Analytics
Evaluations
In certain low-risk lending scenarios, federal banking regulations allow lenders to obtain an evaluation in place of a full appraisal. Evaluations are streamlined reports that provide essential property insights without the depth or scope of a conventional narrative appraisal. They are particularly common in mortgage and commercial lending, where efficiency and cost savings are important but compliance cannot be compromised.
Unlike many evaluation providers, Archstone Group offers a dual-path solution:
- Non-appraiser evaluations that satisfy Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines.
- Restricted-use appraisals prepared by MAI-designated and Certified General Appraisers that comply with USPAP standards and state licensing requirements.
This flexible approach ensures clients receive timely, cost-effective reports matched to their specific regulatory, risk, and transaction needs — without sacrificing quality or defensibility.
Regulatory Thresholds for Appraisal Exemptions
Transactions where evaluations may be substituted for a full appraisal include:
- Real estate-related financial transactions ≤ $400,000.
- Commercial real estate transactions (not secured by 1–4 family residential property) ≤ $500,000.
- Business loans ≤ $1 million, provided repayment is not primarily dependent on real estate collateral.
- Renewals or extensions of existing credit, where no new money is advanced and the institution’s collateral position has not deteriorated.
Why Choose Archstone for Evaluations?
- Credibility: Led by MAI and Certified General Appraisers with 20+ years’ experience.
- Regulatory Confidence: Reports designed to withstand bank examiner review and internal audit.
- Flexibility: From high-level evaluations to restricted-use appraisals, matched to your transaction.
- Efficiency: Faster turnaround times with the assurance of compliance and defensibility.
Archstone Group’s evaluation practice combines white-glove client service, seasoned professional oversight, and 21st-century technology to deliver results that are not only efficient but also reliable, defensible, and aligned with long-term risk management strategies.
Narrative Appraisals
A narrative appraisal is the gold standard of valuation reporting — delivering the depth, analysis, and defensibility that complex real estate decisions demand. Unlike streamlined evaluation reports, narrative appraisals provide a comprehensive examination of the subject property, its market, and the broader economic context, giving clients the clarity and confidence to act decisively.
Archstone Group prepares narrative appraisals for a wide range of stakeholders, including:
- Lenders and financial institutions making secured lending decisions.
- Tax attorneys and legal consultants requiring defensible valuations for litigation, tax appeals, and estate matters.
- Asset managers, investors, and REITs optimizing portfolios or assessing acquisitions and dispositions.
- Municipal, state, and federal agencies relying on transparent, impartial reports.
- Estate holders, high-net-worth individuals, and business owners — from family enterprises to Fortune 500 brands like McDonald’s or Best Buy — requiring valuations for planning, transfer, or compliance.
- The general public, whether for investment or owner-user purposes.
The Benefits of a Full Narrative Appraisal
- Comprehensive Analysis : Incorporates all three valuation approaches (income, sales comparison, and cost), alongside in-depth market, demographic, and economic research.
- Credibility & Compliance : USPAP-compliant and supported by MAI and Certified General Appraisers with decades of experience.
- Decision-Making Power : Informs financing, acquisitions, dispositions, litigation, estate settlement, taxation, corporate strategy, and long-term planning.
- Data-Rich Insights : Built upon direct access to both national and local databases, ensuring every conclusion is supported by verifiable and transparent data.
- Technology-Driven Delivery : Advanced appraisal technology and modeling tools expedite report completion without sacrificing quality.
- Client Experience : Delivered with white-glove service, ensuring responsiveness, clarity, and personalized guidance at every step.
At Archstone Group, our narrative reports do more than estimate value — they empower business, legal, and financial leaders with the confidence to make strategic decisions. By uniting rigorous professional judgment, verified data, and 21st-century technology, we ensure every appraisal stands as a trusted resource in a complex, ever-changing real estate landscape.
Desktop Appraisals
Desktop appraisals are a flexible valuation option that deliver reliable results without requiring a new, on-site physical inspection of the property. These reports are typically prepared as restricted-use or full appraisals and rely on a combination of public records, MLS data, mapping technology, aerial imagery, photographs, and other third-party resources to form a credible opinion of value.
This format is particularly well-suited to situations where :
- The client or end-user already has a strong familiarity with the property.
- The appraiser has previously inspected the subject and sufficient data remains relevant.
- The assignment involves time-sensitive decisions, such as portfolio monitoring, refinancing, or loan renewals.
- The property type is standardized or well-documented, reducing the need for a new site visit.
The Benefits of Desktop Appraisals
- Efficiency: Faster turnaround times and lower costs compared to traditional appraisals.
- Credibility: Prepared by Certified General and MAI-designated appraisers, ensuring compliance with USPAP and banking guidelines.
- Flexibility: Can be issued as restricted-use reports for internal decision-making or as full appraisals when required by regulators.
- Risk Alignment: Matches scope of work to the risk profile of the transaction, helping lenders and consultants maintain compliance while saving resources.
Why Archstone Group ?
At Archstone Group, our desktop appraisals combine white-glove customer service, direct access to local and national databases, and 21st-century technology to deliver accurate, defensible results on an expedited basis. Our team knows when a desktop approach is appropriate — and just as importantly, when a full narrative appraisal is required to ensure reliability. This judgment ensures clients never compromise on quality, compliance, or defensibility.Cost Segregation Studies
A Cost Segregation Study is one of the most powerful — yet often underutilized — financial tools available to property owners. By identifying and reclassifying certain building components into shorter depreciable lives, property owners can accelerate depreciation, reduce tax liability, and unlock substantial cash flow benefits.
Who Benefits?
Every type of real estate owner can benefit from a cost segregation study:
- Commercial property owners can improve operating cash flow and increase available capital for reinvestment.
- Business owners — from small enterprises to Fortune 500 companies — can optimize tax positions while continuing to occupy and grow their facilities.
- Investors and developers can enhance ROI and improve project feasibility by capturing accelerated tax benefits upfront.
- Private owners of owner-occupied residential properties who have recently purchased or materially renovated their homes may be eligible for accelerated depreciation, creating meaningful tax savings.
- Even if the property was purchased years earlier, owners can often apply cost segregation retroactively, unlocking previously missed depreciation deductions and reducing current tax burdens.
The Benefits of a Cost Segregation Study
- Accelerated Depreciation: Reclassifies components (such as fixtures, finishes, and certain site improvements) into 5, 7, or 15-year asset classes instead of 27.5 or 39 years.
- Immediate Tax Savings: Reduces taxable income and, in many cases, delivers significant first-year benefits.
- Enhanced Cash Flow: Improves liquidity and provides capital for reinvestment, expansion, or debt reduction.
- Strategic Planning Tool: Supports long-term financial and estate planning by aligning tax strategy with ownership goals.
- Universal Applicability: From corporate headquarters and multifamily assets to retail chains, owner-occupied homes, and rental properties, cost segregation creates measurable financial impact.
Why Archstone Group?
At Archstone Group, our MAI and Certified General Appraisers bring decades of valuation expertise to every cost segregation study. We combine deep real estate knowledge with advanced analytical tools and IRS-compliant methodologies to deliver studies that are accurate, defensible, and audit-ready.
Most importantly, we approach cost segregation with the same commitment that defines all of our services: white-glove customer service, on-time delivery, superior reporting, and 21st-century technology. Our clients not only realize significant tax benefits but also gain the confidence of working with a partner who understands the nuances of property, markets, and long-term financial strategy.
Tax Appeal
Tax Appeal Representation
Property taxes often represent one of the largest operating expenses for property owners, and inaccurate or excessive assessments can have a major financial impact. The tax appeal process allows attorneys, consultants, and property owners to challenge these assessments — but success depends on having credible, defensible valuation expertise. That’s where Archstone Group comes in.
Since 2017, we have completed over 15,000 tax appeal assignments across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, consistently delivering exceptional results and measurable savings.
Who Benefits?
Archstone’s tax appeal services are designed for:
- Tax attorneys and consultants needing expert valuations to support litigation or negotiation.
- Commercial property owners and investors seeking to reduce operating expenses and improve asset performance.
- Business owners and corporations with significant real estate holdings looking to optimize cash flow.
- Estate holders and private property owners who want to ensure their assets are fairly assessed.
The Benefits of a Strong Tax Appeal Case
- Direct Cost Savings: Lower assessments translate into immediate reductions in property tax liability.
- Defensible Valuations: USPAP-compliant reports and court-ready files that withstand legal scrutiny.
- Litigation Support: Comprehensive services, including review of opposing evidence, reinforcement of sound valuation methodologies, and expert witness testimony.
- Efficiency: Streamlined processes that reduce both time and cost for clients.
- Long-Term Value: Successful appeals improve net operating income and enhance asset value over time.
Why Archstone Group?
Archstone Group brings deep market knowledge, proven experience, and courtroom readiness to every tax appeal assignment. Our team of MAI-designated and Certified General Appraisers combines decades of expertise with advanced valuation tools and real-time market data, ensuring every conclusion is both accurate and defensible.
We understand the intricacies of the legal process and the expectations of courts and hearing officers. By pairing technical precision with white-glove client service, we empower attorneys, consultants, and property owners to present a clear, compelling, and defensible position on value.
Benchmarking
In today’s competitive real estate market, knowing where a property stands against its peers is essential for making smart, defensible decisions. Archstone Group provides benchmarking services that establish baseline expectations for rental rates, operating expenses, and asset performance across diverse markets — including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Our benchmarking studies are designed for a wide range of stakeholders who require independent, data-driven guidance, including:
- Lenders and financial institutions evaluating market stability and underwriting assumptions.
- Corporations and asset managers seeking competitive rental benchmarks for corporate housing or commercial leases.
- Tax attorneys and consultants requiring objective comparables in support of litigation or appeals.
- Private investors and developers planning acquisitions, repositionings, or ground-up development.
- Government agencies and municipalities analyzing affordability, policy impact, and market dynamics.
The Benefits of Benchmarking
- Pricing Clarity: Establishes competitive rent levels and baseline expectations for both residential and commercial properties.
- Expense & Operating Insight: Identifies how operating costs compare to peer properties, revealing efficiency gaps and opportunities.
- Strategic Decision-Making: Guides negotiations, portfolio planning, acquisition underwriting, and lease structuring.
- Market Transparency: Helps organizations cut through anecdotal or biased data with objective, third-party analysis.
- Risk Management: Provides a reality check for lenders and investors, ensuring assumptions align with verifiable market performance.
Our Data Advantage
Archstone Group maintains a proprietary internal database built from years of appraisal assignments, local research, and direct market engagement. This database captures:
- Rental pricing trends.
- Lease negotiation practices.
- Vacancy and absorption rates.
- Market behaviors of reliable participants.
Clients may access this data through subscription services for ongoing insights or through customized, project-specific studies tailored to their unique needs.
Why Archstone Group?
Our benchmarking reports are prepared by MAI-designated and Certified General Appraisers with 20+ years of experience, combining local expertise, national reach, and 21st-century technology. This ensures every study is not only data-rich but also interpretive and actionable. With a presence across the Tri-State area and Pennsylvania, we deliver the regional depth and national perspective needed to help our clients make sound, forward-looking decisions.