Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Appraiser needed Pickens-South Lamar

Can anyone recommend an appraiser in Pickens and south Lamar counties? I am sure an appraiser from Fayette would have an understanding the land I am trying to purchase.

Go to the probate office and see what the county is valuing it at. It will be close. Then get a timber cruise

Bruce Lanier from Tuscaloosa if he still does it.

Do not listen to 300gr. Property appraiser values often are far off of market values. Take it from a guy who spent 34 years as an appraiser.

I take it you haven’t purchased any rural land lately. It’s crazy what it’s bringing now vs pre-covid.

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No but i have bought rural land and it was very close to the counties appraisal. Only other thing to look at is timber value because the county does not value true tinber price accurately .Rural land in pickens with no timber is around 1500 max unless its near a larger town but in the sticks around 1500.00 plus cruised timber. Remember an appraisal is only an opinion. I had a house appraiser one time tell me what do you want it to appraise for when I asked him how much it was worth.


Its only worth what someone is willing to pay. You can ask ridiculous prices like 8000 per acre if you want but you wont get any buyers unless its in a very desirable area such as river land near a good town or school system. Generally smaller acreage like for building a house is higher than 15 or more acres.

You had a scumbag of an appraiser in that case who was blatantly ignoring professional standards. A lot of residential guys are not the sharpest arrows in the quiver.

Found 78 acres on landwatch. Carrollton area 175500. Thats 2250 an acre
97 acres for 175000 in gordo
88.9 acres reform for 215000

I sent you a pm with a contact.

You are 💯 correct about the value being what someone is willing to pay for it. And folks are paying way more now than just a few years ago for rural land.

My mom is currently selling an 18-acre tract in Palmetto (about as rural as it gets) for $2,700/acre with no marketable timber. That deal was struck without even listing with a realtor to get more buyers in the game. Tax appraisal is $1,200/acre.

Those two tracts you mentioned have been on the market a while and there’s a reason for that.

If you find a decent tract you really want to purchase, just don’t get your feelings hurt when the seller acts insulted when you offer the tax appraised value.

I certainly wish land was still selling for pre-covid prices but those days are over.

County appraisal value is worth knowing, but doesn't have much meaning. Banks usually want to see it in the report, but I don't worry much if the fee appraiser's estimate is very different.
County appraisals are done "through the windshield", and are based on mass appraisal computer models, so they are hit or miss on individual parcels.
While "neighborhood" may give you some idea, the tract itself is unique as to road frontage, water (on a creek, possible pond/lake sites) topography, site index, shape, etc., and a professional appraiser will take all that into account.
David Burns - Southeastern Appraisal -Tuscaloosa - ranges all over the western side of AL, and into MS. Also a registered forester, so he can value the timber. Can be prickly to deal with, but very good. He spends a lot of time on very large institutional/investment parcels.