Why we need globally-certified appraisers now more than ever?

Well, it looks like I’m going back to school.  To become an appraiser – something I’ve already been doing for years! Why? Well, in any field, I believe it’s important to make sure that you’re not just doing the same thing year after year.  You have to keep your ear to the ground and stay in touch with changes not just as they happen, but before they happen. So even though I’ve been a real estate appraiser and tax attorney for over ten

If blockchain eliminates the middleman, why do we still need lawyers?

You already know I’m fascinated by tech trends, personally and professionally, and that I keep a close eye on how those trends are going to affect my business and my clients’. So you’ve probably already noticed that I’m enthusiastic about blockchain and its potential to make almost every type of real estate transaction and investment faster, simpler, and more efficient.  It does that in part by eliminating the middleman. In real estate today, every transaction, every change in zoning or registration,

THREE HUGE REASONS I’M GOING TO GREECE FOR DECENTRALIZED 2019

I’m very excited to announce here that I’ve been selected as a keynote speaker for the upcoming Decentralized 2019 conference.  This is Europe’s premier conference on blockchain and digital currencies, being held in Athens on Oct. 30-Nov. 1. I’ve been to a lot of blockchain conferences recently, so why am I so excited about this one? First of all, as a lawyer and lover of philosophy and deep thought, there’s something about Greece’s 3000-year tradition of democracy, justice, ethics, and esthetics that

WHY VALUATION PROFESSIONALS NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE

It’s easy to fool yourself into thinking real estate hasn’t changed much. Drive around any big city, or a small town, for that matter, and it’s easy to believe that real estate not only isn’t changing – it can’t change.  After all, buildings are still buildings, and they’ll always need land underneath them, owners, builders, renovation, development, redevelopment.  Everybody still needs to live and work somewhere. And it’s true, that isn’t changing.  But that doesn’t mean the industry is static – far

TEACHING REAL ESTATE TAXATION COURSE UNDER FIRE IN ASHKELON

Despite the scary headlines all over the world, it’s usually pretty quiet here in Israel.  But occasionally, especially in the south, things can heat up. Like while I was recently teaching a real estate appraisal and taxation course at the Ashkelon Academic College, 12 km (7.5 miles) from the Gaza border… and things suddenly started escalating, with serious rocket fire and near-misses very close to the college. I didn’t hesitate to show up for class, knowing my students – future real

SETTING STANDARDS FOR THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE ASSET VALUATION

The word on everybody’s lips these days when it comes to tokenization is valuation.  And with good reason.  Investors are wary these days and want to be sure they’re backing a solid asset, while asset owners want to ensure fair valuation so they can leverage their property to the greatest benefit. When we’re talking about turning a real-estate asset into a token, there are two ways that valuation comes into play.  First is valuation of the underlying property, which is essential

SECONDARY MARKET TRADING: WHERE DOES VALUATION COME IN?

One key advantage of tokenization is the opportunity to sell or trade real estate asset-backed security tokens on secondary markets.  The greater liquidity of security tokens as compared to traditional real estate investments is probably the core of their appeal.  Yet ensuring that tokens will have a stable value during secondary market trading is highly dependent on correct valuation. When valuating a security token backed on a real estate asset to ensure maximum stability in secondary trading, there are three important