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Homes in a region of diversity

Residential

Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties have a wide range of real estate markets.  Each local economy, Lake Michigan, and the close proximity of Chicago create a complex real estate environment.  Homes may be vacation cottages close to the lake, rural resort homes, primary residences, or lakefront homes.  To appraise in this area, experience is crucial, due to the variety of markets and wide range of property values.
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Vacant land appraisals can be challenging in this area, especially for properties close to Lake Michigan.  A sales comparison approach using comparable sales is usually the only approach to value.  Often, sales data is very limited, and the appraiser must use considerable judgement during the comparable selection process.  Again, experience is important for obtaining credible results in this area.

Vacant Land

Residential Tax Appeals

In recent years, owners have become more aware of the importance of their property tax assessments, which are the basis for their property taxes.  Cities and townships do not have the resources to provide a full, individual appraisal for each  property on their tax roll.  When a professional appraisal is done, the final appraised value can be much different from the assessed value.  Over the years, Joe Farina has helped clients to successfully reduce their property taxes through the appeals process.
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