Wilson & Hall Appraisals

REALTORS, APPRAISERS, AND LOAN OFFICERS - CAN WE TALK? BY Tom D. Wilson, Jr., SRA Communication is a critical part of the real estate transaction and none of the past or present legislation was ever intended to impede communication. There’s been a lot of confusion on this topic though the years and to truly understand the situation we should look at how this all got started....Continue reading

50 years ago today my father, Darryl Wilson, started what was then Wilson & Associates Appraisal Services in Savannah and then moved the business to Macon where he was also Chief Appraiser at SunTrust Bank (formally Trust Company). He still serves as an invaluable consultant with Wilson & Hall we’re honored and blessed to still have him as a part of our team. Thanks Dad and we love you!

After 20 years of writing a weekly column on appraising in the real estate section of The Telegraph newspaper I’m taking a break from that and writing my weekly article on my Facebook pages only. So if you ever have any questions or ideas on what you’d like me to write about I welcome any suggestions you may have. Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to your thoughts.

THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! By Tom D. Wilson, Jr., SRA If you’re a Realtor and you’ve ever tried to tell a client that their property just isn’t worth what they want you to list it for then you’ve probably felt like Jack Nicholson’s character in A Few Good Men. Some homeowners, it seems, just can’t handle the truth....Continue reading

MOVIE & TV CHRISTMAS SHOW HOME AWARDS This blog is usually about properties that make real estate appraising and selling such an interesting endeavor. In that sense, this week is no different. But the topic of today’s discussion concerns houses that many of us know from our holiday TV viewing. Today I give you the Christmas Show Home Awards. WORST HEATING SYSTEM Ralphie’s humble abode in A Christmas Story... In between avoiding the school bully (Scut Farcus) and trying to get his parents to let him have a Red Rider B.B. Gun, Ralphie would have to listen to his dad curse the furnace while he beat it with a pipe trying to get it to work. In Ralpie’s words his dad, Wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan. BEST RENOVATION George Bailey’s home in It’s A Wonderful Life At the first of the movie we saw this substandard property as the worst house in Bedford Falls. A young George said he wouldn’t even Live in it as a ghost. George and Mary later honeymooned there and raised their family. They got it looking pretty good with the only deferred maintenance being the post at the bottom of the stairs that George never got around to fixing. If you remember the end of the movie George was called The richest man in town. HARDEST HOUSE TO SELL Ebenezer Scrooge’s mansion in A Christmas Carol Nice craftsmanship but there were just too many ghosts showing up in the bedroom. People are funny about poltergeists. BEST ALL AROUND QUALITY Kevin McAllister’s House in Home Alone You name it, it had it. Hardwood floorsHigh ceilings with heavy crown moldinggranite countertops in the kitchenIt even had a cool finished attic where parents could put their unruly children if they disrupted the holiday fun. BEST EXTERIOR ILLUMINATION Clark W. Griswold and Snoopy (Tie) Clark in Christmas Vacation put all the other houses to shame on his block in Chicago. And even though, The little lights weren’t twinkling,, his house was a ‘bute. But Snoopy in A Charlie Brown Christmas actually took first prize in the Colossal Christmas Lights and Display Contest. Good grief. WORST INSULATED HOME The Grinchs’ Place The cave at the top of Mount Crumpet was the absolute draftiest home of them all. Just ask his dog Max. **One thing that was common to all of these homes was love. Some of the homes took a little longer than the others to come around. But love came. It came just the same. So this Christmas season it doesn’t matter if you live in a house like Kevin McAllister’s or a cave like the Grinch. Love is what matters. Love for each other and the love a child gave to us over 2,000 years ago. Like Clarence the angel wrote to George Bailey, No man is a failure who has friends. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

NEW CONSTRUCTION APPRAISALS NOT MEETING SALES PRICE A group of Realtors wrote in with an interesting question: I am in Houston County where there is lots of new construction. There are competing builders building nearly identical homes in various locations spread throughout Houston County. In some S/D’s where a builder is the sole builder, the builders are running into problems with appraisals when (sales) prices are raised to account for land, labor and material increases....Continue reading

CAN YOU TRUST ZILLOW? You see them advertised everywhere on the ‘net these days. Sites known as Automated Valuation Models (AVM’s) offer to tell you the value of a home online. Many of them (Zillow included) are free. Just how accurate are these sites? And should financial decisions involving hundreds of thousands of dollars based on what they say?...Continue reading

WHAT ONE MIDDLE GA APPRAISER IS THANKFUL FOR **That through all the comings and goings of 2020 we are still here and when it is said and done, we’ll be fine. Also, that there’s only 1 month left until 2021! **For the Realtors I get to work with. By and large, they are professional, helpful, and really know their stuff. And I’m proud to call them not only my colleagues but my friends. **I’m th...ankful for the unconditional love of a faithful dog that loves to come to the office with me on days I can take her. For the banks, credit unions, attorneys, CPA’s, and individuals that have enough trust in me to allow them to handle their appraisal business. That is an incredible responsibility and I do not take it lightly. I work with such good people and I am truly blessed to be associated with you all. **That my beloved Dogs apparently have found a QB. **For local music venues (from the larger ones to the small pubs) that allow players to hone their craft and people to listen. And for the fact that I am sometimes lucky enough to be one of those musicians who has the privilege to share the stage with some of the most talented people you will hear anywhere. And I do mean anywhere. **I’m thankful for the crisp, cool air of autumn and the tapestry of colors God has given us this year. Middle Georgia is truly beautiful. I’m thankful I got to share yet another year with my mother and father on this earth. I look around and know there are many who wish they could say the same thing. **For the wonderful people in my office that I get the privilege of working with every day. There are many people that don’t look forward to doing their job. I’m not one of those. For Friday night lights and high-school football. There’s still a little normalcy in this crazy year. **For faith, family and friends. That’s what really makes you wealthy **I’m thankful that you have taken just a few minutes to read this. It is indeed an honor that you would do so. **No matter what your situation is this year we all have reason to give thanks. May we always remember that. Happy Thanksgiving!

For what it's worth here's a recent excerpt from one of my national appraiser newsletters. Evidently, some in the industry were upset about her tactics... https://www.gotostage.com//f04ffdde99d1401782d38cb4a/watch

For what it's worth here's a recent excerpt from one of my national appraiser newsletters. Evidently, some in the industry were upset about her tactics... https://www.gotostage.com//f04ffdde99d1401782d38cb4a/watch

Merry Birthday to my son Nick. It would be impossible for a father to be more proud than I am of you. You are a great husband, friend, and father. And you are a great man. And I love you not because of what you do but rather who you are.

A special thank you to Thurman Hall and Nicholas Dominy for being such an integral part of Wilson & Hall Appraisals. There are not enough words to express what ...you mean to our organization and, more importantly, what you mean to me personally. We are where we are today in large part because of your effort and contributions. Thank you not only for what you do but more importantly, for who you are. See more