Book Review: The Life of an Appraiser

Susan R. Stoltz’s The Part-Time Thief and Other Appraisal Stories is a combination of entertaining and educational topics regarding real estate appraisals. Intended for real estate agents, mortgage brokers, loan officers, and the general public, the purpose of this book is to relate the dangers and the constant ethical dilemmas that face the appraiser in a job that few consider high risk. It is a delightful collection of short stories detailing the days in the life of an appraiser, filled with jaw-dropping decisions and hilarious situations.

Original on a multitude of levels, the message that Stoltz wishes to send through this book is the notion that, while most of us are ethical in our occupations, there are a number of individuals who fall prey to avarice, and unfortunately the real estate industry is fraught with many who are anything but ethical.

With a genuine writing style and authentic content, this book is powerfully appealing. Stoltz describes real-life situations that, for a real estate appraiser, create conflicts that involve making choices between following the rules or doing something, regardless of the rules, that would result in a profit.

Throughout the book, the conversations and descriptions are often sympathetic toward the appraiser, who frequently finds herself walking into completely unsuspecting situations that can even turn dangerous very quickly. Overall, Stoltz’s take home point is apparent: don’t take the job if it involves compromising your ethical principles as a real estate appraiser.

This book gains credibility directly from the experiences of Susan R. Stoltz, who herself was a real estate appraiser for fifteen years, in various geographical locales. As a result, the book provides significant insight, offering different perspectives on how to handle situations with respect to demographics.

Ultimately, Stoltz expresses a considerable level of concern for the appraiser and the risks involved, as it examines clients’ interests as they often do whatever it takes to get to the bottom line–regardless of principle. One overarching theme of The Part-Time Thief and Other Appraisal Stories is its consideration of the condition of the mortgage industry circa 2010 and the role appraisers have played in the controversy.

This is a must read for anyone seeking to learn about the job of real estate appraiser and the market without digging into a thousand-page technical text. Truly, the reader will not only come away informed, but also highly entertained. The book can be ordered on Amazon.com, BN.com, and almost everywhere books are sold.

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