Is your property the scene of a famous murder? Or perhaps a group suicide? Andrew Khouri profiles Randall Bell, a specialist real estate appraiser, who'll estimate just how much that "doom-and-gloom" is going to hurt your bottom line.
"[Bell's] caseload is ripped from the headlines: Nicole Brown Simpson's Brentwood condo; the Rancho Santa Fe mansion where 39 Heaven's Gate cult members committed suicide; JonBenet Ramsey's house in Colorado; the World Trade Center site; properties damaged in the Rodney King riots and by Hurricane Katrina," writes Khouri.
"Oftentimes, Bell's clients don't care about property damage — any appraiser could handle that. What they want is some clue about how long their house will remain stigmatized. Should they sell now? Maybe rent it out? Sell later?"
"Bell leans on 20-plus years of disaster appraisals and research to give clients reports — sometimes 100 pages thick, packed with details on the property's problematic history, cases studies of similar troubles and, ultimately, his conclusion."
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A recent article tries to tie public transit and walkability to social disorder — but in fact, sprawling Sunbelt cities like Memphis are as likely to have high crime rates as transit-rich metropolises such as New York and San Francisco.
Beltline Surpasses Annual Affordable Housing Goal
The Atlanta Beltline agency is actively working to prevent the displacement of longtime residents along the trail system, where property values are rising rapidly.
Did Brookings Get It Wrong?
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Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
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HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
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Has President Trump Met His Match?
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San Francisco Announces Plan to Overhaul Homelessness Strategy
Mayor Lurie’s three-phase plan promises 1,500 new shelter beds and a restructuring of outreach teams and supportive service programs.
$5 Billion Rental Assistance Fund Set to Run Out of Cash
“No additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming,” HUD announces.
Denver Could Eliminate Parking Requirements
The city could remove parking mandates citywide to reduce the cost of housing construction and ease permitting for new projects.
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