Frequently Asked Questions

An appraisal review is the act or process of developing an opinion about the quality of another appraiser’s work (i.e., a report, part of a report, a workfile, or some combination of these) that was performed as part of an appraisal or appraisal review assignment. (USPAP, 2024 ed.) In short, it is a process by which an appraisal prepared by another appraiser is reviewed for accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, and compliance with any applicable regulatory standards or client requirements.

Appraisals are needed for real estate conveyances, property valuations, estate transfers, and many other purposes. Specific to the transportation and infrastructure industries, appraisals are required to determine an opinion of value for real estate impacted by roadway or infrastructure projects (e.g., road widening, new road development, bridge construction, pipeline or utility corridors). After an appraisal is prepared, the role of a qualified review appraiser is to review the appraisal report, communicate with the appraiser as to questions or comments, and prepare an appraisal review report to summarize the appraisal's most pertinent conclusions. While all appraisals could benefit from a qualified appraisal review, many governmental entities require appraisal reviews as part of the acquisition process.

A qualified review appraiser in the Texas right-of-way industry should hold an active Certified General Real Estate Appraiser license issued by the Texas Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board, as well as other industry-recognized certifications such as the R/W-AC issued by the International Right-of-Way Association. It is also imperative that the review appraiser has extensive experience in the appraisal industry. As a review appraiser, Jeff Rutherford, SR/WA, R/W-AC, meets and exceeds these requirements. Rutherford Real Estate is uniquely qualified in this area.

Anyone interested in appraisal review(s) can contact Rutherford Real Estate via telephone or email. The basic information required to proceed would include project information, the acquiring entity, and the appraiser’s information. We will be happy to take it from there.