The Case Read
A closer read of residential appraisal evidence.
Litigation support for attorneys handling matters where the value of a home is contested. Provided to counsel, at counsel's direction.
The problem it addresses
An appraisal can look complete and still leave important questions open. The report alone does not show which assumptions deserve scrutiny, which conclusions the data can actually support, or which questions could change settlement or trial strategy.
I have been a residential appraiser for thirty years. That experience taught me where reports hold up, where they bend, and which gaps matter.
How the work runs
Counsel sets the question.You identify the property issue, the posture of the matter, and the decision the analysis needs to inform.
I build the appraisal record.I review the subject facts, the report, comparable evidence, adjustments, and market conditions you provide or authorize me to obtain.
I separate fact from judgment.Objective inputs, judgment-sensitive assumptions, missing context, and the issues that could materially affect the appraisal's weight.
You choose the path.A private working memo and a conversation explain what appears well supported and what deserves pressure. How it is used in the matter is your call.
What this is not
- Not a value conclusion or a predetermined opinion.
- Not testimony. A testifying role would be a separate engagement with its own scope.
- Not legal advice. Counsel determines how confidentiality, work-product, and disclosure questions are handled in the matter.
If a matter turns on a residential appraisal
I would welcome a brief conversation about how you handle appraisal evidence now and where a closer read could help.
Email Nathan Bernhardt