the importance of data quality, and the adoption of AI and GIS technology. They highlight the creation of a digital map of the parish, which includes 135,000 parcels, and the challenges of retaining institutional knowledge. They also address the stable property market despite hi...

In this episode, John Smith, Deputy Chief Appraiser in Hall County, Georgia, discusses his journey into the appraisal industry, starting in 2014, and his passion for technology, particularly Power BI for analytics and dashboard creation. He highlights the cyclical nature of the real estate market, noting a recent recovery post-pandemic. John's jurisdiction, mainly residential, has 84,000 parcels, with 73,000 being residential. He e...

In this episode, Jeff Prang, Los Angeles County Assessor, discusses his role and initiatives since 2014. He highlights the department's large scale, with 1,400 employees and a $250 million budget, and the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff, especially with the impact of COVID-19. Prang details new recruitment strategies, including partnerships with community colleges to train appraisers and other staff. He also emphasizes...

In this episode, Stephen White, Director of Cobb County Board of Assessors, discusses the evolution of technology in property tax assessment over 25 years. He highlights the shift to remote work, which has increased productivity by 50%. Stephen emphasizes the use of tablets and AI for fieldwork, reducing time-consuming tasks from weeks to hours. He addresses safety concerns, noting an increase in anti-government sentiments leading ...

In this episode, Stewart Oliver, Chief Appraiser of Gwinnett County since January 2017, discusses his career transition from private appraisal to public service. He emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and the challenges of managing a large county with extensive data. Stewart highlights the rise of tax representatives and the need for public education. He stresses the significance of delegation and triage in pri...

In this episode, Corey Gillenwater, interim chief appraiser at Chatham County, discusses his transition from IT to appraisal, emphasizing the importance of technology in enhancing efficiency. He highlights the office's strong culture, customer service, and the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff. Gillenwater details the shift to mobile technology during COVID-19, implementing Woolpert Mobile Assessor to improve field opera...

In this episode, Roderick Conley, Chief Appraiser for Fulton County, discusses his career transition from real estate to assessment, emphasizing the importance of education and networking. He highlights his roles in DeKalb, Chatham, and Fulton Counties, managing up to 370,000 parcels. Conley addresses staffing challenges, particularly parking costs and remote work logistics. He notes the impact of COVID-19 on remote management and ...

In this episode, James Werner, a GIS specialist and assessor, discusses his journey from fine arts to real estate and assessment work. He highlights his role in implementing GIS in Cook County, Indiana, and the challenges of working with large datasets. Werner emphasizes the importance of operational efficiency, automation, and data collection. He shares his experience with creating GIS maps for various projects, such as gentrifica...

In this episode, Jake Parkinson, former assessor of Tooele, Utah, discusses his career transition from fee appraisal to mass appraisal, highlighting the challenges of running for elected assessor positions. He compares the pros and cons of elected versus appointed assessors, emphasizing the independence of elected officials but the difficulty of raising funds and public support. Parkinson details the shift from market-adjusted cost...

In this episode, we're joined by Kyle O’Hehir, Co-Founder and CTO of Constitution Lending, to talk about the distressed real estate credit market.

We cover:

• Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 00:00

• Kyle’s background in finance and real estate 00:40

• From commodities trading at a hedge fund to real estate assets

• The distressed real estate credit market 3:13

• Buying out debt from other lenders

...

In this episode of the "Assessment Matters" podcast, host William Jarvis sits down with Doug, a seasoned county appraiser with over 35 years of experience. Doug shares his insights on the evolution of the GAAO summer conference, the challenges and strategies of property valuation and appeals in a small county, the importance of empathy and customer service in the assessment profession, and the future trends in real estate and techn...

In this episode, we're joined by Rebecca Malmquist, City Assessor at the City of Minneapolis and IAAO President for 2024. We talk about nurturing the next generation of assessors, the challenges faced by the assessment industry, as well as her vision for IAAO.

We cover:

• Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 00:00

• Rebecca’s bio and big ideas 01:09

• Rebecca’s experience in construction, urban planning, and assessm...

In this episode, we're joined by John Watling, Director at the International Property Tax Institute. We talk about the state of the office industry, related macroeconomic concerns, and relevant challenges for property assessors.

We cover:

• Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 00:00

• John’s bio and big ideas 00:35

• John's experience in property valuation and property tax policy

• The state of the office property se...

In this episode, we're joined by Alex Armlovich, Senior Housing Policy Analyst at the Niskanen Center. We talk about the housing shortage’s impact on affordability, the harms of growth controls, and the significance of property taxation in housing policy.

We cover:

• Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 00:00

• Alex’s bio and big ideas 00:35

• Alex’s experience in housing policy at both the state and federal level

• ...

In this episode, we're joined by Pat Alesandrini, Past-President of IAAO and Chief Deputy Property Appraiser in Hillsborough County, Florida. We talk about the growth and usage of artificial intelligence and machine learning, small jurisdictions and “dark store theory”, as well as other new trends in the assessment industry.

We cover:

• Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 00:00

• Pat’s bio and big ideas 00:35

• Pat’...

In this episode, we're joined by Alex Alsup, Vice President of Research & Development at Regrid. We talk about the Detroit foreclosure crisis, Regrid’s work in collecting land parcel data, as well as transparency and accessibility in assessment.

We cover:

• Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 00:00

• Alex’s bio and big ideas 00:35

• Alex’s experience in parcel mapping, data collection, and tackling the Detroit p...