Senior Appraiser
(May be filled at lower level Appraiser or Appraiser Technician depending on qualifications)

Finance Department - Real Estate Division

Non-Exempt, Pay Grade 16

The Senior Appraiser performs complex computer-assisted financial analysis in the valuation of land and improvements of residential, commercial and non-tax properties for assessment purposes. Primary responsibility for enforcement of uniformity in appraising for all classes of property for both land and improvements. Work requires considerable amount of independent judgement and tact, with numerous deadlines and extensive public contact.  Essential functions include and are not limited to the following:

• Annual appraisal of parcels of land, including periodic inspections, through sales comparison, allocation, abstraction, capitalization of ground rent, land residual capitalization or anticipated use methodology.
• Annual appraisal of existing improvements, including periodic inspection, to determine condition and the existence of additions or changes (with or without building permits), as well as field verification of existing data on materials, size, room count, etc.
• Annual determination of physical, functional and economic depreciation of improvements via sales comparison, economic age-life, breakdown, or capitalization of income methodology.
• Annual appraisal of income properties using direct capitalization methods and/or discounted cash flow analysis.
• Annual defense of new appraisals with extensive public contact involving reappraisals and appeals to the Board of Equalization, frequently under contentious circumstances.
• Annual review of Land Use Program appraisals to insure compliance with State and County codes.
• Classification of all improvements by design type and quality to ensure uniformity.
• Timely appraisal of newly constructed properties including cost review with owner/builder.
• Continuous market review of supply and demand factors for both unimproved and improved residential and commercial properties, including sales verification of conditions and terms of all sales transactions with agents, sellers and buyers.
• Continuous market review of sales ratio data for benchmark individual or groups of properties.
• Documentation of essential, dated information needed for the appraisal of each parcel, including information which does not easily conform to computer formatting and information provided in confidence.
• Training of subordinate appraisal personnel.

QUALIFICATIONS:  Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with major course work in Real Estate, Business Management or Economics. Considerable experience in the appraisal of real estate for taxation purposes. Successful completion of the following courses offered by the IAAO: Course 1 - Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal, Course 102 - Income Approach to Value, Course 201 - Appraisal of Land, Course 300 - Fundamentals of Mass Appraisal, Course 301 - Applications of Mass Appraisal Fundamentals and Course 311 - Residential Modeling Concepts.

Prefer an experienced real estate appraiser, specifically with ad-valorem assessment experience and knowledge of the Vision CAMA system. May be filled at Appraiser level based on applicant's knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Thorough knowledge of: the principles and practices of ad valorem appraising; pertinent state and local ordinances and codes; the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (Ethical standards imposed by Congress); local economic and market conditions; actual local construction costs for residential and commercial structures; direct capitalization methods, including familiarity with net present value and internal rate of return techniques using discounted cash flow analysis; computer assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) and report generation as well as spreadsheet analysis programs; cadastral mapping. Read and interpret blue prints and specifications. Strong communication skills, both oral and written, to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public and specifically taxpayers. Valid Virginia Driver’s license required.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND NATURE OF WORK CONTACTS:  Majority of work is field work involving daily use of motor vehicle and daily inspections of pre-existing properties and/or construction sites, often under adverse and possible dangerous conditions and often in adverse weather. Some office work is required. Regular contact with staff in Building Code and Zoning Services, Planning and Engineering departments, lawyers, developers, builders, realtors and fee appraisers, and the general public, primarily taxpayers. Communication is generally cooperative but sometimes characterized by debate. The exchange of information may cover confidential, sensitive or controversial material requiring the use of tact.

SALARY:  Hiring Range: $23.22 – $27.86 per hour/based on experience, education and internal equity.         
                Annual Equivalent: $48,308 - $57,969   

                Internal candidates will receive pay adjustments in accordance with Local Government Personnel Policy, §P-60.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:  Until Filled