Articles Articles & Materials Published by Federal Appraisal LLC Professionals. Our library contains numerous resources that are free to use, including articles and reports written by the professionals at Federal Appraisal LLC. Links to several popular titles in our library are provided below. The Appraisal of Power Plants (PDF) This article won the 2014 Swango Award.  The Appraisal Journal’s Editorial Board presents the Swango Award to the best article published during the previous year on residential, general, or technology-related topics, or for original research of benefit to real estate analysts and valuers. The Appraisal of Liquid Fuel Refineries (PDF) The Appraisal of an Appraisal Company (PDF) Defining and Supporting Entrepreneurial Profit and Incentive, and External Obsolescence (PDF) From “The Appraisal Journal, Fall 2009.” Corridor Valuation, the ATF Method, and Maximally Productive Uses - Railroad (PDF) From “Right of Way, August 2008” Benford’s Law and Appraisal (PDF) From The Appraisal Journal, Fall 2017 Edition. If you are interested in testing whether or not there is fraud in your data, please contact us for consultation at mark@federalappraisal.com or 908-534-3590! Building Our Alternative Energy Future (PDF) From “RICS Property World, Winter 2009” Managing Commercial Real Estate Before and During Economic Recessions Relationships between the Overall Property and its Parts, and the Three Approaches to Value From “The Appraisal Journal, Winter 2009” Tax Saving Ideas, November 2001 Federal Appraisal LLC has compiled a list of often overlooked expenses and tax deductions that could improve after tax cash flow and pertain to the real estate industry. Business and Cash Flow Improvement Ideas (How To), How to Improve Your Business by Managing Your Real Estate and Using Appraisal and Appraisal Consulting Services, November 2001. Real estate represents one of the largest capital outlays for businesses. Yet few businesses have professional staff dedicated to the management of their real estate. Consequently, all too often real estate assets are not maximizing their potential yield for their businesses. Here are several actions that businesses can take to maximize their real estate investment yields and values. Weighted Cap Rates & Taxes, by Mark Pomykacz, MAI, February 2001 This article presents a new technical, but easy to use, cost effective analysis that will reduce property taxes. It can be applied to all leased properties, including most office buildings, retail malls, and many industrial buildings, which the traditional tax assessment analysis can not analyze. Power Asset Property Taxes, A Silver Lining!, by Mark Pomykacz, July, 2003 Utility companies are currently suffering a double body blow. They are currently suffering a dramatic industry-wide decline. And in many areas of the country, they are suffering through the negative effects of deregulation; however, while these conditions certainly have a negative impact on power asset values, the effects can be mitigated by acting to reduce property taxes. The tax manager who is knowledgeable of recent industry and assessment events and their implications can find a silver lining in property tax management. Given that property taxes are often the third largest operating expense (behind fuel and payroll), the proper management of property taxes can substantially improve net income and thus preserve company value. Correcting Property Taxes on High-Value Properties, The Variable Tax Rate Phenomenon in Tax-Adjusted Cap Rate Formulas ©, by Mark Pomykacz, July 2003 It is now widely acknowledged that capitalization rates can and should be adjusted for the property tax rate, while the net income should be calculated without the property tax expense, in order to accurately estimate the market value of income producing properties, for property tax assessment purposes; however, the standard property tax adjusting methods assume that the property tax rate is invariable. In fact, for high-value assets, those that represent a substantial portion of the taxing jurisdiction’s taxable base, the property tax rate is dependent on the market and assessed values of the high-value asset. Applying the standard property tax adjusting methods to high-value assets will result in over-estimated market and assessed values, but under-estimated tax rates, and municipal budget short falls. This article explains this phenomenon and presents a formulaic solution that greatly improves appraisal accuracy and budgeting. The formula is easy to use and cost effective. It is expected that the formulas and processes presented herein will be widely used in the planning, negotiation, litigation, and settlement of property tax disputes for high-value properties to the benefit of both the tax payer and the taxing jurisdiction. The taxing jurisdiction will benefit from the avoidance of previously unexpected changes to the tax rate, allowing more accurate budget planning. Furthermore, it will permit the full capture of the taxable base. For the taxpayer, it will provide sound appraisal rationale for relief from under-estimated tax rates, which result in over-estimated assessments and over taxation. Valuation and Litigation, by Mark Pomykacz, MAI, Spring 2000 Perhaps today, litigating our differences has become a normal business venue. Certainly, experience indicates that even the best intentions and the most prudent management practices can offer no guarantee of avoiding litigation. Given that real estate is one of the most expensive business and personal activities, it is not surprising that subtle differences between parties lead to disputes over large dollar amounts. Disputed real estate valuations often range in the $10 of millions and sometimes in the $100 of millions. Even leasing disputes can amount very large, disputed valuations. Over a seven-to-ten-year lease period, many aggregated lease payments will exceed the value (sale price) of the property. Furthermore, the complexity of real estate valuation unfortunately leaves room for dramatically different opinions of value, rent, and damages. The scale of real estate valuations and the complexity of such valuations require the use of real estate valuation experts. Reducing Property Taxes, by Mark Pomykacz, MAI, February 1998 It is again time to celebrate a rising real estate market. Rents are rising. Vacancy is declining. Inflation and expenses remain stable. These fundamentals are increasing values and are increasing property tax assessments. As the real estate community turns its attention to the joys of deal making and development, the diligent will do better as they remember those still important operations efforts, such as property tax appeals. Furthermore, the sophisticated will do best as they employ the full range of tax appeal tools, while many others are conceding that the increased assessments are inevitable. Plain Language Dictionary, by Mark Pomykacz, MAI Mark Pomykacz, MAI, has compiled a plain language dictionary of real estate terms that are commonly misunderstood. While technical and legal definitions abound in the real estate industry, there remains a gap between the highly technical expert’s understanding and the beginner’s understanding. The purpose of this dictionary is to bridge that gap, help prevent costly mistakes and to improve market performance. Mr. Pomykacz provides plain language definitions for these commonly misunderstood terms, along with real world examples and practical advice. Readers of this page are encouraged to also read the common fallacies and mistakes pages. Common Fallacies & Mistakes, by Mark Pomykacz, MAI Mark Pomykacz, MAI, has compiled a list of the most common fallacies and mistakes surrounding real estate appraisal and consulting. Some of these fallacies could be considered humorous if it weren’t for the fact that they cause significant problems and cost of the real estate community millions of dollars. Mostly, it is layman and novices who succumb, but all too often real estate experts also fall victim, while the real estate community does little to dispel these myths. Survey Research Reports Selection Of Approaches to Value for Power Plants As the electricity generation industry shifts from a regulated to a deregulated market, valuation paradigms are also shifting. The purpose of this survey is to examine opinions regarding the most applicable method or methods to value these types of assets. “Options in Real Estate Valuation”, The Appraisal Journal, Summer 2013 Reviewer for the “Real Estate Valuation in Global Markets”, Second Edition, The Appraisal Institute, 2010, ISBN 978-1-935328-12-4 “Defining and Supporting Entrepreneurial Profit and Incentive, and External Obsolescence”, The Appraisal Journal, Winter 2010 “The Energy for Change: Building Our Alternative Energy Future”, Property World, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Winter 2009  “Corridor Valuation, the ATF Method, and Maximally Productive Uses, Recent Observations from the Rail Line”, Right of Way Journal, International Right of Way Association, September 2008 “Correcting Property Taxes on High-Value Properties”, Unpublished, July 2004 "A Generalized Analysis to Determine Three Unknowns; Value, Real Estate Taxes and Real Estate Tax Recoveries”, Assessment Journal, Summer 2003 “Property Taxes, A Silver Lining”, Energy Pulse, July 2003 "Considerations for Valuation and Litigation”, Deloitte & Touche Real Estate Newsletter, New York, April 2000 "Reducing Property Taxes in a Rising Market", Real Estate New York, February 1998

Presentations The people at Federal Appraisal LLC regularly speak and present publicly about real estate and business appraisal.  Please see a partial list of our presentations below. Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute“Exuberant Bubble” or “Fundamentally Sound” Where are Real Estate Prices Going? (PowerPoint)September 2005 IAAO Councils & Sections Public Utility SectionReconciling the Reconciliation (PowerPoint)Charlotte, NC, 2006 Millennials and Real Estate Trends (PowerPoint) 2009 Ethanol Bankruptcy & Acquisitions ConferenceCreating, Maintaining and Measuring of Ethanol Plants (PowerPoint) EMP BahrainSustaining Growth of Infrastructure in Emerging Markets (PowerPoint)Bahrain, 2009 NJCTBA Annual Meeting and ConventionThe Appraisal of Solar Power Assets for Assessment (PowerPoint) 2015 Northeastern Regional Association of Assessing Officers Annual ConferenceAssessing Real & Personal Property & Biz Intangibles (PowerPoint)Portsmouth, NH 2015 New Jersey Seminar of the Society of Professional AppraisersGo Dark Theory (PowerPoint) The 46th Annual Wichita ProgramWhen Obsolescence is Accelerating (PowerPoint)Wichita, KS, 2016 PowerPoint Presentations American Bar Association/Institute for Professionals in TaxationAdvanced Property Tax SeminarImpact of Millennials on Industrial Real Estate & The Go Dark HypothesisNew Orleans, LA, 2017 NRAAO, Annual ConferenceImpact of Millennials on Real EstateMystic, CT, 2017 New Jersey State Bar Association Annual ConferenceBorgata Decision! Appraisal ImplicationsAtlantic City, NJ, 2014 PEI Infrastructure Investor: New YorkManaging Infrastructure Assets: In a Post-Cheap Deb WorldNew York, NY, 2009 Power & Electricity World: Latin America ConferenceCreating and Measuring Value: A Power Plant DevelopmentCoral Gables Florida, 2009 Corpbanca Seminar InvitationFair Value Appraisal for the Real Estate Industry in ChileSantiago, Chile, 2008 The Pan Pacific Valuation ConferenceThe Effects of Deregulation/Privatization on the Selection of Valuation Methodology23rd Pan Pacific Valuation Conference,San Francisco, 2006 Baruch College (CUNY),“Exuberant Bubble” or “Fundamentally Sound”:  Where are Real Estate Prices Going?New York, September, 2005 The Center for Business Intelligence, now Platts, a division of McGraw-HillValuing Generation Assets – Employing Effective Due DiligencePower Asset Mergers and Acquisitions Conference, 2004 Methodologies for Portfolio Valuation of Power Plant Assets6th Annual Electric Asset Valuation Conference, 2004 Sophisticated Valuation Techniques – Theory and Practice5th Annual Electric Asset Valuation Conference, 2003 The International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO)Reconciling the Reconciliation, Power Plants and UtilitiesIAAO Public Utility Section, Charleston, 2006 Recognizing & Separating Real Property, Personal Property, and Intangible Values in Common Indications of ValueIAAO Public Utility Section, Milwaukie, 2006 Cell Towers and Telecommunications PropertyIAAO Legal Update, San Francisco, 2006 Valuing Complex Properties, Power PlantsIAAO Public Utility Section, Boston, 2004 Preparation and Trial Seminar (Mock Trial)IAAO, Las Vegas, May, 2007 Preparing for the Big One – The Trial of a $1 Billion Case; How a Complex Case Illustrates Basic Principles of Valuation and Trial PracticeCAAO 14th Fall Symposium, 2008 The Wichita State University Annual Conference on the Appraisal for Ad Valorem Taxation of Communications, Energy and Transportation Properties Preparing for the Big One – The Trial of a $1 Billion Case; How a Complex Case Illustrates Basic Principles of Valuation and Trial Practice37th Annual Conference, 2007 Rate Basics – Back to the Basics for Experts, Finding a Common Language40th Annual Conference, 2010 When Obsolescence is Accelerating46th Annual Conference 2016 Rutgers University, Office of Continuing EducationBrownfields: Emerging Issues, The Economics of GreenRutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 2008 The Long Island Society of Certified Public AccountantsUnderstanding Key Appraisal Concepts:  Methodologies and Procedures, and Capitalization RatesReal Estate Committee, October, 2005 The Society of Professional AssessorsDark Store v the Force of Market Value, Big Box, Little Box and the Dark Store HypothesisHasbrouck Heights, NJ, April, 2016 Borgata Decision - Separating Real, Personal and Intangible PropertyHasbrouck Heights, NJ, April, 2014 A Case Study in Complex Litigation:  Wheelabrator v City of BridgeportHaddam, CT, November, 2013 Appraising Complex Properties for Property Taxes:  A Power Plant Case StudyMystic, CT, October, 2005 How low can you go?  Cap Rates and Yield Rates Methodologies, Procedures, Market Cycle, and Current IssuesRutherford, NJ, April, 2006 The Institute for Professionals in Taxation, IPT, Annual Property Tax SymposiumValuation of Electric Generating Stations Owned by Independent Power ProducersAustin, Texas, November 2, 2010 Connecticut Association of Assessing OfficersDark Store v the Force of Market Value, Big Box, Little Box and the Dark Store HypothesisUniversity of Connecticut, CT, June, 2016 The Appraisal and Assessment of Big Box and Large Owner-Occupied PropertiesSeptember, 2011 New Jersey County Tax Board AssociationAppraising Solar Power Assets for Property TaxationSeptember, 2011 South Jersey Chapter of the Appraisal InstituteAppraising Solar Power Assets September, 2011 Articles and Publications “Benford’s Law in Appraisal”, The Appraisal Journal, Fall 2018 “The Appraisal of Power Plants”, The Appraisal Journal, Summer 2014This article won the 2014 Swango Award.  The Appraisal Journal’s Editorial Board presents the Swango Award to the best article published during the previous year on residential, general, or technology-related topics, or for original research of benefit to real estate analysts and valuers. “Options in Real Estate Valuation”, The Appraisal Journal, Summer 2013 Reviewer for the “Real Estate Valuation in Global Markets”, Second Edition, The Appraisal Institute, 2010, ISBN 978-1-935328-12-4 “Defining and Supporting Entrepreneurial Profit and Incentive, and External Obsolescence”, The Appraisal Journal, Winter 2010 “Relationships between the Overall Property and Its Parts, and the Three Approaches to Value”, The Appraisal Journal, Winter 2009 “The Energy for Change: Building Our Alternative Energy Future”, Property World, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Winter 2009  “Corridor Valuation, the ATF Method, and Maximally Productive Uses, Recent Observations from the Rail Line”, Right of Way Journal, International Right of Way Association, September 2008 “Correcting Property Taxes on High-Value Properties”, Unpublished, July 2004 "A Generalized Analysis to Determine Three Unknowns; Value, Real Estate Taxes and Real Estate Tax Recoveries”, Assessment Journal, Summer 2003 “Property Taxes, A Silver Lining”, Energy Pulse, July 2003 "Considerations for Valuation and Litigation”, Deloitte & Touche Real Estate Newsletter, New York, April 2000 "Reducing Property Taxes in a Rising Market", Real Estate New York, February 1998

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Blog 2023 Mass Appraisals of All Major Ethanol Plants in US October 30, 2023 In 2023, Federal Appraisal LLC has achieved another significant milestone in the world of appraisals by completing a comprehensive mass appraisal of every major ethanol plant in the country. This monumental effort has far-reaching implications for not only property tax assessors but also for the ownership and management of these vital energy facilities.  These high-quality, cost-effective appraisals are utilized for income tax and investor management and reporting, property tax management and for asset management, accountants and litigation.  Federal has been preparing mass appraisals on the ethanol industry for several years now.  From here Federal is also providing traditional single-plant, full analysis appraisals. Federal Appraisal LLC is a nationally recognized expert in the appraisal of ethanol, biodiesel, and petroleum refineries. Empowering Ethanol Plant Owners The significance of this type of valuation isn't limited to tax assessors alone. Ethanol plant owners now have access to critical data that can help them make informed decisions about their properties. Whether for refinancing, selling, or strategic planning, having up-to-date and precise appraisals of their assets is invaluable. Yearly Updates for Consistent Valuation Data One of the most useful features of mass appraisals is their ability to be updated on a yearly basis. This means that property valuations remain relevant and reliable, providing a continuous source of data for both tax assessors and plant owners. It's a dynamic tool that keeps pace with market fluctuations and evolving plant conditions. Transparency and Public Data It's worth noting that the valuations provided are based on publicly available data. This ensures transparency and fairness in the appraisal process, as the information used is accessible to all parties involved. The reliance on public data sources also maintains the credibility and objectivity of the valuation process. Accounting for Unseen Variables While Federal’s mass appraisals are comprehensive and thorough, it's important to acknowledge that individual valuations can change with the emergence of information not publicly available during the mass appraisal process. Therefore, it's essential for plant owners and tax assessors to stay vigilant and make use of updated single-plant appraisals when significant differences exist in public and non-public information occur. Real-Time Data Collaboration Federal Appraisal LLC collaborated closely with a vast network of city, county, and state property tax assessors, plant managers, government and university researchers and analysts, leveraging a sophisticated database to provide real-time information about the value of ethanol plants within their respective districts. This real-time data collaboration has revolutionized the way we approach ethanol plant valuations, ensuring that property tax assessments and plant financial management are as accurate as possible. In conclusion, the completion of a mass appraisal of every ethanol plant in the country by Federal Appraisal LLC in 2023 is a significant milestone for the real estate industry. It brings real-time data collaboration, transparency, and a continuous source of valuation data to the forefront of ethanol plant management. Whether you're a property tax assessors or an ethanol plant owner, this groundbreaking service offers invaluable insights and opportunities for informed decision-making. For inquiries about our ethanol plant mass appraisal services or to learn more about how we can assist you with your specific appraisal needs, please contact Federal Appraisal LLC. We're committed to providing accurate, up-to-date, and insightful appraisal solutions. News Press Releases Recent media coverage of Federal Appraisal, newly published articles from Federal Appraisal professionals and newly published market surveys from Federal Appraisal.  You may want to search for topics by keyword. Federal Appraisal LLC wins Summary Judgement against IDFPR  (PDF) Judge voids and nullifies all actions of the IDFPR against Federal (PDF) Business Interruption Caused by COVID-19 and Appraisal Issues See our Presentations and Articles page for presentations, articles, and YouTube content by the Professionals from Federal Appraisal LLC. For other articles and other research materials, go to our Library.