Testimonials

Denny Miller

I’ve been a licensed real estate broker in Clark County for approximately 10 years. In many instances, I’ve turned to Ralph Olsen of Pacific West Appraisal for services in real estate transactions I’ve been personally involved with. I have also recommended him on multiple occasions to many of our clients, receiving consistent positive feedback.

I can attest that Ralph is a consummate professional. He is timely, shows great integrity and offers great communication during the appraisal process.

I can personally recommend anyone needing appraisal services to be well served by Pacific West Appraisal and Ralph Olsen.

Elizabeth and Abel Docea

You are absolutely amazing. Your expertise guiding us the whole way and providing trustworthy appraisal of our home was a complete blessing. You were professional, timely, resourceful when we had questions and I couldn't imagine using anyone else. Your level of knowledge shines through and your customer service was unlike others I've come in contact with. You took a 'hard to appraise home' due to many special circumstances that others weren't comfortable or experienced enough to handle and completed the task without any hesitation. I couldn't sing your praises enough. Thank you again for all your hard work and determination to see us through to the end with our tax appeal and come out victorious. wouldn't and couldn't imagine having the same outcome trying to handle it on our own or having someone else attempt to.

 

Jerry Engbrecht - Reliable Remodeling Services, LLC

Thank you for your timely response of your appraisal on our home & property. Your work was very accurate & your price was more than fair.

 

LP

Thank you so much for taking time to coming to property tax appeal court and testifying…Your credentials and professionalism were highly appreciated and thank you again for appraising the house…My attorney was also very impressed by you and mentioned several nice compliments.

Ray

As you know a homeowner has no idea of the value the county assessor will attach to their property until the “Notice of Value” is received sometime between September and December of the year preceding its period of applicable taxing. The property owner never knows exactly when he/she will receive this “Notice of Value” since it has, historically, varied considerably in its time of receipt from previous years. Upon receipt of the notice the property owner must decide if there is reasonable doubt as to the accuracy of the assessor’s assumptions of value. In addition, the property owner has only 60 days to investigate the sales of other properties in the county, determine which are similar and will be accepted by the assessor and the Board of Equalization as being “like” properties for the purpose of price comparison, research and document their sale and then attempt to “adjust” the significant features of each property to match that of the property owner proposing to file an appeal. In addition, the property owner is required to find comparable sales that occurred on December 31 or make the necessary “adjustment” in value to those that were sold on or near December 31, as required by the tax assessor.

Being a professional appraiser you are well aware that this process of “required adjustments” is beyond the ability of nearly every property owner. If the valuation “adjustments” are done improperly, without industry equivalent expertise the property owner’s analysis will not be accepted and the claim will be forfeited. In other words, the property owner has wasted his time and effort learning he is not able to comply with the state’s mandated requirements for property evaluation. In my opinion the state has set the bar very high and includes a myriad of restrictions on what evidence the property owner may utilize in presenting his case and “stacks the deck” heavily in favor of the county assessor. Add to this the fact that most of the assessment values proposed by the assessor’s staff are done by “appraisers” not licensed to do property appraisals outside of the assessor’s office and the difficulty is compounded. In other words, the appraisals the county puts forth as the true market value of one’s property are the work of an employee who does not have the credentials to do the same in private practice.

Having appealed the tax assessor’s market value of our property in the past we have found it extremely helpful to utilize the expertise of a licensed real estate appraiser. The service provided by a licensed appraiser is extremely helpful to the property owner. Granted, successful appeals do occur without professional assistance but the amount of time required and the risk of total rejection ought to discourage most property owners not practiced in the appeal process. Failure is common.