Rotten Apples

When I was quite young my father taught me a principal that I would now like to present to my readers. “What is the value of a rotten apple?”, he would ask. The puzzlement of my lurid imagination would often take the conversation way off track. But through his patient, instructive way he would gently push and pull me back on track to properly evaluate the question.

If you consider for a moment that a rotten apple attracts bugs or worms then perhaps you could account for the possibility of selling these critters as bait; however, this certainly can not be the answer. There is a certain oder to the rotting fruit that will also detract from its appeal.

It cannot be eaten or sold, the colorants may be useful in the making of dyes, but certainly not to the extent of other more vibrant fruits. “So what is the value of a rotten apple?” I would finally ask.

The answer of course is that to wrong person, a person without the ability to look into the future, a person without basic understanding, or a person who lacks time and patience, this fruit is worthless.

However, to someone who understands the nature of fruit, who has forethought and the ability to see beyond the now, a rotten apple can be worth quite a bit. The fruit itself is useless, but it has seeds. Its seeds can be cultivated and grown into a successful orchard and over time this worth can far exceed even the most ambitious expectations for an experienced investor.

So what does this have to do with real estate appraisal? Perhaps nothing, or perhaps it helps us to understand that even the most useless property has value as long as we take the time to understand the nature of the property, its location, and its potential highest and best use which, with the proper diligence, can recognize value for future generations.

Of course this may be more applicable to real estate investors, than real estate appraisers; however, in this economy I believe it is time for appraisers to put their knowledge to work and begin to plan for their futures by purchasing and managing properties for themselves. Of course and of course, I am in no way suggesting an appraiser buy something that he has appraised. This would be completely unethical and someone who does this should go to jail.

What I am suggesting is that appraisers pay attention while they conduct research, and target properties that are good investments. Put to use the knowledge that each of us has acquired and begin to profit from our skills instead of only telling others what something is worth.

This is my two cents for today! Now go and find a few “rotten apples“!  With the right management and care, who knows what kinds of  “orchards” your future generations can enjoy.

See you around the water cooler!!

Uncle Zev