Real Estate Blog - Appraise & Apprise - William R Hall, Alpha Valuations

As a small business ourselves, my wife and I firmly believe in supporting our local small businesses. We are truly thankful everyday for what we have been able to accomplish and sustain over the past nine years and it would have not been possible without the support and continued trust of our clients/customers.  On the appraisal side of our business, I have to be "geographically competent" prior to banks/lenders engaging me for my valuation services.  And many of our best clients are large, national lenders with names that most everyone would be familiar with.  So, when they select us over hundreds of other appraisers in the area and engage us for our services, our local small business is being supported at a national level.  It's a pretty awesome feeling.  But do you know what's an even better feeling?  When we are repeatedly engaged by local mortgage brokers who come back to us time and again because they appreciate our effort and quality work.  Or when we receive an email or phone call from someone seeking non-lending valuation services and they tell us they were referred to us by someone else who enjoyed working with us. Or simply someone just asking for my business card should the need arise because they enjoyed speaking with me and liked what I had to say about real estate in general.  Those are the moments that fill me with pride and reinforce the feeling that we're actually good at what we do.  Nothing can beat that feeling as far as running a business goes.

So, whenever we can, we like to return that favor and support our local small businesses.  When it was time to replace our windows and our sliders, we chose a small, local company started up by several skilled carpenters.  The landscaper who installed our patio, fire pit, front walk, and retaining walls, has a daughter who goes to school with our daughter.  When I was looking at meat subscription services (yeah, that's a thing), my wife said "Why bother?  We have Casey's.  Wouldn't you rather support local business?" And she's absolutely right.  Which brings me to our near obsessive endorsement of CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture).

A few years back, Lori and I started going to various local farmer's markets on the weekends.  It was an epiphany.  Neither of us knew that that's what a strawberry grown in season was actually supposed to taste like.  Or fresh spring onions just plucked from the soil.  Or tomatoes right from the vine and not shipped from 1000 miles away.  Then Lori stumbled upon Nichols Farm and Orchard at one of these local markets.  They are a CSA based out of Marengo.  A little research uncovered that they supply some of the best restaurants in Chicago.  If they're good enough for Stephanie Izard, I guess we should be okay.  They are amazing.  And they deliver right to our door.  My wife and I literally count down the days until our next Friday delivery.  We love to cook and we have been fortunate enough to learn new recipes utilizing fresh ingredients that we had never used before.  And the flavors...there are no words (can you tell we just received our first shipment this season?).  So look into it.  Support your local businesses when possible.  And support your local farmers.

Thank you and make it a great day!