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GRAMMAR &
STYLE
Tip No. 36 – Decade References
(excerpted from Cushman & Wakefield’s
Style Guide)
•
In text, write out phrases like “1998 to
1999;” do not use dashes in such phrases
(e.g., 1999-2001).
•
Do not use apostrophes when referring
to decades (e.g., 1990s, not 1990’s).
•
Do not abbreviate decades (e.g., 1980s
and 1990s, not 1980s and 90s, or
Eighties and Nineties).
•
In tables and graphics, dashes are
acceptable in decade ranges, but
decades should still not be abbreviated
(e.g., 1998-1999 instead of 1998-99).
Tip No. 45 – Excel Tips
by Curtis Buono, ARA, MAI, AI-GRS
A lot of people are familiar with the basic Excel keyboard shortcuts for copy and
paste and basic formatting functions, but these are just scratching the surface.
Excel has a ton of shortcuts that can eliminate clicks and make creating or editing
spreadsheets quicker and more efficient. These are some of the most helpful.
Shortcuts with cells selected:
Select Entire Column
Ctrl + Space
Select Entire Row
Shift + Space
Add Filters (only works in 1 row)
Shift + Ctrl + L
Delete Column / Row / Cell
Ctrl + -
Add Column / Row / Cell
Ctrl + Shift + "+"
Hide Selected Rows
Ctrl + 9
Hide Selected Columns
Ctrl + 0
Add Data Group (+/- to Hide/Show
Rows/Columns)
Shift + Alt + Right Arrow (add) or Left
Arrow (remove)
General shortcuts:
Navigate to Next Break
Ctrl + Arrows
Select While Navigating
Ctrl + Shift + Arrows
Open a Cell to Edit
F2 (ESC to close)
Change Cell Reference (in a formula)
F4
Open Cell Formatting Box
Ctrl + 1
Auto Sum
Alt + =
Trace Formula Precedents/Antecedents
(in a formula)
Ctrl + [ or ]
BEST PRACTICES & TIPS
Tip No. 44 – Estimating Effective Age
We’ve seen some inconsistency in how our appraisers treat effective age. Often the
effective age is estimated to be less than the actual age, without proper rationale
applied as to why. In theory, if a building is (say) seven years old and no capital
improvements have been invested, the effective age should be seven years. It is not
unusual, however, to see the effective age at five years or less.
Estimating effective age is inherently subjective and contingent on the property’s
appearance, level of maintenance on the mechanicals (not apparent from a typical
inspection), utility relative to other properties, and other factors. The estimate can be
complicated – the owner is relatively new to the project and historical maintenance
and capital improvement information is unavailable.
In general, unless details on the property’s renovation history and maintenance
program are available, the subject’s effective age should be at or near its
chronological age. While exceptions clearly exist and the appraiser’s judgment is
critical, this general guideline should be followed when estimating effective age.
TECHNOLOGY
CORNER
CoStar Photographs
There has been some confusion about
whether we can include Costar photos in
our appraisal reports. Based on our most
recent contract, we are allowed to include
the pictures, but we must also include
proper attribution that the photos are
from Costar.
As a result, do not remove any watermarks
or other information from the images. If
the photos do not include a watermark, we
must note that the photo is from Costar
adjacent to where the picture is displayed
within the appraisal report.
Please contact
Tinequa Hunt
if you have
specific questions.