Original Articles by ASA Philadelphia Appraisers & Counsel

Auction Theory, Game Theory, and Appraisal:
by Walter O'Connell, ASA
A number of strategies can be employed in dealing with the issue of observed variances in auction data but it is clear that before such strategies can be put in place the type of auction, level of trade, and participants of an auction must be understood and properly analyzed in any appraisal assignment.... Read more

To Trend in Excel, or Forecast in Excel, That is the Question:
by Walter O'Connell, ASA
From time to time when working with Excel tables with a period/time column (x-value) and data column (y-value) there is missing data. This missing data needs to be trended or forecasted to complete the data set for proper use. Or, for a prospective study, we just need to forecast possible future outcomes when data is not yet available.... Read more

The Ideal Pricing Index:
by Walter O'Connell, ASA
It’s time to index some pricing data you were given, or better yet, data you have compiled on your own data. You have decided on the collection method that you are going to use: survey, interview, focus group or, at a bare minimum, obtained data from a reliable and confrmable source. You have remembered to make sure the data is accurate, consistent, precise and most of all without bias.... Read more

So You Want to Be a Personal Property Appraiser:
by Susan Golashovsky, ASA, Judith Lepow, ASA, & Nelson Clayton, ASA
Anyone who has ever watched the Antiques Roadshow has been fascinated by the person who knows just what that special item is and how much it is worth. But what exactly is an appraiser and what type of education is needed? ... Read more

Determining the Value of a Work of Art:
by Rochelle Eisenberg, ASA
How does an appraiser determine value? An appraiser performs a systematic analysis of sales records of objects similar to the item being appraised. Information is gathered from galleries, auction houses, computer databases, and other sources. ... Read more

Supreme Court Approves Taking of Private Property for Economic Development :
by David B. Snyder, Esq.
The United States Supreme Court issued one of its most controversial opinions of this term in June 2005 when it found that a local government has the power, under certain circumstances, to condemn private property for economic development. In a 5-4 decision, the Court in Kelo v. City of New London, held that the city of New London could use its power of eminent domain to take homes as part of a development plan aimed at improving the economy of a distressed city. ... Read more

The Privacy Act and Appraisers:
by Chuck Basch, Esq.
Numerous articles and analyses have been published regarding the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (G-L-B Act) and its impact upon various industries. Only a very few of those discussions, however, explored the Act's relationship to the appraisal profession. In researching such data in my capacity as counsel to the Philadelphia Chapter of ASA, I reached the conclusion that the most succinct commentary was prepared by The Appraisal Foundation in an Article published in June 2001 and titled "The Appraisal Foundation White Paper: Privacy Regulation and the Appraiser.". ... Read more