What do I need an appraisal for? Who can I get to do an appraisal? Will it complete within my deadline? These are only a few questions that come to mind when trying to figure out the burning question: Do I need an appraisal? 

My name is Ethan Sorensen and I’m a Certified General Appraiser in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. I specialize in agricultural appraisals, both vacant land, and ag commercial properties, in addition to utility towers and rural residential. 

The real estate market, post-COVID, has been unpredictable and very favorable to sellers. Interest rates have increased as of late but in the Ag world, we are not seeing a slowdown yet in farmland values or purchasing power here in the Midwest. Many investors and local landowners are taking advantage of good commodity prices and excess cash available to them. These factors make it hard for landowners to value their property, especially if they are contemplating a sale of their property or trying to gift/a succession plan to the next generation. 

These increases in the market also make it difficult for professionals such as lawyers, bankers, and accountants to get a real-time picture of what that asset and the market as a whole are doing at any given time.