Kern Valuation Services

Real Estate Appraisal Services for Bakersfield and Kern County

Steve Magar

What is an SRA Appraiser, and Why Does It Matter?

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Steve Magar is an SRA Appraiser in Bakersfield, California.

When it comes to choosing a property appraiser, there’s a reason some professionals stand out from the rest. The SRA designation, awarded by the Appraisal Institute, is one of the highest recognitions an appraiser can earn in the field of residential real estate. So, what makes SRA appraisers like myself so distinct, and why should it matter to you?

Advanced Training and Expertise

The SRA designation signifies a level of expertise that goes well beyond state licensing requirements. To achieve this, an appraiser must complete rigorous education, demonstrate practical experience, and commit to strict ethical standards. For homeowners, attorneys, real estate agents, and CPAs, working with an SRA-designated appraiser means you’re getting someone who’s not only well-versed in residential valuation but has also mastered the complexities that often come with unique or high-value properties.

While standard appraisers can handle most “cookie-cutter” properties, SRA appraisers are prepared to go a step further. We’re equipped to handle historical homes, estates with unique characteristics, and properties that simply don’t fit into the traditional valuation mold. This knowledge and adaptability are crucial when your property falls outside the norm.

Local Market Insight

An SRA appraiser brings a depth of local market knowledge that’s hard to beat. For example, here in Kern County, I know the subtleties that can impact property values across different neighborhoods, from the character of older homes to the appeal of tree-lined streets in Westchester or Olde Stockdale. This understanding helps ensure that appraisals reflect a property’s true value based on specific neighborhood dynamics, not just generic trends.

For clients, this local insight means you’re getting a valuation that accurately accounts for unique market influences. If you’re in the process of estate planning, navigating a divorce settlement, or managing property tax assessments, having an appraiser who truly understands the area adds significant value.

Uncompromising Ethical Standards

The SRA designation also sets a high bar for ethics. SRA appraisers are held to the Appraisal Institute’s strict code of professional conduct, which emphasizes transparency, honesty, and objectivity. When you hire an SRA-designated appraiser, you’re working with a professional committed to unbiased, fair valuations—critical in legal contexts or financial decisions where impartiality is a must.

The Right Choice for Complex or High-Stakes Appraisals

Whether you’re a homeowner, real estate agent, attorney, or CPA, choosing an SRA appraiser ensures you’re working with a valuation expert who can handle the nuances of residential real estate with skill, precision, and integrity. It’s about getting the right value for your property and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve hired a true professional. When an appraisal needs to be done right, the SRA designation is more than just letters; it’s a guarantee of quality, reliability, and expertise.

Steve Magar, SRA
Certified General Appraiser and owner of Kern Valuation Services, specializing in complex residential appraisals in Kern County.
📞 Call us at 661-489-3652 or request a fee quote HERE.

Why choose an SRA designated appraiser?

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When it comes to real estate appraisals, especially for complex or high-stakes situations, choosing an SRA-designated appraiser can make all the difference. The SRA designation, awarded by the Appraisal Institute, signifies an appraiser’s advanced expertise in residential valuation, rigorous ethical standards, and a commitment to delivering the highest-quality assessments. Here’s why hiring an SRA-designated appraiser like Steve Magar can be one of the best choices for your real estate needs.

Proven Expertise in Complex Residential Appraisals

Achieving the SRA designation requires extensive education, practical experience, and mastery in residential valuation. Appraisers with the SRA designation don’t just meet basic state licensing standards—they go above and beyond, equipped with advanced skills to handle unique property types, historical homes, and homes with complex valuation needs. For any property that deviates from the standard cookie-cutter model, an SRA appraiser’s expertise is invaluable.

Unmatched Market Insight

An SRA-designated appraiser knows the local market inside and out, which is crucial for accurate and fair property valuations. For instance, appraisers like Steve Magar, who have years of experience in Kern County, understand not just market trends but the nuanced factors that can affect home values in specific neighborhoods. This local insight helps ensure that your property valuation reflects the true market dynamics at play.

A Commitment to Quality and Ethics

The Appraisal Institute upholds strict ethical guidelines for its SRA appraisers, which means you’re getting an appraiser committed to integrity, transparency, and fairness. SRA appraisers follow best practices in valuation methodologies, which gives clients peace of mind knowing they’re working with a professional who adheres to the industry’s highest standards. Whether for estate planning, tax assessments, or legal matters, an SRA appraiser’s dedication to accuracy and ethics can add a layer of security and confidence.

Comprehensive Approach with Evidence-Based Valuation and Data Analytics

An SRA appraiser brings a broad toolkit to the valuation process, including advanced analytical techniques and data-driven valuation practices. Appraisers like Steve Magar leverage data analytics and evidence-based valuation methods to extract market trends specific to each neighborhood. This provides clients with a clear, data-backed understanding of the property’s worth. This thorough approach to analysis means your valuation is backed by not only experience but also cutting-edge techniques for added accuracy and reliability.

Recognized and Respected by Legal and Financial Professionals

For attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, working with an SRA-designated appraiser offers a level of credibility and authority that’s widely respected in the industry. SRA appraisers are frequently called upon for expert witness testimony, complex estate valuations, and litigation support, thanks to their thorough understanding of property law and valuation principles. With an SRA appraiser, legal and financial professionals can feel confident they have a trusted expert on board.

In the world of real estate appraisals, experience and integrity are invaluable assets. Choosing an SRA-designated appraiser like Steve Magar means entrusting your valuation needs to a professional who’s not only highly trained but also deeply committed to delivering accurate, reliable results tailored to your unique situation. When the stakes are high, an SRA designation is more than a credential—it’s a mark of excellence you can depend on.

Zillow Zestimates – Know When It Doesn’t Work and What Works

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Zillow was founded in 2005 – a time when real estate was doing great before the big crisis. It brought with it all the power of the internet by allowing users to see how much homes were sold for.

In essence, this could have been tremendous. If buyers could just see the home value posted online, this could have changed the industry forever. This way, there would be no need for appraisers, lending standards would become less aggressive, and fees would just go down.

However, that clearly isn’t the case today.

The thought of having one platform show property listings to millions of people worldwide is both exciting and terrifying for real estate professionals.

The exciting part? Real estate agents can advertise their skills and listings to millions of potential buyers. Agents can even opt for premium accounts for additional listing exposure.

The terrifying part?

  1. It is too common to see homes on Zillow overpriced. In some cases, homes don’t get Zestimates at all.
  2. The leads Zillow generates are of low quality. Users pay high fees for uninterested or non-responsive leads.

Alright, so we see both pros and cons to Zillow. What now?

That is now entirely up to you.

The company is one of the biggest names in real estate, and maybe it can get you the exposure you needed. A word of advice though – be prudent with your spending.

It may be normal for the zestimates to be wrong since these aren’t strictly following best practices in appraising residential properties. But, being a huge brand and not being able to provide value for money leads is a big red flag.

If not Zillow, where else can you go for leads?

You have probably heard it before, but didn’t believe it for one reason or another – Facebook.

Yes, it is true that there is a lot of noise on the world’s biggest social network. But, it is equally true that there are effective ways to advertise to potential clients to rake in those leads.

Before this becomes really long, let me just summarize the point by saying that I’ve seen how Facebook works and doesn’t work for real estate. When you use the formats everyone uses or if you use very ‘salesy’ content for your ads, you just become part of the noise.

On the other hand, focusing the attention on the customer by giving them everything they need gets it done. There’s just nothing more fulfilling for either the buyer or seller than doing something because of trust, and relationships build that.

Yes, sure, it may take money to earn more, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this day and age, leaders in digital marketing know that the trend leans towards giving value first – no if’s and but’s.

In the end, the platform’s business model dictates whether you can thrive in it or not.

Does it offer decent ROI in a short span of time?

Does it allow potential clients to build trust in your brand?

Does it help gather leads who are already interested in a specific product or service?

If the answer to all three is a Yes, then you know you’re in good hands.

Conclusion

Typical outbound marketing efforts include having costly kiosks in big networking events. Even in the rise of the digital age, the internet was used for something similar – setup a loud and costly advertisement that reaches many people and expect sales.

In the world of real estate, Zillow can be that big and loud platform.

There may have been a time that these methods worked perfectly, but today is certainly different as people now look for something more intimate.

The difference would be like having a busy public speaker or this quiet yet knowledgeable friend waiting for your call. Who would you rather turn to for help?

Using ‘Price Per Square Foot’ for Home Valuation – Debunking The Myth

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Tell me I’m wrong.

We like to make things faster and simpler – less traffic, shorter lines, instant messaging and even instant noodles.

Because of this, it is so nice for us to see an ‘all-in-one’ appraisal method used to find out property values. This is where the price per square foot method comes in.

It’s easy to recall and it’s easy to apply to many different kinds of properties. You can get this figure by dividing the selling price with the gross living area.

However, that is exactly why it should not be an approach to getting an accurate home appraisal. Pricing a home by the square foot overlooks everything from decorative lawns to high-tech kitchens.

You may hear a lot of opinions around this topic, but you can learn even more by reading between the lines.

Price per square foot seems to work if you consider factors like improvements, condition of the house, market expectations, diminishing returns, etc.

In other words, there really are many factors to look at and, therefore, no real magic formula that considers everything in one look.

To connect, as a licensed property appraiser, I personally shun this method since there are systems to valuation that need to be applied to come up with a reliable figure.

I’m sorry if I come out strong when talking about this. But when I hear the phrase ‘price per square foot’, my gut tells me to just correct the thinking of the person I am talking to.

What happens when ‘price per square foot’ is used in appraisals?

Here are a few points that make this approach impractical when used to find out property values:

  • When the smaller house in the example has at least one fixture that is more valuable, it will STILL less expensive.
  • The method does not account for premiums imposed when buying gross living area in excess of a specified limit.
  • High-performance housing may have desirable features that make them more valuable and increase the market value of a home. Using a generic figure like price per square foot may not work well at all.
  • Buyers may end up being deceived since features and amenities that can affect the actual gross living area are unaccounted for. This can even have negative tax implications since the value is not clearly backed by a feature of the house.
  • Offers are typically made in lump sums rather than price per square foot; this makes the method rather irrelevant in most cases.
  • Lastly, the appraisal method may be weak and prone to holes when used in legal disputes.

How are appraisals supposed to be done then?

Although there is no one true ‘best’ appraisal method, I believe standards make the process as smooth as possible.

In a guide I made, the appraisal process is detailed to show what homeowners should look at.

We typically use one or a combination of three methods to find out property values: sales comparison, cost, and income approaches.

Among other things, the guide emphasized how fixtures are overlooked. Appraisers look at these in detail so they can see the unique features of a house versus other similar ones in a neighborhood.

On top of that, it shows what you should look for in an appraiser so you know for sure you got a good one.

In conclusion, apart from having an overall neutral stance, this only means that the ‘best’ appraiser for you is the one who has principles that agree with you.

Can price per square foot be used for getting home value?

On the flipside though, pricing by the square foot may work for realtors when talking with buyers. So the answer is – yes, it can work for estimates, but no, not for formal appraisals.

Think about it. Buyers and realtors go through a lot before even talking about the market value of a home.

The buyer calls, the realtor does a follow-up call, the buyer looks for something else, the realtor gives more options, etc. This is may even be a ‘perfect’ scenario since the buyer calls first!

Anyway, that’s enough of that.

After all of those steps, going straight to business should be a high priority.

So, it only makes sense to use a quick fix such as price per square foot for purposes of discussing estimates.

After the realtor and the buyer agree on a house, then property appraiser enters the picture.

When it comes to valuing property, there are vast differences between how a realtor and how an appraiser does it.

This doesn’t condemn either of them in any way; there are simply vast differences between their roles.

Realtors need to come up with estimates so a prospective buyer can make certain decisions and property appraisers need to find out property values using proven methods.

Selling dozens to hundreds of houses lets realtors really know their house values. Jumping from one neighborhood to another just does that to you.

Having said this, it only makes sense that professionals can find out property values based on instinct. At least when it comes to estimates, anyway.

However, the final number presented to lenders and other parties require a more specific set of processes.

To this end, the price per square foot method just doesn’t cut it.

More and more factors increase the value of a house nowadays – ventilation, sustainability, interior design, solar systems, etc.

When you compare two identical houses using this method, things won’t add up.

As a result, the one with a larger gross living area will always be more expensive even when one of them has more of the features mentioned.

Conclusion

To this end, I wish I could give you a comprehensive home valuation calculator, but it just doesn’t work that way if you wish to get a real appraisal for buying or selling a house.

The supposedly convenient method may very well be a myth in the world of professional home appraisals.

There’s no need to worry though; appraisals don’t have to be complicated. Just look for licensed residential appraisers who are experts in their local area and you’ll be in good hands.

Have you tried a price per square foot appraisal that worked for you?

I’d be very much interested to hear your story. Feel free to shoot a message in the comments section below!