Appraisal Services Staff Members: (top row) Larry Ragels, Alex Glade, Shawn Redfield, Brian Holly, Zebulum Mathews, (bottom row) Maggie Torres-Wilking, Helen Honse, Liz Hanna and Jerry Stoebig.
For most of us, the only contact that we may have with an appraiser is when we are selling or refinancing our home. The appraiser makes a determination on the value of our property and we hope that the value is more than what we owe the bank.
The NBC Appraisers, however, have a more difficult task than appraising a home; they provide market value appraisals concerning real estate that is being purchased or sold on behalf of the Department of the Interior (DOI). The types of properties appraised includes recreational, commercial, industrial, and residential and also involve various components such as minerals, waters rights, and timber. Considering that DOI manages 507 million acres of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States - that is no easy task.
Within the State of Nevada, as an example, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administers almost 48 million acres of public land; comprising 67 percent of the state. The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), allows the Bureau of Land Management to sell public land within a specific boundary around Las Vegas, Nevada. The revenue derived from land sales is split between the State of Nevada General Education Fund (5%), the Southern Nevada Water Authority (10%), and a special account available to the Secretary of the Interior for:
- Acquiring environmentally sensitive land in the State of Nevada.
- Capital improvements at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and other areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Clark County, and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
- Developing a multi-species habitat conservation plan in Clark County.
- Funding the development of parks, trails, and natural areas in Clark County, Nevada, pursuant to a cooperative agreement with a unit of local government.
- Conservation Initiatives on Federal land in Clark County, Nevada, administered by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture.
Other provisions in the SNPLMA direct certain land sale and acquisition procedures, direct the BLM to convey title to land in the McCarran Airport noise zone to Clark County, and provide for the sale of land for affordable housing.
As you can see, obtaining a supported market value appraisal for real estate in Las Vegas is critical and impacts many - the State of Nevada, the Department of the Interior, the environment, the schools and ultimately all American citizens. Since the inception of the Appraisal Services Directorate, we have completed virtually over 250 appraisals and 900 appraisal reviews.
Below are some questions and answers on the Appraisal Services Directorate:
When Were We Established?
On November 12, 2003, after months of meetings and collaborative efforts by members of the Appraisal Reform Team, Secretary Norton formally announced the consolidation and transfer of the real estate appraisal functions to one office under the National Business Center (NBC). The Appraisal Services Directorate was created through the consolidation of appraisers from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the National Park Service (NPS), and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). In a June press release, Secretary Norton stated, "it is critical that we provide objective appraisals of value of lands under consideration for acquisition or exchange."
Why the Consolidation?
Secretary Norton's action to consolidate the real estate appraisal function responds to long-standing concerns about the management of appraisal functions. "Consolidating appraisal functions will ensure that appraisals are credible. This will help restore public confidence in our ability to carry out land transactions in a manner that upholds the public interest." The new organization will also provide an opportunity for the Department to develop a highly skilled, independent professional corps of appraisers able to provide the high level of appraisal services required by our multiple land management responsibilities.
Why Consolidate in the NBC?
The NBC is appropriately suited to house the new appraisal organization as it provides Department-wide business and administrative services and systems to Interior bureaus and offices, including payroll, financial and accounting services, procurement, information technology, and aviation services. With its variety of locations, the NBC is organizationally structured to provide administrative and infrastructure support to the appraisers.
Who Are We?
The Director - Appraisal Services/Chief Appraiser reports directly to the Director of the National Business Center. The Appraisal Services Directorate (ASD) is organized into seven regions, each managed by a Regional Appraiser who reports directly to the Chief Appraiser. The seven regional offices are located in: Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN; Atlanta, GA; and Washington, DC. In addition, there are 22 field offices located around the country.
What Services Do We Provide?
The Appraisal Services Directorate provides four formal services to the client Bureau's within the Department: Appraisals, Appraisal Review, Appraisal Consulting and Concessions Valuation.
Who are Our Clients?
Our clients include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the National Park Service (NPS), and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
What Are We Doing?
We are transitioning into NBC; standardizing our policies and procedures, transferring our IT applications to NBC; and consolidating our space.
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